If you are hearing or visually impaired, do not speak English, or have circumstances which might make communication at a hearing difficult and if you, therefore, require an interpreter or a non-English, large-print or taped version of the hearing document, contact the person at the address or phone number shown above. Persons requesting a non-English or sign language interpreter should contact the person at the address or phone number given above at least 10 days before the hearing. With less than 10 days notice, an interpreter may not be available.
Written comments on the proposed rules or the emergency rules received at the above address no later than March 2, 2000 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearings.
Fiscal Estimate
This order amends ch. HFS 50 to implement changes made in s. 48.975, Stats., the adoption assistance program, by 1997 Wisconsin Act 308. Those changes include permitting a written agreement for adoption assistance to be concluded after the adoption is final, but only when there are “extenuating circumstances," and permitting the amendment of an adoption assistance agreement to increase the amount when, following adoption of a special needs child there is a “substantial change in circumstances." The amended rules define “extenuating circumstances," “child at high risk" and “substantial change in circumstances."
The rule changes will not affect the expenditures or revenues of state government or local governments. They implement the statutory changes. The adoption assistance program is administered by the Department.
Any change in costs as a result of these changes in the adoption assistance program are due not to the implementing rule changes but rather to Act 308 and were taken into consideration by the Legislature in deliberations when the bill, AB 601, was passed.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
These rule changes apply mainly to the Department and the adoptive parents of special needs children but may affect also prospective adoptive parents, adopted special needs children, special needs children available for adoption and adoption agencies. A few of the adoption agencies, namely, some of the 24 private child-placing agencies licensed to accept guardianship of children and to place children under their guardianship for adoption, may be small businesses as “small business" is defined in s. 227.114 (1) (a), Stats. However, in this rulemaking order adoption agencies are directly affected only by a revised requirement relating to reasonable placement efforts which does not require the agency to have new professional skills in order to comply with it.
Notice of Hearing
Commissioner of Insurance
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the authority granted under s. 601.41 (3), Stats., and the procedure set forth in s. 227.18, Stats., the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of the proposed rule-making order affecting s. Ins 3.09, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to mortgage guarantee insurance.
Hearing Information
Date & Time Location
February 25, 2000 Room 6
Friday OCI
10:00 A.M. 121 East Wilson St.
MADISON, WI
Analysis Prepared by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Statutory authority: ss. 601.41 (3), 627.05 and 628.34 (12) and ch. 617
Statutes interpreted: ss. 600.01 and 628.34 (12) and ch. 617
This proposed rule change establishes standards for the transaction of mortgage guarantee business related to an affiliate when that affiliate is 50% owned by another party. Existing rules prohibit such transactions.
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
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 Information
A copy of the full text of the proposed rule changes and fiscal estimate may be obtained from the OCI internet WEB site at
http://www.state.wi.us/agencies/oci/ocirules.htm or by contacting Tammi Kuhl, Services Section, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, at (608) 266-0110 or at 121 East Wilson Street, P.O. Box 7873, Madison WI 53707-7873.
Notice of Hearing
Commissioner of Insurance
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the authority granted under s. 601.41 (3), Stats., and the procedure set forth in s. 227.18, Stats., the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of the proposed rule-making order affecting s. Ins 23.35, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to adjusting minimum benefit requirements for prearranged funeral plans.
Hearing Information
Date & Time Location
February 25, 2000 Room 6
Friday OCI
11:00 A.M. 121 East Wilson St.
MADISON, WI
Analysis Prepared by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Statutory authority: ss. 601.41(3) and 632.41 (2) (b) 2.
Statute interpreted: s. 632.41 (2) (b) 2.
This proposed rule change sets out specific minimum benefit requirements for insurance marketed to fund prearranged funeral plans where the premium for that insurance is payable in installments over time. Under current rules governing funeral policies, the multi-premium policy marketplace is nearly non-existent. This change is intended to make it more likely that insurers will issue policies with flexible funding arrangements. Consumer safeguards are added by correlating death benefits to the amount of the prearranged funeral plan with an “interest" factor added. In addition, limits on the payment period are tied to age at issue and policies that pay a death benefit less than face value are allowed only under certain conditions. This rule also requires disclosure where the policy death benefit may be less than the policy face value and the total premium to be paid over the life of the policy.
This rule change includes a provision that requires a premium rate filing for all funeral policies.
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
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 Information
A copy of the full text of the proposed rule changes and fiscal estimate may be obtained from the OCI internet WEB site at
http://www.state.wi.us/agencies/oci/ocirules.htm or by contacting Tammi Kuhl, Services Section, Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, at (608) 266-0110 or at 121 East Wilson Street, P.O. Box 7873, Madison WI 53707-7873.
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 attached proposed rulemaking order affecting chs. Ins 13 & 50, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to town mutual insurance.
Hearing Information
February 25, 2000 Room 6, OCI
Friday 121 E. Wilson Street
2:00 p.m., or as soon as Madison, WI
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(3), 601.42, & Ch. 612 , Stats.
Statute interpreted: Ch. 612, Stats.
Analysis: The changes to chs. Ins 13 reflect both recent statutory changes to the operation of town mutuals and today's economic realities. This rule increases the number of counties in which a town mutual may do business, extends the fidelity bond requirement table, increases surplus requirements and eliminates obsolete sections on unearned premium reserves.
The change to ch. Ins 50 conforms to the ch. Ins 13 changes and broadens the exemption from filing annual audited financials for some town mutuals.
Fiscal Estimate
