Examples of the variety of programs to be created under s. 16.957 (2) (b) 1., Stats., run the gamut from a simple rebate of a few cents for the purchase of energy efficient products or services to programs requiring complete engineering audits of industrial plants, arrangement of financing, performance contracting and multi-year performance monitoring. The requirements, procedures and related selection criteria necessary to implement these varying programs cannot be specified with detail in this rule. Rather, the rule is designed to allow flexibility for development of policies and procedures through detailed policy and procedure manuals for each program, consistent with Department practice for low-income assistance programs now in effect under ss. 16.385 and 16.39, Stats.
Publication Date:
August 22, 2000
Effective Date:
August 22, 2000
Expiration Date:
January 19, 2001
3. Rules adopted creating ch. Adm 45, relating to low-income assistance public benefits.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
(See section 9101 (1zu) (am) of 1999 Wis. Act 9)
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Administration:
Statutory authority: ss. 16.004(1) and 16.957(2) (c) 2., Stats.
Statute interpreted: s. 16.957(2) (a), Stats.
Under s. 16.957(2)(c), Stats., the Department of Administration is required to promulgate rules for low-income public benefits programs. The proposed rule establishes eligibility and application requirements and procedures for assistance under a low-income public benefits program established under s. 16.957(2)(a), Stats.
It is the Department's understanding that the Legislature's intent for this rule was to build upon and transition from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program (LIWAP) currently administered by the Department under ss. 16.385 and 16.39, Stats., respectively. The Department presently utilizes extensive, detailed policy and procedure manuals under which those programs operate. Annual plans are also prepared for each of these programs which are submitted to the federal government as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after extensive opportunities for public input, including public hearings. Because these programs, and the public benefits programs yet to be developed in concert with them under s. 16.957(2)(a), Stats., must be implemented during the heating season, they must be able to react to significant fluctuations of weather, energy costs and energy shortages in a relatively short period of time. For these reasons, this proposed rule is intentionally succinct, yet flexible in order to account for the specific needs of low-income assistance programs envisioned.
Publication Date:
August 22, 2000
Effective Date:
August 22, 2000
Expiration Date:
January 19, 2001
EMERGENCY RULES NOW IN EFFECT (5)
Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
1. Rules adopted revising s. ATCP 11.20 and creating ss. ATCP 11.01 (11m) and 11.73, relating to swine import and required tests.
Finding of Emergency
The state of Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection (department) finds that an emergency exists and that an emergency rule is necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
•
Pseudorabies is a highly contagious disease of swine and other livestock. Wisconsin initiated its pseudorabies program in 1976. Since that time, the department has worked diligently, pork producers have sacrificed significantly and the state has paid substantial costs to eradicate the disease. In 1997, the National Pseudorabies Control Board recognized Wisconsin as a pseudorabies stage IV state. If there are no incidents of pseudorabies in the state before October, 2000, the state will be classified as a pseudorabies stage V state (free of the disease) at that time. Classification as a pseudorabies stage IV or V state creates significant benefits in the swine export market.
•
There has been a significant increase in pseudorabies cases reported in several pseudorabies stage II and III states. In the past, Wisconsin pork producers have imported many swine from the pseudorabies stage II and III states which are now experiencing an increase in pseudorabies.
•
If pseudorabies spreads to Wisconsin, the Wisconsin pork industry will be hampered in its ability to produce and export swine and pork products.
•
The increased prevalence of pseudorabies in states from which Wisconsin import shipments originate creates a substantial threat to the pork industry in Wisconsin. The department finds that an emergency rule is needed to minimize the threat of pseudorabies.
Publication Date:
May 25, 2000
Effective Date:
May 25, 2000
Expiration Date:
October 22, 2000
Hearing Date:
June 29, 2000
2. Rule adopted amending s. ATCP 74.08 (1), relating to fees required of agent cities and counties that license and inspect retail food establishments.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (“department") finds that an emergency rule is necessary to promote the public welfare, and prevent unnecessary economic hardship on cities and counties that license and inspect retail food establishments for the department. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
(1) The department licenses and inspects retail food establishments under s. 97.30, Stats. Under s. 97.41, Stats., the department may enter into an agreement with a city or county, under which the city or county licenses and inspects retail food establishments for the department. The department monitors and assists the agent city or county. From the license fees that it collects, an agent city or county must pay the department an annual fee to cover the department's costs. The department sets the fee by rule.
