E m e r g e n c y R u l e s N o w I n E f f e c t
Under s. 227.24, Stats., state agencies may promulgate rules without complying with the usual rule-making procedures. Using this special procedure to issue emergency rules, an agency must find that either the preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare necessitates its action in bypassing normal rule-making procedures.
Emergency rules are published in the official state newspaper, which is currently the Wisconsin State Journal. Emergency rules are in effect for 150 days and can be extended up to an additional 120 days with no single extension to exceed 60 days.
Extension of the effective period of an emergency rule is granted at the discretion of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules under s. 227.24 (2), Stats.
Notice of all emergency rules which are in effect must be printed in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. This notice will contain a brief description of the emergency rule, the agency finding of emergency, date of publication, the effective and expiration dates, any extension of the effective period of the emergency rule and information regarding public hearings on the emergency rule.
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT (2)
Commerce
(PECFA - Chs. Comm 46-47)
1.   Rules adopted creating ch. Comm 46, relating to “Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Interagency Responsibilities,” and relating to site contaminated with petroleum products from petroleum storage tanks.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
On September 22, 1999, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules adopted a motion pursuant to s. 227.26 (2) (b), Stats., that directs the Departments Commerce and Natural Resources to promulgate as an emergency rule, no later than October 22, 1999, the policies and interpretations under which they intend to administer and implement the shared elements of the petroleum environmental cleanup fund program.
In administering the fund, the Departments had previously relied upon a Memorandum of Understanding for classifying contaminated sites and addressing other statements of policy that affect the two Departments. The rule that is being promulgated details the policies and interpretations under which the agencies intend to administer and guide the remedial decision making for sites with petroleum product contamination from petroleum product storage tank systems.
The rule defines “high priority site,” “medium priority site, ” and “low priority site,” and provides that the Department of Natural Resources has authority for high priority sites and that the Department of Commerce has authority for low and medium priority sites. The rule requires transfer of authority for sites with petroleum contamination in the groundwater below the enforcement standard in ch. NR 140 from the Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Commerce. The rule also establishes procedures for transferring sites from one agency to the other when information relevant to the site classification becomes available.
Publication Date:   October 20, 1999
Effective Date:   October 20, 1999
Expiration Date:   March 18, 2000
Hearing Date:   November 18, 1999
Extension Through:   May 16, 2000
2. Rules adopted amending s. Comm 47.53, relating to appeals of decisions issued under the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Act (PECFA) program.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Commerce finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of the facts constituting the emergency is:
The department is receiving funds from a bonding initiative to enable it to issue approximately 3,500 decisions on applications for PECFA funding which had been awaiting the availability of funding. Because these decisions will be issued over a very short time frame, parties receiving decisions and law firms representing them, will be required to review and analyze a large volume of decisions to determine whether they wish to appeal specific departmental decisions. Given the large number of decisions and the normal rate of appeals, it is reasonable to expect that the public will be required to prepare and file a large volume of appeals within a short time period. Attorneys, lenders and consultants representing multiple claimants have expressed concern about the workload associated with having to review decisions and draft appeals on the higher volume of decisions issued by the department within the current 30 day window. The emergency rule temporarily expands the filing period from 30 days to 90 days to provide additional time to evaluate decisions and determine whether an appeal should be filed. The rule covers the time period when the highest volume of decisions are to be issued.
Publication Date:   February 15, 2000
Effective Date:   February 15, 2000
Expiration Date:   July 14, 2000
Hearing Date:   March, 27, 2000
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT
Crime Victims Rights Board
Rules adopted creating ch. CVRB 1, relating to the rights of crime victims.
Finding of Emergency
The Crime Victims Rights Board finds that an emergency exists and that rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of the facts constituting the emergency is:
The Crime Victims Rights Board was created by 1997 Wis. Act 181, effective December 1, 1998, to enforce victims' rights established by Wis. Const. Art. I, s. 9m, adopted in 1993. The Wisconsin Constitution states that the Legislature shall provide remedies for the violation of victims' constitutional rights. The Board's process represents the only means of enforcing the remedies available to victims of crime who are not provided with the rights guaranteed to them by the Wisconsin Constitution and the Wisconsin statutes. The Board can issue reprimands to correct violations of victims' rights, seek forfeitures in egregious cases, and seek equitable relief to enforce victims' rights. The Board can also work to prevent future violations of victims' rights by issuing reports and recommendations on crime victims' rights and services.
