Register

Public Instruction

Rule Submittal Date

On January 7, 2000, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction submitted a proposed rule to the Wisconsin Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse.

Analysis

The proposed rule amends ch. PI 40, relating to the youth options program.

Agency Procedure for Promulgation

Because the proposed rules have been modified to conform to current statutory language, the Department will not hold public hearings regarding these rules as provided under s. 227.16 (2) (b), Stats. The Division for Learning Support: Instructional Services is primarily responsible for promulgation of this rule.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this rule, you may contact:

Preston Smeltzer

Education Consultant

Telephone [phone]

Revenue

Rule Submittal Date

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to s. 227.14 (4m), Stats., that on January 14, 2000, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue submitted a proposed rule to the Wisconsin Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse.

Analysis

The proposed rule amends ss. Tax 14.01, 14.02, 14.03, 14.04, 14.05 and 14.06, relating to homestead credit administrative provisions; qualification for credit; household income and income; property taxes accrued; gross rent and rent constituting property taxes accrued; and marriage, separation or divorce during a claim year.

Agency Procedure for Promulgation

A public hearing is not required. The proposed rule will be published under the 30-day notice procedure, pursuant to s. 227.16 (2) (e), Stats. The Office of the Secretary is primarily responsible for the promulgation of the proposed rule.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this rule, you may contact:

Mark Wipperfurth

Income, Sales, and Excise Tax Division

Telephone [phone]

Transportation

Rule Submittal Date

In accordance with s. 227.14 (4m), Stats., the following information is sent as WisDOT's notice of submittal of a proposed rule to the Joint Legislative Council staff on January 18, 2000.

Analysis

The subject matter of the proposed rule affecting chs. Trans 4 and 8 relates to the State Public Transit Operating Assistance Program; use of fully-allocated costs in the competitive bid process; allocation of Federal Public Transit Assistance Program funds to urbanized areas under 200,000 population.

Agency Procedure for Promulgation

A public hearing is required, and it is scheduled for February 14, 2000. The organizational unit responsible for promulgation of the proposed rule is the Division of Transportation Investment Management, Bureau of Transit and Local Roads.

Contact Information

If you have questions, please contact:

Julie A. Johnson, Paralegal

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Office of General Counsel

Dept. of Transportation

4802 Sheboygan Ave., Room 115B

P.O. Box 7910

Madison, WI 53707-7910

Notices_J31

N o t i c e S e c t i o n

Notice of Hearing

Commerce

(Fee Schedule & Credentials
Chs. Comm 2 & 5)

[CR 00-9]

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 101.19 and 145.08 Stats., the Department of Commerce announces that it will hold a public hearing on proposed rules relating to program revenue fees.

Hearing Information

February 11, 2000   Room 3B, WHEDA Bldg.

Friday   201 W. Washington Ave.

10:30 a.m.   Madison

Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearing and present comments on the proposed rules. Persons making oral presentations are requested to submit their comments in writing. Persons submitting comments will not receive individual responses. The hearing record on this proposed rulemaking will remain open until February 25, 2000, to permit submittal of written comments from persons who are unable to attend a hearing or who wish to supplement testimony offered at a hearing.

This hearing is held in an accessible facility. If you have special needs or circumstances that may make communication or accessibility difficult at the hearing, please call [phone] or TTY at [phone] 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 upon request by a person with a disability.

A copy of the proposed rules may be obtained without cost from Roberta Ward, Department of Commerce, Program Development Bureau, P.O. Box 2689, Madison, Wisconsin 53701, telephone [phone] or [phone] (TTY). Copies will also be available at the public hearings.

Analysis of Proposed Rules

Statutory Authority: ss. 101.19 and 145.08

Statutes Interpreted: ss. 101.19 and 145.08

The Division of Safety and Buildings within the Department of Commerce is responsible for administering and enforcing safety and health rules relating to the construction and inspection of dwellings, public buildings and places of employment. In the administration and enforcement of those rules, the Department provides numerous services such as plan examination, inspection and certification. The Department, by rule promulgated under chapter 227 of the Wisconsin Statutes, is required to fix and collect fees which should, as closely as possible, equal the cost of providing those services.

Most of the fees charged by the Division of Safety and Buildings are contained in chapter Comm 2. Additional fees for licenses, certifications and registrations are contained in chapter Comm 5. The proposed rules consist of increases in most of the fees in chapters Comm 2 and 5.

The majority of the Division's fees have not been increased since 1992. The proposed changes are necessary in order to bring revenues more in line with the costs of providing the services in each program area. It is estimated that the fee increases will increase total program revenues by 23 percent and provide sufficient revenues for a 4 year period. Under the proposal, each program area will be self-sufficient except for the Public Sector Safety Program which is subsidized 100 percent by the Commercial Building Plan Review and Inspection Program.

The proposed rules contain fee increases ranging from 2 percent to 200 percent. In some program areas the current fee amounts will remain unchanged. Those program area fees that are not being changed include: Manufactured Dwellings, One- and 2-Family Dwellings, Rental Unit Energy Efficiency, Plumbing Licensing, Fire Sprinkler Installer Licensing, HVAC Certification, Refrigerant Handling Certification, Soil Tester Certification, and all Inspector Certifications.

Under the proposed rules, the fees for lighting plan review are combined with the fees for building plan review. Submittal requirements for lighting plans, however, are not being changed.

The proposed rules also contain minor revisions to the requirements for plumbing plan review and plumbing product review. The threshold for submitting plumbing plans is being raised from 11 to 16 plumbing fixtures. Plumbing product review is being discontinued for cross connection control devices and for water treatment devices listed as complying with NSF standard 44.

The following is a brief summary by program area of the major fee changes in the proposed rules. The summary is arranged in the same order as chapter Comm 2.

1. Boilers, Pressure Vessels, Anhydrous Ammonia and Mechanical Refrigeration

•   Current fee amounts for plan reviews and inspections would generally be increased 35 percent, rounded to $5 increments.

•   Current fee amounts for Permits to Operate would be increased 40 percent.

•   Current fee amounts for anhydrous ammonia plan review and initial inspection would be increased 200 percent.

2. Elevators and Lifting Devices

•   Current fee amounts for plan review and initial inspection in Table 2.15-1 would be increased 100 percent.

•   Current fee amounts for periodic inspections in Table 2.15-2 would be increased as follows based on the expected average inspection times shown below and a “billing" rate of $60 per hour:

0-4 landings - 63 percent increase (1.5 hours)

5-10 landings - 41 percent increase (2.0 hours)

11 or more landings - 30 percent increase (2.5 hours)