(2) By rule, the department establishes license fees for retail food establishments that it licenses directly. An agent city or county may charge a license fee that differs from the state license fee established by the department.
(3) Under current rules, an agent city or county must pay the department an annual fee, for each retail food establishment, that is equal to 20% of the license fee that the department would charge if it licensed the establishment directly.
(4) Effective February 1, 1998; the department increased license fees for retail food establishments that it licenses. The fee increase was caused, in part, by a legislative budget change that required the department to recover 60% (rather than 50%) of its program costs from license fees. The fee change approximately doubled the department's license fees, increasing the maximum retail food license fee from $210 to $450 and the minimum fee from $42 to $90.
(5) The department's 1998 license fee increase incidentally increased the annual fees that agent cities were required to pay to the department, beginning with the license year ending June 30, 1999. As a result of the department's license fee increase, agent cities and counties were required to pay the department 20% of the increased license fee amounts. This change effectively doubled city and county fee payments to the department and imposed a serious financial burden on those city and county governments. The increased fee payments also exceeded the amounts needed to cover the department's costs under agent city and agent county agreements.
(6) In order to reduce the financial burden on local governments and eliminate the department's surplus receipts, it is necessary to reduce the agent city and county percentage fee payment from 20% to 10% beginning with the license year that ends June 30, 2000. The public welfare necessitates that the department make this rule change by June 30, 2000. However, it is not possible to make this rule change by June 30 using normal rulemaking procedures. The department is, therefore, adopting this rule change by emergency rule, pending adoption by normal rulemaking procedures.
Publication Date:
June 30, 2000
Effective Date:
July 1, 2000
Expiration Date:
November 29, 2000
3. Rules adopted creating ss. ATCP 10.21 (1m) and 10.63 (1m), relating to an implied warranty that cattle and goats are free of paratuberculosis (also known as Johne's disease).
Finding of Emergency
(1) Paratuberculosis, also known as Johne's disease, is an infectious and communicable disease of cattle and goats. The disease is slow to develop, and an infected animal may go for years without showing symptoms. An infected animal, which is free of symptoms at the time of sale, may spread the disease to a buyer's herd. The disease has a serious impact on milk production, and is ultimately fatal to infected animals.
(2) 1989 Wis. Act 277 established a Johne's disease “implied warranty" in the sale of cattle and goats. Under the “implied warranty" law, s. 95.195, Stats., a seller implicitly warrants to a buyer that cattle and goats are free of Johne's disease unless the seller complies with certain testing and disclosure requirements. If cattle or goats are infected with Johne's disease at the time of sale, and the seller has not complied with applicable testing and disclosure requirements, the buyer may sue the seller for damages under the “implied warranty."
(3) The “implied warranty" law protects buyers of cattle and goats, and gives sellers an incentive to test their animals for Johne's disease. A seller may avoid the “implied warranty" by testing and disclosing. Testing is important for the ultimate control of this serious disease.
(4) 1999 Wis. Act 160 changed the “implied warranty" law, effective July 1, 2000. It changed prior testing and disclosure requirements to make the law more effective and workable. It also authorized the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection (“DATCP") to cover other diseases and animal species by rule. DATCP must implement the new law by rule. The “implied warranty" no longer applies to any animals or diseases (including Johne's disease) unless DATCP identifies those animals and diseases by rule.
(5) DATCP, the livestock industry and the Legislature intended that the new law would apply, at a minimum, to Johne's disease in cattle and goats. The Legislature, in a related action, appropriated $100,000 in grant funds to help herd owners pay for Johne's disease testing in FY 2000-2001. DATCP has also adopted new Johne's disease rules for cattle and goats, in anticipation of the July 1, 2000 effective date of the new law. The new rules, contained in ss. 10.21 and 10.63, Wis. Adm. Code, clearly indicate DATCP's understanding and intent that the new law would apply to Johne's disease in cattle and goats. However, the new rules are technically flawed, in that they fail to state explicitly that the new law applies to Johne's disease in cattle and goats. This emergency rule remedies that technical flaw on a temporary basis, pending the adoption of “permanent" remedial rules.
