Emergency rules now in effect
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.
Copies of emergency rule orders can be obtained from the promulgating agency. The text of current emergency rules can be viewed at www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code.
Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (2)
1.   Rules adopted revising chs. ATCP 10 and 11 relating to chronic wasting disease in cervids.
Finding of emergency
(1) Chronic wasting disease is a contagious disease known to affect several species of the cervid family, including elk, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer and mule deer. The disease is always fatal. At the present time, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that chronic wasting disease is transmitted to non-cervids or to humans. But there is limited scientific knowledge about the disease, and this lack of knowledge has contributed to public concerns.
(2) The cause of chronic wasting disease is not fully understood. The disease appears to be related to aberrant protein molecules called prions. By an unknown mechanism, prions apparently cause other protein molecules in the cervid brain to take aberrant forms. The disease causes microscopic vacuoles (holes) in the brain. Diseased cervids become emaciated, display abnormal behavior patterns, and experience loss of bodily functions.
(3) Science does not understand how chronic wasting disease is spread. It is thought that infected cervids can transmit the disease to other cervids, either directly or by contaminating their environment. It appears that cervid-to-cervid contact facilitates the spread of the disease.
(4) On February 27, 2002, the national veterinary services laboratory informed Wisconsin that it had confirmed chronic wasting disease for the first time in this state. The laboratory confirmed the disease in test samples collected from 3 free-ranging white-tailed deer killed by hunters during the November 2001 gun deer season. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) collected these samples as part of a statewide disease surveillance program. With the voluntary cooperation of hunters, DNR collected test samples from deer killed and registered by hunters at selected hunting registration sites around the state. DNR collected a total of 345 samples statewide, including 82 samples at the Mt. Horeb registration station. The 3 deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease were all registered at the Mt. Horeb station. The 3 deer were shot in close proximity to each other in Vermont Township in Dane County. We do not know how the 3 deer were exposed to chronic wasting disease, nor do we know the extent of infection in the free-ranging herd.
(5) We do not know whether any captive cervids in Wisconsin are infected with chronic wasting disease (there are no findings to date). If captive cervids are infected, the close proximity of cervids within a captive herd may facilitate the spread of disease within the herd. The movement of infected cervids between herds may spread the disease to other herds. Contact between free-ranging and captive cervids may also spread the disease.
(6) Persons importing captive cervids to Wisconsin must obtain an import permit from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Importers must identify the herd of origin and the herd of destination. A veterinarian must certify that the cervids appear to be in good health, and that they have been tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis. There is no chronic wasting disease testing requirement, because there is no way to test live cervids for the disease.
(7) Since 1995, a total of 2,604 captive cervids have been legally imported into Wisconsin. This includes 2,020 elk, 191 whitetail deer, 12 mule deer and 387 other cervids. Chronic wasting disease has been found in free-ranging herds or in some captive herds in Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Since 1995, a total of 410 captive cervids have been legally imported to Wisconsin from these states. Most other states lack active chronic wasting disease surveillance programs, so the full extent of the disease is not known with certainty.
(8) DATCP currently registers captive cervid herds, other than white-tail deer herds. DNR currently licenses captive white-tail deer herds. Since 1998, DATCP has sponsored a voluntary program to monitor for chronic wasting disease among the captive herds that it registers. Approximately 50 herd owners currently participate in this program.
(9) Since chronic wasting disease was confirmed in this state, there has been widespread public concern about the disease. The public has expressed concern about the health of free-ranging deer and elk, and about potential threats to humans, livestock and deer-related businesses. Hunters and consumers have expressed food safety concerns. There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that chronic wasting disease is transmissible to non-cervids or to humans. But there is limited scientific knowledge about the disease, and this lack of knowledge has contributed to public concerns.
(10) In order to protect the public peace, health, safety and welfare, it is necessary to take immediate steps to prevent and control the spread of chronic wasting disease in this state. Among other things, it is necessary to impose further controls on the import and movement of captive cervids and to implement a mandatory monitoring program. DATCP may adopt rules to implement these measures.
(11) Normal rulemaking procedures require up to a year or more to complete. A temporary emergency rule is needed to protect the public peace, health, safety and welfare, pending the adoption of longer-term rules. This emergency rule will implement essential prevention and control measures on an immediate, interim basis.