Complaints must be presented to the Department of Justice before they can be presented to the Board. The Department estimates that it receives 200 complaints annually involving the treatment of crime victims. The Department has no authority to enforce victims' rights; the Department can only seek to mediate disputes. Of those complaints, approximately 25 per year cannot be resolved to the parties' satisfaction, and are therefore ripe for the Board's consideration. There are presently 5 complaints that could be referred to the Board if the Board were able to receive and act on complaints.
Until the Board establishes its complaint process by administrative rule, it is unable to provide the remedies constitutionally guaranteed to crime victims.
Publication Date:   September 17, 1999
Effective Date:   September 17, 1999
Expiration Date:   February 14, 1999
Hearing Date:   November 9, 1999
Extension Through:   April 13, 2000
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT
Employe Trust Funds
Rules adopted revising s. ETF 20.25 (1), relating to the distribution to annuitants from the transaction amortization account to the annuity reserve under 1999 Wis. Act 11.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Employe Trust Funds, Employe Trust Fund Board, Teacher Retirement Board and Wisconsin Retirement Board find that an emergency exists and that administrative rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public welfare. A statement of the facts constituting the emergency is:
The Public Employe Trust Fund was created for the purpose of helping public employes to protect themselves and their beneficiaries against the financial hardships of old age, disability, death, illness and accident. The Trust Fund thus promotes economy and efficiency in public service by facilitating the attraction and retention of competent employes, by enhancing employe morale, by providing for the orderly and humane departure from service of employes no longer able to perform their duties effectively, and by establishing equitable benefit standards throughout public employment. There are approximately 102,000 annuitants of the Wisconsin Retirement System, of whom about 80% reside throughout the State of Wisconsin. The Department of Employe Trust Funds estimates that up to 7,000 public employes covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System will retire and take annuity benefits effective during 1999.
WRS participants who retire during 1999 are not eligible to have their retirement benefits calculated using the higher formula factors for pre-2000 service which are provided by the treatment of Wis. Stats. 40.23 (2m) (e) 1. through 4. by 1999 Wis. Act 11. Section 27 (b) 2. of the Act directs that any funds allocated to the employer reserve in the Trust Fund as a result of the $4 billion transfer mandated by the Act, which exceed $200,000,000 shall be applied towards funding any liabilities created by using the higher formula factors with respect to pre-2000 service.
If the existing administrative rule mandating proration is not revised, then the distribution of the funds transferred into the annuity reserve by Act s. 27 (1) (a) of 1999 Wis. Act 11 will be prorated with respect to annuities with effective dates after December 31, 1998, and before January 1, 2000. The extraordinary transfer of funds from the Transaction Amortization Account (TAA) mandated by 1999 Wis. 11 causes funds, which would otherwise have remained in the TAA to be recognized and fund annuity dividends in later years, to instead be transferred into the annuity reserve in 1999 and paid out as an annuity dividend effective April 1, 2000. Normally, annuities effective during 1999 would receive only a prorated dividend. If this occurred with respect to this extraordinary distribution, then annuitants with annuity effective dates in 1999 would be deprived of a portion of the earnings of the Public Employe Trust Fund that would otherwise have affected their annuities as of April 1, 2001 and in subsequent years.
Promulgation of an emergency rule is the only available option for revising the effect of Wis. Adm. Code s. ETF 20.25 (1) before December 31, 1999. Accordingly, the Department of Employe Trust Funds, Employe Trust Funds Board, Teacher Retirement Board and Wisconsin Retirement Board conclude that preservation of the public welfare requires placing this administrative rule into effect before the time it could be effective if the Department and Boards were to comply with the scope statement, notice, hearing, legislative review and publication requirements of the statutes.
Publication Date:   December 27, 1999
Effective Date:   December 31, 1999
Expiration Date:   May 29, 2000
Hearing Date:   February 11, 2000
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT
Department of Financial Institutions
Division of Securities
Rules adopted revising s. DFI-Sec 5.01 (4), relating to investment adviser representative competency examination grandfathering provisions.
