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.
Occasionally the Legislature grants emergency rule authority to an agency with a longer effective period than 150 days or allows an agency to adopt an emergency rule without requiring a finding of emergency.
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 or a statement of exemption from a 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.
Chiropractic Examining Board
Rules adopted revising
ch. Chir 2, relating to passing and retaking the practical examination.
Finding of emergency
The Chiropractic Examining Board finds that preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare necessitates putting the rule amendments described into effect prior to the time the amendments would take effect if the agency complied with the notice, hearing and publication requirements established for rule-making in ch.
227, Stats. The facts warranting adoption of these rule amendments under s.
227.24, Stats., are as follows:
On December 19, 2002, the Chiropractic Examining Board adopted the national practical examination conducted by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners as the board's practical examination for determining clinical competence in Wisconsin. The board has determined that the national practical examination is a better measure of competence than was the state examination previously administered by the board and that the public health, safety and welfare warrant that the national practical examination be instituted immediately. The rule changes herein conform the terminology used in the board's rule with the textual description of the national practical examination and resolve doubts about the examination grades issued to applicants who complete the national practical examination.
The national practical examination describes the examination parts in different terms than are used in s.
Chir 3.02, although the national practical examination covers the practice areas described in the existing rule. The rule amendments to s.
Chir 2.03 (2) (intro.) resolve this difference.
This order deletes the reference in the board's current rule to passing “each part" of the examination. The national practical examination has one part and an applicant receives one grade for the part. In utilizing the national examination, the board approves the grading and grading procedures of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Grade review procedures in s. Chir 2.09 are superfluous and the rule is repealed. The rule requiring reexamination is modified to avoid confusion over examination parts. The board is proceeding with promulgating these rule changes through a proposed permanent rule-making order.
Publication Date:
June 28, 2003
Effective Date:
June 28, 2003
Expiration Date:
November 25, 2003
Hearing Date:
October 16, 2003
Extension Through:
January 23, 2004
Employment Relations Commission
Finding of emergency
The Employment Relations Commission 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 as follows:
1. The Employment Relations Commission has a statutory responsibility in the private, municipal and state sectors for timely and peaceful resolution of collective bargaining disputes and for serving as an expeditious and impartial labor relations tribunal.
2. Effective July 26, 2003,
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 reduced the Employment Relations Commission's annual budget by $400,000 in General Program Revenue (GPR) and eliminated 4.0 GPR supported positions. These reductions lowered the Employment Relations Commission's annual base GPR funding level and the number of GPR supported positions by more than 16%.
Act 33 also abolished the Personnel Commission and transferred certain of the Personnel Commission's dispute resolution responsibilities to the Employment Relations Commission.
3.
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 increased the Employment Relations Commission's Program Revenue (PR) funding and positions by $237,800 and 2.0 PR positions respectively. The revenue to support these increases will be provided by increasing existing filing fees for certain dispute resolution services.
4. Unless the emergency rule making procedures of s.
227.24, Stats., are utilized by the Employment Relations Commission to provide the increased filing fee revenue needed to support the 2.0 PR positions, the Commission's ability to provide timely and expeditious dispute resolution services will be significantly harmed.
The emergency rules increase existing filing fees for Commission dispute resolution services in amounts necessary to fund 2.0 Program Revenue positions as authorized by
2003 Wisconsin Act 33.
Publication Date:
August 25, 2003
Effective Date:
September 15, 2003
Expiration Date:
February 12, 2004
Hearing Date:
November 20, 2003
Game
Rules adopting repealing
s. Game 23.02 (2) of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, relating to the computation of purses.
Finding of emergency
The Wisconsin Department of Administration finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary in order to repeal an existing rule for the immediate preservation of the public welfare. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Section
Game 23.02 (2) was created in the Department's rulemaking order (03-070). The Department is repealing this section due to the unforeseen hardship that it has created on the Wisconsin racetracks. This financial hardship presents itself in multiple ways. The racetracks rely on an outside vendor to compute the purses earned by all individuals. The vendor produces a similar system for most greyhound racetracks in the country. The purses are generated by the amount of money wagered on all races over a period of time. The current system does not provide for bonus purses to be paid out based upon the residency of certain owners. The current system would have to be reprogrammed at a significant cost to the racetracks. Although the bonus purses could be calculated and paid without a computer, it would create excessive clerical work that would also be costly to the racetracks.
