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
3. 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
Commerce - (2)
(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.
Chapter Comm 46 also provides jointly developed requirements for:
1. Selecting remedial bids and the setting of remediation targets for sites that are competitively bid or bundled with another site or sites.
2. Determining when sites may close.
3. Determining when remediation by natural attenuation may be approved as the final remedial action for a petroleum-contaminated site.
4.Tracking the achievement of remediation progress and success.
5. Reporting of program activities.
Publication Date:
May 17, 2000
Effective Date:
May 18, 2000
Expiration Date:
September 1, 2000
Hearing Dates:
June 15, July 10 & 12, 2000
Extension Through:
December 29, 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
Extension Through:
October 11, 2000
Health & Family Services
(Community Services, Chs. HFS 30-)
Rules were adopted creating ch. HFS 79, relating to state supplemental security income payments.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Health and Family Services finds that an emergency exists and that rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Sections 49.77 and 49.775, Stats., authorize the Department to administer Supplemental Security Income (SSI) state supplemental payments to low income elderly and disabled residents of Wisconsin and their dependent children. These SSI payments are funded by state general purpose revenue and federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant funding in excess of $140,000,000 per state fiscal year. These payments are distributed monthly to approximately 100,000 beneficiaries and their dependent children. Neither s. 49.77 or 49.775, Stats., direct the Department to develop administrative rules to administer the program.
An unavoidable aspect of the program is the Department's need to periodically recover payments incorrectly made to benefit recipients. Overpayments and incorrect payments occur due to delays in transmission of eligibility and pricing information between the federal Social Security Administration and the Department and are not due to the Department's error or omission. On November 24, 1999, by order of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II, the Department was found, absent administrative rule, to lack the authority to administratively recoup benefits overpaid to recipients who were ineligible for the benefits or to whom the Department paid an incorrect amount of benefits. The Department sought to appeal the decision to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but recently learned that the Supreme Court will not hear the case. The Department's inability to recover payments made in error will cost the Department about $10,000 per month. Developing and promulgating permanent administrative rules to address the Court's decision will require at least 7 months, thereby costing the Department approximately another $70,000. The Department deems this unanticipated expense a threat to the public welfare insofar as Wisconsin and federal taxpayers should not be called upon to shoulder the burden of these unanticipated and undeserved expenses. Therefore, the Department is promulgating this emergency rule until the Department can promulgate a similar permanent rule.
This emergency rule provides the Department with the authority to recoup benefits incorrectly paid under ss. 49.77 and 49.775, Stats., and to again effectively administer both state and federal public welfare funding. By issuing this rule, the Department will effectively recover taxpayer monies to which recipients were not entitled, pending the promulgation of permanent rules.
Publication Date:
September 5, 2000
Effective Date:
September 5, 2000
Expiration Date:
February 2, 2001
Hearing Date:
December 13, 2000
[See Notice this Register]
Health & Family Services
(Health, Chs. HFS 110-)
Rules adopted revising ch. HFS 119, relating to the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP).
Exemption from finding of emergency
Section 149.143 (4), Stats., permits the Department to promulgate rules required under s. 149.143 (2) and (3), Stats., by using emergency rulemaking procedures, except that the Department is specifically exempted from the requirement under s. 227.24 (1) and (3), Stats., that it make a finding of emergency. Department staff consulted with the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) Board of Governors on April 26, 2000 on the rules, as required by s. 149.20, Stats.
The State of Wisconsin in 1981 established a Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) for the purpose of making health insurance coverage available to medically uninsured residents of the state. HIRSP offers different types of medical care coverage plans for residents.
One type of medical coverage provided by HIRSP is the Major Medical Plan. This type of coverage is called Plan 1. Eighty-four percent of the 8,427 HIRSP policies in effect in March 2000, were of the Plan 1 type. Plan 1 has Option A ($1,000 deductible) or Option B ($2,500 deductible). The rate increases for Plan 1 contained in this rulemaking order increase an average of 12.4%. Rate increases for specific policyholders range from 3.5% to 15.0%, depending on a policyholder's age, gender, household income, deductible and zone of residence within Wisconsin. This increase reflects industry-wide premium increases and takes into account the increase in costs associated with Plan 1 claims. According to state law, HIRSP premiums cannot be less than 150% of the amount an individual would be charged for a comparable policy in the private market. The average 12.4% rate increase for Plan 1 is the minimum increase necessary to maintain premiums at the lowest level permitted by law.
