Entities Affected by the Rules
Accredited institutions desiring to issue photo identification cards to be used for voting purposes, as well as potential holders of such cards will be affected by this rule. Local election officials and poll workers who review identification cards as part of the voting process will also be affected by this rule. The rule does not impact businesses, private economic sectors or public utility ratepayers.
Economic Impact
The rule will have minimal or no impact on the governmental entities impacted by the rule, except to the extent that public universities or colleges desire to use adhesive stickers as a means of producing photo identification cards to be used for voting. The rule would clarify the options available for accredited institutions in issuing such cards.
Estimate of Time Needed to Develop the Rules
40 hours.
Public Service Commission
(PSC Docket # 1-AC-237)
This statement of scope was approved by the governor on February 15, 2012.
Rule No.
Relating to
Description of the Objective of the Rule and Expected Financial Impact
The objective of the rulemaking is to remove, via repeal or amendment, all those Commission regulations relating to those retail telecommunications offerings, carrier reporting duties, and carrier service obligations that were removed from the Commission's jurisdiction by the enactment of
2011 Wisconsin Act 22, effective June 9, 2011. This rulemaking, however, does not include changes affecting universal service regulations as governed by Wis. Admin. Code Ch.
PSC 160. Changes to that chapter's regulations will be implemented in a different rulemaking. This rulemaking will provide opportunities to simplify compliance procedures and thereby reduce costs. It is expected to have no or minimal increase in financial impact.
Description of Existing Policies Relevant to the Rule and of New Policies Proposed to be Included in the Rule and an Analysis of Policy Alternatives; the History, Background and Justification for the Proposed Rule
No new policies are being proposed. The purpose of the rulemaking is to reduce regulation by repeal, or appropriate narrowing amendment, the scope of applicable state regulation respecting retail telecommunications offerings. The degree of impact is expected to be wholly positive, offering carriers opportunities to simplify compliance procedures and thereby reduce costs with respect to internal management for compliance with state regulations.
Statutory Authority for the Rule (Including the Statutory Citation and Language)
This rulemaking is conducted by the Commission under Wis. Stat. ss.
196.02 (1) (“do all things necessary and convenient to its jurisdiction"); 196.03 (“The commission may adopt reasonable rules to . . . regulate the mode and manner of all . . . investigations and hearings"); and Wis. Stat. s.
196.44 (The commission . . . shall enforce all laws relating to public utilities . . . ."). In addition, the Commission has general power granted to all state agencies under Wis. Stat. s.
227.11 (2) (a) (“Each agency may promulgate rules interpreting the provisions of any statute enforced or administered by it, if the agency considers it necessary to effectuate the purpose of the statue, . . . .").
Estimate of the Amount of Time that State Employees will Spend to Develop the Rule and of Other Resources Necessary to Develop the Rule
The Commission estimates 150 hours of state employee time to develop the rule. No extraordinary resources are anticipated.
Description of all Entities that may be Impacted by the Rule
All telecommunications utilities, whether traditional incumbents or new competitors, will be favorably impacted by removal or amendment of rules no longer applicable due to Act 22. The changes reduce the potential for confusion or mistakes in effecting compliance with only those legal requirements Act 22 keeps intact.
Summary and Preliminary Comparison of any Existing or Proposed Federal Regulation that is Intended to Address the Activities to be Regulated by the Rule
No comparison with federal regulations is necessary because there are few federal rules analogous to those being eliminated. Historically, state retail regulation of telecommunications services, mostly local and intrastate in nature, has been left to the states and not subject to federal regulation at all. Regardless, the intent of this rulemaking to clarify those activities removed from state regulation benefits those who might otherwise have to observe both federal and state requirements with respect to those activities.
Contact Person
Michael S. Varda
(608) 267-3591