Additionally, Geneva Lakes Greyhound Track committed to paying a minimum payout of purses to the greyhound and kennel owners that race in Delavan. Geneva Lakes Greyhound Track will supplement out of their own money any purse amount that does not exceed the minimum payout. As a result of paying the bonus purse to Wisconsin owned greyhounds, the variance between the actual purse and the minimum purse is increased and the financial liability to the racetrack is increased. Since this supplement is voluntary, the racetrack has indicated that it will probably have to cease the supplemental purses to the participants. This would result in reduced payments to the vast majority of the kennel owners and greyhound owners participating at the racetrack.
In creating this rule, the Department did not intend to create the disadvantages caused by this rule.
Publication Date:
January 8, 2004
Effective Date:
January 8, 2004
Expiration Date:
June 6, 2004
Health and Family Services
(Management, Technology, Chs. HFS 1—)
Rules adopted revising
ch. HFS 15, relating to assessments on occupied, licensed beds in nursing homes and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICF-MR).
Exemption from finding of emergency
Analysis prepared by the Department of Health and Family Services
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 modified section 50.14 of the Wisconsin Statutes, relating to assessments on occupied, licensed beds in nursing homes and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICF-MR.)
Under section 50.14 of the Wisconsin Statutes, nursing facilities (nursing homes and ICF-MRs) are assessed a monthly fee for each occupied bed. Facilities owned or operated by the state, federal government, or located out of state are exempt from the assessment. Beds occupied by a resident whose nursing home costs are paid by Medicare are also exempt. The rate, specified in section
50.14 (2) of the statutes, was $32 per month per occupied bed for nursing homes and $100 per month per occupied bed for ICF-MRs.
1. It broadened the scope of which types of long-term care facilities must pay a monetary assessment to the Department by:
- eliminating exemptions from being subject to the assessments of facilities owned or operated by the state or federal government, and beds occupied by residents whose care is reimbursed in whole or in part by medicare under
42 USC 1395 to
1395ccc; and
- eliminating the exclusion of unoccupied facility beds from facility bed count calculations.
2. It increased the per bed fee limit the Department may charge subject ICF-MRs, from $100 per bed to $435 per bed in fiscal year 2003-04 and $445 per bed in fiscal year 2004-05.
3. It increased the per bed fee limit the Department may charge subject nursing homes, from $32 per bed to $75 per bed.
4. It establishes the requirement that amounts collected in excess of $14.3 million in fiscal year 2003-04, $13.8 million in fiscal year 2004-05, and, beginning July 1, 2005, amounts in excess of 45% of the amount collected be deposited in the Medical Assistance Trust Fund.
5. It specifies that facility beds that have been delicensed under section
49.45 (6m) (ap) 1. of the statutes, but not deducted from the nursing home's licensed bed capacity under section 49.45 (6m) (ap) 4. a., are to be included in the number of beds subject to the assessment.
In response to these statutory changes, by this order, the Department is modifying chapter HFS 15 accordingly.
The Department is also proceeding with promulgating these rule changes on a permanent basis through a proposed permanent rulemaking order.
Publication Date:
July 28, 2003
Effective Date:
July 28, 2003
Expiration Date:
December 25, 2003
Hearing Date:
October 15, 2003
Extension Through:
February 22, 2004
Health and Family Services
(Medical Assistance, Chs. HFS 100—)
Rules adopted revising
chs. HFS 101 to 107, relating to the Medicaid Family Planning Demonstration Project.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Health and Family Services finds that an emergency exists and that the rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
On June 25, 1999, the Department submitted a request for a waiver of federal law to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that controls states' use of Medicaid funds. On June 14, 2002, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare granted the waiver, effective January 1, 2003. The waiver allows the state to expand Medicaid services by providing coverage of family planning services for females of child-bearing age who would not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Under the waiver, a woman of child-bearing age whose income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty line will be eligible for most of the family planning services currently available under Medicaid, as described in s.
HFS 107.21. Through this expansion of coverage, the Department hopes to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in Wisconsin.