(6) This emergency rule is needed to resolve any possible challenge or uncertainty related to the coverage of the new “implied warranty" law. This emergency rule clarifies that the “implied warranty" law applies to Johne's disease in cattle and goats. This emergency rule is needed to protect the public peace, health, safety and welfare. This emergency rule will help to control a serious disease of cattle and goats, will protect buyers of cattle and goats, will promote certainty in commercial transactions, and will prevent unnecessary litigation related to the applicability of the “implied warranty" law.
Publication Date:
June 30, 2000
Effective Date:
July 1, 2000
Expiration Date:
November 29, 2000
Hearing Date:
July 27, 2000
4. Rule adopted repealing s. ATCP 134.06 (3) (c) note and creating s. ATCP 134.06 (3) (d), relating to residential rental practices.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
On June 21, 2000, the Legislature's Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) found that the “note" to s. ATCP 134.06 (3) (c) is actually a rule and directed DATCP to adopt the “note" as an emergency rule. According to s. 227.26 (2) (b), Stats., DATCP must promulgate the emergency rule under s. 227.24 (1) (a), Stats., within 30 days after the JCRAR directs DATCP to do so. Because the JCRAR has directed DATCP to adopt this emergency rule, DATCP is not required to make any other finding of emergency.
Analysis prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) administers state landlord-tenant rules contained in ch. ATCP 134, Wis. Adm. Code. These rules affect over 1.5 million Wisconsin residents.
This emergency rule modifies current residential rental practices rules related to security deposit withholding. Under current rules, a landlord may not withhold a security deposit for normal wear and tear, or for other damages or losses for which the tenant cannot reasonably be held responsible. A “note" to s. ATCP 134.06 (3) (c) also states that a landlord may not withhold from a tenant's security deposit for routine painting or carpet cleaning, where there is no unusual damage caused by tenant neglect.
Publication Date:
July 20, 2000
Effective Date:
July 20, 2000
Expiration Date:
December 18, 2000
5. Rules adopted creating ch. ATCP 16, relating to importing bovine animals, goats or cervids from a state designated by USDA as a tuberculosis “non-modified accredited" state.
Finding of Emergency
(1) Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious, infectious and communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). It affects cattle, bison, deer, elk, goats and other species, including humans. Bovine tuberculosis in infected animals and humans manifests itself in lesions of the lung, bone, and other body parts. Bovine tuberculosis causes weight loss and general debilitation, and can be fatal.
(2) Wisconsin is currently classified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “accredited-free" for tuberculosis.
(3) The USDA recently reclassified Michigan from “accredited-free" to “non-modified accredited," reflecting a higher risk of bovine tuberculosis.
(4) A significant number of bovine animals, goats and cervids are imported to Wisconsin from Michigan each year.
(5) The last known case of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Wisconsin was confirmed in an animal imported from Michigan.
(6) If bovine tuberculosis becomes established in Wisconsin, it will pose a significant threat to the health of domestic animals and humans in this state.
(7) An emergency rule is needed to protect the public peace, health, safety and welfare. This emergency rule will help to control a serious disease in cattle, goats and cervids and will help protect the marketability of Wisconsin-raised animals.
Publication Date:
August 11, 2000
Effective Date:
August 11, 2000
Expiration Date:
January 8, 2001
Hearing Date:
September 19, 2000
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 (See section 9110 (3yu) 1999 Wis. Act 9)
Analysis prepared by the Department of Commerce
Statutory authority: ss. 227.11 (2)(a) and 227.24 and s. 9110 (3yu)(b) of 1999 Wis. Act 9.
Statutes interpreted: ss. 101.143, 101.144, 292.11, and 292.31 and ch. 160
The proposed ch. Comm 46 is identical to ch. NR 746 that is being promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources.
Chapter Comm 46 provides that the Department of Natural Resources has authority for “high-risk sites" and that the Department of Commerce has authority for “low and medium risk sites." The rule requires the Department of Natural Resources to transfer authority for sites with petroleum contamination from petroleum storage tanks to the Department of Commerce once the site is classified, unless the site is classified as a “high-risk site" or the site is contaminated by one or more hazardous substances other than petroleum products discharged from a petroleum storage tank. The rule also establishes procedures for transferring sites from one agency to the other whenever new information relevant to the site classification becomes available.