Finding of Emergency and Analysis
The Division of Securities of the Department of Financial Institutions for the State of Wisconsin finds that an emergency exists and that rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of the facts constituting the emergency follows:
The Division recently adopted for January 1, 2000 effectiveness as part of its annual rule revision process for 1999, a new administrative rule in s. DFI-Sec 5.01(3) that prescribes a new examination requirement for investment advisers and investment adviser representatives seeking licensure in Wisconsin on or after January 1, 2000. That new examination requirement, which includes completely revised Series 65 and Series 66 examinations, was developed over a 3-year period by a Project Group of the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”).
The new NASAA examination requirement (which also included certain “grandfathering”/examination-waiver provisions) was approved by vote of NASAA member states (including Wisconsin) at the NASAA 1999 Spring Conference to become effective on December 31, 1999. The NASAA membership vote was accompanied by a recommendation that for uniformity purposes, each NASAA member state complete the necessary steps to adopt and have effective by January 1, 2000, the new examination requirement conforming to the NASAA format in all respects.
Following the adoption on November 18, 1999 by the Division of the new investment adviser examination requirement in s. DFI-Sec 5.01(3) as part of the Division's annual rule revision process, it was noted that the “grandfathering”/examination waiver provisions that had been included in s. DFI-Sec 5.01(4) did not track the NASAA Model language in two respects.
Because it is critical that the grandfathering provisions for the new Wisconsin investment adviser examination requirement be uniform with those of the other NASAA member states as of the coordinated January 1, 2000 date so that applicants for licensing in Wisconsin receive equivalent treatment to that accorded them by other states in which they may be seeking licensure, this emergency rulemaking for January 1, 2000 effectiveness is necessary.
The emergency rulemaking action is comprised of two provisions which do the following: (1) provide an examination waiver in new section DFI-Sec 5.01(4)(e) for any applicant licensed as an investment adviser or investment adviser representative in any jurisdiction in the U.S. on January 1, 2000; and (2) provide an examination waiver in amended section DFI-Sec 5.01(4)(b) for any applicant that has been licensed as an investment adviser or investment adviser representative in any jurisdiction in the U.S. within two years prior to the date the application is filed.
Publication Date:   December 28, 1999
Effective Date:   January 1, 2000
Expiration Date:   May 30, 2000
Hearing Date:   March 13, 2000
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT (2)
Gaming Division
1.   Rules adopted creating ch. Game 27, relating to the conduct of pari-mutuel snowmobile racing.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Administration's Division of Gaming finds that an emergency exists and that rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of the facts constituting the emergency is:
In January of 2000 a snowmobile promoter proposes to offer pari-mutuel wagering on snowmobile races conducted in Wisconsin. Section 562.124, Stats., allows for pari-mutuel snowmobile racing with the requirement that the Division of Gaming regulate the racing and promulgate all rules necessary to administer the statutory provision in the statutes.
Since this will be the first occasion within the United States that there will be pari-mutuel wagering on a motor sport or mechanical event, the Division of Gaming took extra time in preparing and reviewing the proposed rules with emphasis and attention directed toward the health, welfare and safety of the participants, workers and the public. Additionally, the Division of Gaming is incorporating standards by reference, specifically the Oval Sprint Racing Rules; Sno-Cross Racing Rules; and the General Competition Rules, excluding Enforcement, Discipline and Violation, of International Snowmobile Racing, Incorporated as identified in the 1999-2000 ISR Snowmobile Racing Yearbook. These rules, which were made public in October of 1999 were reviewed extensively, once again with an emphasis on the health, welfare and safety of the prior noted individuals.
The conduct of pari-mutuel snowmobile racing will create additional jobs, increase tourism within the State of Wisconsin and generate revenues for the Division of Gaming.
Publication Date:   December 23, 1999
Effective Date:   December 23, 1999
Expiration Date:   May 21, 2000
2.   Rule adopted repealing ch. Game 27, relating to the conduct of pari-mutuel snowmobile racing, which was created by emergency rule on December 23, 1999.
Finding of Emergency
Based upon the public opposition to this emergency rule, the Department has reconsidered its creation of ch. Game 27 as an emergency rule. The Department will instead pursue creation of the proposed rule under the permanent rulemaking procedures.
Publication Date:   January 15, 2000
Effective Date:   January 15, 2000
Expiration Date:   May 21, 2000
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT (2)
Health & Family Services
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