Department rules for the operation of the Family Planning Demonstration Project must be in effect before the program begins. The program statute, s.
49.45 (24r) of the statutes, became effective on October 14, 1997. It directed the Department to request a federal waiver of certain requirements of the federal Medicaid Program to permit the Department to implement the Family Planning Demonstration Project not later than July 1, 1998, or the effective date of the waiver, whichever date was later. After CMS granted the waiver, the Department determined that the Family Planning Demonstration Project could not be implemented prior to January 1, 2003, and CMS approved this starting date. Upon approval of the waiver, the Department began developing policies for the project and subsequently the rules, which are in this order. The Department is publishing the rules by emergency order so the rules take effect in February 2003, rather than at the later date required by promulgating permanent rules. In so doing, the Department can provide health care coverage already authorized by CMS as quickly as possible to women currently not receiving family planning services and unable to pay for them. The Department is also proceeding with promulgating these rule changes on a permanent basis through a proposed permanent rulemaking order.
Publication Date:
January 31, 2003
Effective Date:
January 31, 2003*
Expiration Date:
June 30, 2003
Hearing Dates:
April 25 & 28, 2003
* The Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules suspended this emergency rule on April 30, 2003
Insurance
The office of the commissioner of insurance adopts an order to create
s. Ins 8.49, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to Small Employer Uniform Group Health Application.
Finding of emergency
The Commissioner of Insurance finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. Facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
The rule and the uniform small employer application are required by statute to be available by August 1, 2003. Due to implementation of
45 CFR 164 of HIPAA privacy provisions for covered entities, including health plans, and the commissioner's efforts to obtain clarification regarding authorization for release of personally identifiable health information provisions from the Office of Civil Rights a Division of Centers Medicare & Medicaid Services charged with enforcement of the privacy portions of HIPAA, it is not possible to complete the permanent rule process in time to meet the statutory requirement.
The first emergency rule was submitted and published on July 31, 2003, to meet the statutorily imposed deadline. However, subsequent to submission of the permanent rule by the Office, the legislative committees having jurisdiction over the rule requested the Office to modify the permanent rule. The notice requesting modification was received by the Office on December 18, 2003, less than 30 days from the date the emergency rule was set to expire.
Since it will not be possible to have the permanent rule finalized by December 29, 2003, and JCRAR was unable to grant an extension on the emergency rule, this rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare.
A hearing on the permanent rule was held on July 11, 2003, in accordance with s.
227.17, Stats., and the commissioner has had benefit of reviewing public comments and the clearinghouse report prior to issuing this emergency rule. A hearing on this emergency rule will be noticed and held within 45 days in accordance with ch.
227, Stats.
Publication Date:
January 7, 2004
Effective Date:
January 7, 2004
Expiration Date:
June 5, 2004
Natural Resources
(Fish, Game, etc., Chs. NR 1-)
Rules were adopted revising
ch. NR 10, relating to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Wisconsin.
Finding of emergency
The emergency rule procedure, pursuant to s.
227.24, Stats., is necessary and justified in establishing rules to protect the public health, safety and welfare. The state legislature has delegated to the department rule - making authority in
2001 Wisconsin Act 108 to control the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Wisconsin. CWD, bovine tuberculosis and other forms of transmissible diseases pose a risk to the health of the state's deer herd and citizens and is a threat to the economic infrastructure of the department, the state, it's citizens and businesses. These restrictions on deer baiting and feeding need to be implemented through the emergency rule procedure to help control and prevent the spread of CWD, bovine tuberculosis and other forms of transmissible diseases in Wisconsin's deer herd.
Publication Date:
September 11, 2003
Effective Date:
September 11, 2003
Expiration Date:
February 8, 2004
Hearing Date:
October 13, 2003
Public Instruction
Rules were adopted revising
ch. PI 5, relating to high school equivalency diplomas and certificates of general educational development.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Public Instruction finds 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:
1. The GED Testing Service modified the GED test content and the standard score scale used to determine passing scores dramatically from the previous test series causing an inconsistency with the current scoring requirements under ch.
PI 5. The emergency rule reflects the current national GED test score of not less than 410 on each of the five tests, with an average of 450 on the five tests in the battery.
