These hearings are held in accessible facilities. If you have special needs or circumstances which may make communication or accessibility difficult at the hearing, please call (608) 267-9382 or Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (608) 264-8777 at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Accommodations such as interpreters, English translators or materials in audio tape format will, to the fullest extent possible, be made available on request by a person with a disability.
Copies of Rule
A copy of the rules to be considered may be obtained from the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Policy and Budget Development, P. O. Box 7970, Madison, Wisconsin 53707, by calling (608) 267-9382 or at the appointed times and places the hearings are held.
Written Comments and Contact Person
Interested people are invited to appear at the hearings and will be afforded the opportunity of making an oral presentation of their positions. People making oral presentations are requested to submit their facts, views and suggested rewording in writing. Written comments from people unable to attend the public hearings, or who wish to supplement testimony offered at the hearings, may be submitted no later than June 30, 1998, for inclusion in the summary of public comments submitted to the Legislature. Any such comments should be submitted to:
Ms. Louie Rech
Bureau of Policy & Budget Development
Dept. of Commerce
P. O. Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707
Written comments will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearings. People submitting comments will not receive individual responses.
Analysis Prepared by the Dept. of Commerce
Statutory authority: Section 560.135, Stats., creates the Minority Economic Development Grants and Loans Program. Sections 560.02 and 560.135 (7), Stats., authorize the Department to promulgate rules required to administer the programs.
The proposed rule creates procedures for administering the new program. The program was created in 1997 Wis. Act 27, the biennial budget bill.
The provisions in the proposed rule include:
1. The Wisconsin Development Finance Board may make grants or loans for various activities in an area that has been affected by metallic mineral mining. The eligible entities, maximum award amount, and the eligible activities are:
A. A business may receive up to $100,000 to finance costs associated with the start-up, maintenance or expansion of the business.
B. A city, village, town, or county (municipality) may receive up to $100,000 to develop an economic diversification plan.
C. A municipality, community-based organization, or local development corporation may receive up to $200,000 to establish a local revolving loan fund to finance businesses that will create long-term employment opportunities.
D. A community-based organization or local development corporation may receive up to $100,000 to conduct a local economic development project that will create long-term employment opportunities and to provide assistance to businesses or entrepreneurs.
E. A business may receive up to $15,000 to obtain professional services related to the start-up, maintenance or expansion of the business. The professional services may include feasibility studies, financial plan, marketing plans, or managerial assistance after the start-up or expansion.
2. The rule also includes evaluation criteria to be used by the Board in making funding decisions. The criteria include:
A. The extent to which the project will retain or increase employment in this state.
B. The extent to which the project will contribute to the economic growth of this state and the well-being of the residents of this state.
C. Whether the project will be located in an area of high unemployment or low average income.
D. The financial soundness of the business.
E. The intention of the eligible recipient to repay the grant or loan.
F. Whether the project will be located in a targeted area.
G. The extent to which the business or other entity assisted by the project is likely to provide stable, long-term employment opportunities to reduce the dependence of the area on mining.
3. The rule also provides procedures for the Department to contract with successful applicants, applicant reporting and auditing requirements, the Department's responsibilities relating to administering the program, and the Wisconsin Development Finance Board's responsibilities relating to administering the program.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
1. Types of small businesses that will be affected by the rules:
These rules will not affect small businesses.
2. Reporting, bookkeeping and other procedures required for compliance with the rules:
These rules will impose no new requirements.
3. Types of professional skills necessary for compliance with the rules:
No professional skills are required to comply with the rules.
Fiscal Estimate
The rules create provision for the mining economic development grants and loans program that was created in 1997 Wis. Act 27. These rules will have no fiscal effect on the Department or on businesses that apply for funding under the program.
Notice of Hearing
Insurance
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the authority granted under s. 601.41 (3), Stats., and the procedure set forth in under s. 227.18, Stats., OCI will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of the proposed rulemaking order affecting s. Ins 2.30, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to adopting additional annuity mortality tables.
Hearing Information
June 19, 1998 Room 187, OCI
Friday 121 E. Wilson St.
11:00 a.m., or as soon Madison
thereafter as the matter
may be reached
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed rule will be accepted into the record and receive the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing if they are received at OCI within 14 days following the date of the hearing. Written comments should be addressed to: Stephen Mueller, OCI, P.O. Box 7873, Madison, WI 53707.
Analysis Prepared by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Statutory authority: ss. 601.41, 623.02 & 623.06
Statutes interpreted: ss. 623.02 & 623.06
The purpose of this rule is to amend current rule Ins. 2.30, Wis. Adm. Code to add updated mortality tables approved for use by insurers to determine reserve liabilities for annuity contracts. The currently in-force mortality tables are based on a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Model act adopted by OCI in 1985. The current rule incorporates those tables by reference to the Proceedings of the NAIC where they were published in 1982 and 1984.
This proposed amendment conforms the rule to recent NAIC Model Act changes by adding 2 more tables, the “1994 GAR Table” and the “Annuity 2000 Mortality Table”. Although these tables were adopted by the NAIC for this purpose the NAIC has chosen not to publish these new tables in their Proceedings bulletin. Therefore these tables are incorporated by reference to the publication Transactions, Society of Actuaries where these tables were first published after adoption by the Society of Actuaries.
Prior to the first draft of this rule the attorney general and the revisor had given OCI permission to incorporate the new tables by reference to the NAIC Proceedings. However since the NAIC has decided not to publish these tables we have sent the attorney general and revisor a revised request to incorporate the new tables by reference to the Transactions, Society of Actuaries instead of the NAIC Proceedings.
Fiscal Estimate
There will be no state or local government fiscal effect.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
This rule does not impose any additional requirements on small businesses.
Contact Person
A copy of the full text of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Meg Gunderson, Services Section, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, at (608) 266-0110 or at 121 E. Wilson Street, P.O. Box 7873, Madison, WI 53707-7873.
Notice of Hearings
Natural Resources
(Environmental Protection-Water
Regulation, Chs. NR 300--)
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 30.28, 31.39 and 281.22, Stats., interpreting ss. 30.10 to 30.205, 30.21 to 30.27, 31.02 to 31.185, 31.33 to 31.38 and 281.22, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold public hearings on the repeal and recreation of ch. NR 300, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to fees for waterway and wetland permit decisions. The proposed rule sets standard time frames for making decisions on proposed physical alterations affecting surface water resources, establishes a process for requesting expedited decision making and sets fees for standard and expedited application review.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Notice is hereby further given that pursuant to s. 227.114, Stats., it is not anticipated that the proposed rule will have an economic impact on small businesses.
Notice is hereby further given that the Department has made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code. However, based on the comments received, the Department may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the proposal. This environmental review document would summarize the Department's consideration of the impacts of the proposal and reasonable alternatives.
Hearing Information
May 27, 1998 Room 137B, DOT Bldg.
Wednesday 141 N.W. Barstow
at 1:00 p.m. Waukesha
May 28, 1998 Woodruff Town Hall
Thursday 750 Elm Street
at 1:00 p.m. Woodruff
Notice is hereby further given that pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call Mary Ellen Vollbrecht at (608) 264-8554 with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted to Ms. Mary Ellen Vollbrecht, Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 no later than May 28, 1998. Written comments will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the hearings. A copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Ms. Vollbrecht.
Fiscal Estimate
