Policy analysis
As a result of the enactment of
2003 Wis. Act 83, Guard members who have appropriate federal active duty service are now eligible for the Tuition and Fee Reimbursement Grant program. They continue to be eligible for the National Guard Tuition Grant program. Veterans eligible for both programs may use only one of the programs in the same semester. The Department believes that making the participation requirements similar for these programs, as well as the Part time Study Grant program, to the extent permissible under the relevant statutes, will provide a more equitable basis to determine whether an applicant is eligible for any of the grants.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
Approximately 5 hours of Department of Veterans Affairs staff time will be needed to promulgate the rules.
Summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule.
The educational programs are entirely administered under the authority of state law. There is no existing or proposed federal regulation that has any bearing upon the proposed rule.
Veterans Affairs
Subject
Objective of the rule. The creation of ch.
VA 18 would implement the legislature's authorization to administer a stipend program for the training and recruitment of registered nurses at the Wisconsin Veterans Homes at King and Union Grove. The legislature authorized the program in the
2003 Wis. Act 33. The statute creating the program, s.
45.365 (7), authorized the department to “promulgate administrative rules related to the program, including the application process, eligibility criteria, stipend amount, repayment provisions, and other provisions that the department determines are necessary to administer the program." The objective is to create a stipend program that fulfills the legislature's directive while identifying the department's greatest need relating to recruitment and continued employment.
Policy analysis
The need for qualified registered nurses at the Homes is significant. In a position paper dated May 7, 2003, prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) for the Joint Committee on Finance, the LRB identified significant vacancy rates, turnover rates, and projected retirement rates for registered nurses at the Veterans Home at King (Home). The vacancy rate for registered nurse at the Home at the end of 2001-02 was 30%. Although no specific turnover rates were identified, the LRB noted that the Home indicated that turnover rates were significantly higher with newer employees. Finally, the LRB noted that approximately half of the current nurse positions at the Home are 50 years of age or older.
The data supports an aggressive registered nurse recruitment and retention program at the Home. A stipend program has been used successfully by other employers and will provide the Home with a competitive tool to recruit and retain registered nurses.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
Approximately 40 hours of Department of Veterans Affairs staff time will be needed to promulgate the rules.
Summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule.
The stipend program is entirely administered under the authority of state law. There is no existing or proposed federal regulation that has any bearing upon the proposed rule.
Workforce Development
Subject
Policy analysis
The proposed rule will include the following issues related to migrant labor camps:
• Provide that newly-constructed migrant housing must be at least 500 feet from livestock and existing migrant housing must be at least 200 feet from livestock. Federal law requires migrant housing to be at least 500 feet from livestock. Current DWD informal policy requires housing to be at least 200 feet from livestock.
• Define what constitutes recruitment for the purpose of the worker agreement requirement
• Require that the ending date of a work agreement be specific
• Clarify that a worker must come to Wisconsin for employment covered by the migrant labor laws to be considered a migrant worker
• Define what is considered a single family for the purpose of determining who may live in single-family housing
• Clarify that each worker must receive an individual wage statement showing wages earned and any other amounts deducted
• Describe where smoke detectors in migrant housing units must be located
• Replace obsolete ILHR building code references with current Commerce building code references
• Repeal obsolete compliance dates in the code
Statutory authority
Staff time required
75 hours.
Summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule.
Federal regulations do not address issues in the proposed rule other than the distance of migrant housing from livestock.