A second type of medical coverage provided by HIRSP is supplemental coverage for persons eligible for Medicare. This type of coverage is called Plan 2. Plan 2 has a $500 deductible. Sixteen percent of the 8,427 HIRSP policies in effect in March 2000, were of the Plan 2 type. The rate increases for Plan 2 contained in this rulemaking order increase an average of 18.2%. Rate increases for specific policyholders range from 7.5% to 21%, depending on a policyholder's age, gender, household income and zone of residence within Wisconsin. These rate increases reflect industry-wide cost increases and adjust premiums to a level that more accurately reflects actual claim costs for Plan 2 policyholders.
The Department through this rulemaking order is amending ch. HFS 119 in order to update HIRSP premium rates in accordance with the authority and requirements set out in s. 149.143 (3) (a), Stats. The Department is required to set premium rates by rule. HIRSP premium rates must be calculated in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles. Policyholders are to pay 60% of the costs of HIRSP.
The Department through this order is also adjusting the total HIRSP insurer assessments and provider payment rates in accordance with the authority and requirements set out in s. 149.143 (2) (a) 3. and 4., Stats. With the approval of the HIRSP Board of Governors and as required by statute, the Department reconciled total costs for the HIRSP program for calendar year 1999. The Board of Governors approved a methodology that reconciles the most recent calendar year actual HIRSP program costs, policyholder premiums, insurance assessments and health care provider contributions collected with the statutorily required funding formula.
By statute, the adjustments for the calendar year are to be applied to the next plan year budget beginning July 1, 2000. The total annual contribution to the HIRSP budget provided by an adjustment to the provider payment rates is $10,119,482. The total annual contribution to the HIRSP budget provided by an assessment on insurers is $9,898,358. On April 26, 2000, the HIRSP Board of Governors approved the calendar year 1999 reconciliation process and the HIRSP budget for the plan year July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001.
Publication Date:
June 30, 2000
Effective Date:
July 1, 2000
Expiration Date:
November 29, 2000
Natural Resources - (4)
(Fish, Game, etc., Chs. NR 1-)
1. Rules adopted revising ch. NR 10, relating to deer hunting in certain deer management units.
Finding of Emergency
The emergency rule procedure, pursuant to s. 227.24, Stats., is necessary and justified in establishing rules to protect the public welfare. This emergency rule is needed to control deer populations that are significantly over goal levels in order to prevent substantial deer damage to agricultural lands and forest resources, and to minimize deer nuisance problems, thereby protecting the public peace, health, safety and welfare. Normal rule-making procedures will not allow the establishment of these changes by August 1. Failure to modify the rules will result in excessively high deer populations well above established goal levels, causing substantial deer damage to agricultural lands and forest resources, and potential for disease.
Publication Date:
May 15, 2000
Effective Date:
August 4, 2000
Expiration Date:
January 1, 2001
2. Rules adopted revising ch. NR 10, relating to the 2000 migratory game bird season.
Finding of Emergency
The emergency rule procedure, pursuant to s. 227.24, Stats., is necessary and justified in establishing rules to protect the public welfare. The federal government and state legislature have delegated to the appropriate agencies rule-making authority to control the hunting of migratory birds. The State of Wisconsin must comply with federal regulations in the establishment of migratory bird hunting seasons and conditions. Federal regulations are not made available to this state until mid-August of each year. This order is designed to bring the state hunting regulations into conformity with the federal regulations. Normal rule-making procedures will not allow the establishment of these changes by September 1. Failure to modify the rules will result in the failure to provide hunting opportunity and continuation of rules which conflict with federal regulations.
Publication Date:
September 1, 2000
Effective Date:
September 1, 2000