2.
2003 Wisconsin Act 33, the 2003-2005 biennial budget, eliminated general purpose revenue (GPR) used to support GED program administration and created a provision allowing the state superintendent to promulgate rules establishing fees for issuing a GED certificate or HSED. Act 33 presumed that GED program costs previously funded by GPR would be paid for by revenue fees generated as of January 1, 2004.
The department is issuing this emergency rule in order to ensure compliance with the more rigorous score standards and to ensure adequate funding for the program.
A corresponding permanent rule,
Clearinghouse Rule 03-102, was developed with public hearings held on December 11 and 15, 2003. The department has had the benefit of reviewing public comments and the Clearinghouse Report prior to issuing this emergency rule.
Publication Date:
January 2, 2004
Effective Date:
January 2, 2004
Expiration Date:
May 31, 2004
Hearing Date:
February 13, 2004
[See Notice this Register]
Revenue
Rule adopted revising
s. Tax 18.07, relating to the 2004 assessment of agricultural land.
Finding of emergency
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public welfare. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Pursuant to s.
70.32 (2r) (c), Stats., the assessment of agricultural land is assessed according to the income that could be generated from its rental for agricultural use. Wisconsin Chapter
Tax 18 specifies the formula that is used to estimate the net rental income per acre. The formula estimates the net income per acre of land in corn production based on a 5-year average corn price per bushel, cost of corn production per bushel and corn yield per acre. The net income is divided by a capitalization rate that is based on a 5-year average interest rate for a medium-sized, 1-year adjustable rate mortgage and net tax rate for the property tax levy two years prior to the assessment year.
For reasons of data availability, there is a three-year lag in determining the 5-year average. Thus, the 2003 use value is based on the 5-year average corn price, cost and yield for the 1996-2000 period, and the capitalization rate is based on the 5-year average interest rate for the 1998-2002 period. The 2004 use value is to be based on the 5-year average corn price, cost and yield for the 1997-2001 period, and the capitalization rate is to be based on the 1999-2003 period.
The data for the 1997-2001 period yields negative net income per acre due to declining corn prices and increasing costs of corn production. As a result, reliance on data for the 1997-2001 period will result in negative use values.
The department is issuing this emergency rule in order to ensure positive and stable assessments of agricultural land for 2004.
Publication Date:
October 3, 2003
Effective Date:
October 3, 2003
Expiration Date:
March 1, 2004
Hearing Date:
December 16, 2003
Workforce Development
(Workforce Solutions, Chs.
DWD 11—59)
Rules adopted revising
ch. DWD 59, relating to the child care local pass-through program.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Workforce Development 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 facts constituting the emergency is:
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 allocated federal child care funds in a manner that assumes an increase in the match rate paid by local governments and tribes receiving grants under the child care local pass-through program. Budget documents prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau specify that the budget option chosen requires that local governments and tribes contribute matching funds at a rate of 52% in 2003-2004, and slightly higher in 2004-2005. Chapter
DWD 59 currently requires a minimum match rate of the state's federal medical assistance percentage rate, which is approximately 42%. The match rate for the pass-through program must be increased immediately so Wisconsin does not lose valuable federal child care dollars. These dollars help preserve the welfare of the state by ensuring that low-income families have access to quality affordable child care.
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 also reduced funding to the child care local pass-through program by 86%. Chapter
DWD 59 requires a 2-step grant process wherein current grantees receive up to 75% of the funds under a noncompetitive process for 2 years following the receipt of the initial grant, and can apply, along with any eligible jurisdiction in the state, for the remaining 25% as initial grantees. The dramatically reduced funding for the pass-through program renders the current Chapter
DWD 59 requirement to fund continuing grants while reserving funds for a new statewide request for proposals unwieldy, wasteful, and obsolescent. If the current process remains in place, it would not only waste state and local staff resources on extremely low-value administrative processes, it would waste public funds at a time when they are in short supply. This could further undermine state and local efforts to ensure a reasonable supply of reliable and quality child care for families who depend on this service in order to work. This emergency rule allows all available dollars to be used for continuing grants if there is insufficient funding to provide continuing grants of at least 50% of the eligible grantees' initial grant levels from the previous 2 grant cycles.