Publication Date:   April 9, 2002
Effective Date:   April 9, 2002
Expiration Date:   September 6, 2002
Hearing Date:   May 22, 2002
2.   Rules adopted revising ch. ATCP 96 relating to milk producer security.
Finding of emergency
(1) The Legislature, in 2001 Wis. Act 16, repealed and recreated Wisconsin's agricultural producer security program. The new program is codified in ch. 126, Stats. (the “new law"). The new law takes effect, for milk contractors, on May 1, 2002. The new law is intended to protect milk producers against catastrophic financial defaults by milk contractors.
(2) The new law applies to milk contractors, including dairy plant operators, producer agents and other milk handlers, who procure producer milk in this state. Under the new law, milk contractors must be licensed by the Wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection (DATCP). Milk contractors must pay license fees and do one or more of the following:
(a) Contribute to Wisconsin's agricultural producer security fund, to help secure milk payments to milk producers.
(b) File security with DATCP.
(c) File financial statements with DATCP, showing that the contractor meets minimum financial standards specified in ch. 126, Stats.
(3) The new law regulates producer agents (who market milk and collect payment for milk producers, without taking title to the milk), but treats them differently than other milk contractors. Producer agents may have lower fund participation requirements, and may file smaller amounts of security, than other milk contractors. The program may provide correspondingly less compensation to producers if a producer agent defaults.
(4) It is important to clarify the following matters before the new law takes effect for milk contractors on May 1, 2002:
(a) The treatment of dairy plant operators who provide custom processing services to milk producers, without marketing or taking title to milk or dairy products.
(b) The treatment of producer agents. Under s. 126.51, Stats., DATCP must adopt rules for milk contractors who wish to qualify as producer agents under the new law.
(c) The treatment of persons who market only processed dairy products for milk producers, without procuring, marketing or processing raw producer milk.
(d) The method by which milk contractors calculate and report milk payment obligations, for the purpose of calculating fund assessments and security requirements under the new law.
(5) Under s. 126.81 (4), Stats., DATCP may require milk contractors to disclose their security and fund contribution status to milk producers. It is important for milk contractors to begin making these disclosures soon after the new law takes effect, so that producers can evaluate the financial risk associated with milk procurement contracts. Disclosures are important, because not all milk contractors are required to participate in the agricultural security fund or file security with DATCP.
(6) It is not possible, by normal rulemaking procedures, to adopt these essential clarifications and disclosure requirements by May 1, 2002. DATCP must, therefore, adopt them by emergency rule. This emergency rule is needed to implement the new law, to protect the financial security of milk producers, to preserve fair competition in the dairy industry, and to avoid unnecessary confusion and expense for dairy businesses.
Publication Date:   April 29, 2002
Effective Date:   April 29, 2002
Expiration Date:   September 26, 2002
Hearing Date:   May 16, 2002
Commerce (2)
(Financial Assistance for Businesses and Communities)
(Chs. Comm 105-128)
1. Rules adopted revising ch. Comm 110 relating to brownfields redevelopment grants.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Commerce finds that an emergency exists and that adoption of the rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of public health, safety, and welfare.
The facts constituting the emergency are as follows. Under section 3628 of 2001 Wis. Act 16, the Department must begin accepting applications from trustees and nonprofit organizations, for brownfields redevelopment grants. And, under section 3630 of the Act, the Department must begin disallowing use of the grant funds to pay either delinquent real estate taxes or lien claims of the Department of Natural Resources or the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The Department's rules for administering the brownfields grant program are currently contained in ch. Comm 110 Wis. Adm. Code. These current rules do not recognize trustees and nonprofit organizations as eligible applicants, and do not include disallowing grant funds for payments on either back taxes, or on state or federal lien claims.
In November, the Department expects to begin promulgating permanent rules for making ch. Comm 110 consistent with Act 16. Due to the mandatory rulemaking procedures under ch. 227, Stats., the permanent rules are not expected to become effective until July 1, 2002. In order to comply with Act 16 by accepting applications and issuing grants for trustees and nonprofit organizations prior to then, emergency rules reflecting these changes are needed, as included herein. These emergency rules also address the above disallowance for grant proceeds, and include some minor updating of the ch. Comm 110 criteria for submitting grant applications and for filing subsequent financial and program reports.
Pursuant to s. 227.24, Stats., this rule is adopted as an emergency rule to take effect upon publication in the official state newspaper and filing with the Secretary of State and Revisor of Statutes.
Publication Date:   October 27, 2001
Effective Date:   October 27, 2001
Expiration Date:   March 26, 2002
Hearing Date:   January 11, 2002
Extension Through:   May 24, 2002
2. Rules adopted creating ch. Comm 107, relating to Wisconsin technology zone program.
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Links to Admin. Code and Statutes in this Register are to current versions, which may not be the version that was referred to in the original published document.