These changes are ordered as an emergency rule so they are effective before the new grant cycle begins on October 1, 2003. Delaying the next grant cycle until the permanent rule is effective is not a viable option because local governments need to know whether they will receive continued funding or will be forced to dismantle ongoing programs and lay-off staff when the current grant cycle ends on September 30. Also, federal law requires that the federal funds be matched and spent within the federal fiscal year of October 1 to September 30.
Publication Date:
October 7, 2003
Effective Date:
October 7, 2003
Expiration Date:
March 5, 2004
Hearing Date:
November 12, 2003
Workforce Development
(Civil Rights, Chs.
DWD 218-
225)
Rules adopted repealing
chs. PC 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 and revising
chs. DWD 218 and 225 and creating
ch. DWD 224, relating to the transfer of personnel commission responsibilities to the equal rights division.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Workforce Development 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 facts constituting the emergency is:
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 transfers the responsibility for processing certain employment-related complaints against state respondents from the Personnel Commission (PC) to the Equal Rights Division (ERD) effective upon publication of
2003 Wisconsin Act 33. The ERD needs rules governing the procedures for processing these complaints effective immediately to ensure that service is not seriously delayed by this administrative change. The PC expects to transfer approximately 200 pending cases to ERD immediately.
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 transfers responsibility from the PC to ERD for 9 different types of employment-related complaints against state respondents. The ERD has had responsibility for processing complaints against nonstate respondents for 8 of the 9 types of complaints. This order makes minor amendments to existing rules to include state respondents and creates a new rule chapter on whistleblower protection for state employees, which is the one issue that ERD has not previously handled because the law does not apply to nonstate respondents. The newly-created whistleblower rules are similar to the existing fair employment rules.
A nonstatutory provision of
2003 Wisconsin Act 33 transfers existing PC rules to ERD. This order repeals those rules. Adopting the PC rules would result in different procedures for cases against state respondents and nonstate respondents for no logical reason. The dual system would be difficult to administer and confusing to complainants, many of whom are pro se. Even if ERD adopted the PC rules, an emergency rule would be necessary to remove confusing irrelevant and obsolete information.
This order repeals the PC rules and revises ERD rules by emergency rule to ensure that a clear, logical, and fair process is in place for handling the newly-transferred responsibilities for protecting Wisconsin's workforce from discrimination and retaliation.
Publication Date:
August 5, 2003
Effective Date:
August 5, 2003
Expiration Date:
January 2, 2004
Hearing Date:
October 27, 2003
Extension Through:
March 1, 2004
Workforce Development
(Public Works Construction, Chs.
DWD 290-
294)
Rules adopted amending
ss. DWD 290.155 (1), 293.02 (1), and 293.02 (2), relating to the adjustment of thresholds for application of prevailing wage rates and payment and performance assurance requirements.
Finding of emergency
The Department of Workforce Development 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 facts constituting the emergency is:
The Department of Workforce Development is acting under its statutory authority to adjust thresholds for the application of prevailing wage laws on state or local public works projects and the application of payment and performance assurance requirements for a public improvement or public work. The thresholds are adjusted in proportion to any change in the construction cost index since the last adjustment.
If these new thresholds are not put into effect by emergency rule, the old thresholds will remain effective for approximately six to seven months, until the conclusion of the permanent rule-making process. The thresholds are based on national construction cost statistics and are unlikely to be changed by the permanent rule-making process. The department is proceeding with this emergency rule to adjust the thresholds of the application of the prevailing wage rates to avoid imposing an additional administrative burden on local governments and state agencies caused by an effective decrease of the thresholds due solely to inflation in the construction industry. The department is proceeding with this emergency rule to adjust the thresholds of the application of the payment and performance assurance requirements in s.
779.14, Stats., to avoid imposing an additional administrative burden on contractors for the same reason. Adjusting the thresholds by emergency rule will also ensure that the adjustments are effective on a date certain that is prior to the time of year that the relevant determinations are generally made.
Publication Date:
December 18, 2003
Effective Date:
January 1, 2004
Expiration Date:
May 30, 2004
Hearing Date:
February 19, 2004
[See Notice this Register]
