1995 Wisconsin Act 27

27,4202 Section 4202 . 142.09 of the statutes is renumbered 233.41 and amended to read:

233.41 Soldiers preferred patients. In admitting patients to the hospital University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, preference shall be given to honorably discharged veterans of any of the wars of the United States or who is otherwise eligible for benefits from the department of veterans affairs. Preference is hereby defined to mean that whenever the superintendent chief executive officer of the hospital authority is notified that the applicant is such a veteran, such veteran shall be the next person so admitted to the hospital, except in case of an emergency.

27,4203 Section 4203 . 142.11 of the statutes is renumbered 233.42 and amended to read:

233.42 Subject to ch. 150. The university of Wisconsin hospital and clinics University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics is subject to ch. 150.

27,4204 Section 4204 . 144.01 (13) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.01 (13) “Sewage" means the water carried wastes created in and to be conducted away from residences, industrial establishments, and public buildings as defined in s. 101.01 (2) (12), with such surface water or groundwater as may be present.

27,4205e Section 4205e. 144.025 (2) (p) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4206 Section 4206 . 144.0252 of the statutes is created to read:

144.0252 Fees for water quality determinations for wetlands. (1) Amount of fees. The department shall charge a fee for determining whether a project complies with the standards of water quality promulgated by rule under s.144.025 (2) (b) that are applicable to wetlands. The fee for each project shall be $100.

(2) Adjustments in fees. (a) The department shall refund the fee if the applicant requests a refund before the department determines that the application for the determination is complete. The department may not refund a fee after the department determines that the application is complete.

(b) If the applicant applies for a permit after the project is begun or after it is completed, the department shall charge an amount equal to twice the amount of the fee that it would have charged under this section.

(c) If more than one fee under this section or s. 30.28 (2) (a) or 31.39 (2) (a) is applicable to a project, the department shall charge only the highest fee of those that are applicable.

(d) The department, by rule, may increase the fee specified in sub. (1).

(3) Exemptions. This section does not apply to any federal agency or state agency.

27,4208 Section 4208 . 144.027 (4) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

144.027 (4) (b) 3. An authority created under ch. 231, 233 or 234.

27,4209 Section 4209 . 144.027 (5) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.027 (5) (f) The department shall allocate money for the payment of claims according to the order in which completed claims are received. The department may conditionally approve a completed claim even if the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (cv) (6) (cr) is insufficient to pay the claim. The department shall allocate money for the payment of a claim which is conditionally approved as soon as funds become available.

27,4210 Section 4210 . 144.027 (18) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.027 (18) Suspension or revocation of licenses. The department may suspend or revoke a license issued under ch. 162 if the department finds that the licensee falsified information submitted under this section. The department of industry, labor and human relations development may suspend or revoke the license of a plumber licensed under ch. 145 if the department of industry, labor and human relations development finds that the plumber falsified information submitted under this section.

27,4214 Section 4214 . 144.24 (7) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

144.24 (7) (c) 1. Metropolitan sewerage districts that serve 1st class cities are limited in each fiscal year to receiving total grant awards not to exceed 33% of the sum of the amounts in the schedule for that fiscal year for the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) 20.143 (3) (de) and the amount authorized under sub. (10) for that fiscal year plus the unencumbered balance at the end of the preceding fiscal year for the amount authorized under sub. (10). This subdivision is not applicable to grant awards provided during fiscal years 1985-86, 1986-87, 1988-89 and 1989-90.

27,4215 Section 4215 . 144.241 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4217 Section 4217 . 144.241 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (1) (cm) “Median household income" means median household income determined by the U.S. bureau of the census as adjusted by the department to reflect changes in household income since the most recent federal census.

27,4218 Section 4218 . 144.241 (1) (cs) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (1) (cs) “Residential user" means a structure or part of a structure, including a mobile home, that is used primarily as a home, residence or sleeping place by one person or 2 or more persons maintaining a common household and that uses a publicly owned treatment work. “Residential user" does not include an institutional, commercial, industrial or governmental facility.

27,4219 Section 4219 . 144.241 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (2) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules that are necessary for the proper execution of its responsibilities under this section.

27,4220 Section 4220 . 144.241 (3m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (3m) (a) A list of wastewater treatment projects that the department estimates will receive notices of financial assistance commitment under sub. (15) apply for financial assistance under this section and s. 144.2415 during the next biennium.

27,4221 Section 4221 . 144.241 (3m) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (3m) (c) The estimated rank of each project on the priority list under sub. (10) (8e).

27,4223d Section 4223d. 144.241 (6) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (6) (b) (intro.) In approving financial assistance, the department may use the The following methods of providing financial assistance may be used under this section and s. 144.2415:

27,4226 Section 4226. 144.241 (8) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (8) (g) The sum of all of the financial assistance to a municipality approved under this section and s. 144.2415, except financial assistance under sub. (13m), for a project may not result in the municipality paying less than 30% 10% of the cost of the project.

27,4227 Section 4227 . 144.241 (8) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (8) (h) Except as provided in par. (k) or (m), a municipality that is a violator of an effluent limitation at the time that the notice of financial assistance commitment is given the application for a treatment work project is approved under sub. (9m) may not receive financial assistance of a method specified under sub. (6) (b) 1., 2., 3., 4. or 5. for that part of a the treatment work project that is needed to correct the violation. This paragraph does not apply to a municipality that after May 17, 1988, is in compliance with a court or department order to correct a violation of the enforceable requirements of its ch. 147 permit, and that is applying for financial assistance under s. 144.2415 (13) to correct that violation.

27,4228 Section 4228 . 144.241 (8) (j) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4230 Section 4230 . 144.241 (8) (m) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4231 Section 4231 . 144.241 (8m) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (8m) Notice of intent to apply. (a) A municipality shall submit notice to the department of its intent to apply for financial assistance under this section and s. 144.2415 in a year no later than December 31 of the preceding year. The notice shall be in a form prescribed by the department and the department of administration.

(b) If a municipality does not apply for financial assistance under this section and s. 144.2415 by December 31 of the 2nd year following the year in which it submitted notice under par. (a), the municipality shall submit a new notice under par. (a).

(c) The department may waive par. (a) or (b) upon the written request of a municipality.

27,4232 Section 4232 . 144.241 (8s) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (8s) Facility plan. A municipality seeking financial assistance for a project under this section, except for a municipality seeking a capital cost loan, shall complete a facility plan as required by the department by rule.

27,4233 Section 4233 . 144.241 (9) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (9) (a) A After the department approves a municipality's facility plan submitted under sub. (8s), the municipality which desires to participate in the program under this section and s. 144.2415 shall submit an application for participation to the department. The application shall be in such form and include such information as the department and the department of administration prescribe and shall include design plans and specifications that are approvable by the department under this chapter. The department shall review applications for participation in the program under this section and s. 144.2415. The department shall determine which applications meet the eligibility requirements and criteria under subs. (6), (7), (8), (10) (8m) and (13).

27,4233m Section 4233m. 144.241 (9) (ae) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (9) (ae) A municipality that submits an application under par. (a) without design plans and specifications may obtain an initial determination of financial eligibility from the department of administration. The department of natural resources may not approve a municipality's application until the municipality submits approvable design plans and specifications.

27,4234 Section 4234 . 144.241 (9) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (9) (am) A municipality may not submit more than one application under par. (a) in any 12-month period except that this paragraph does not apply to applications for financial assistance for additional costs of an approved project.

27,4235 Section 4235 . 144.241 (9) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (9) (b) A municipality seeking financial assistance, except for a municipality seeking a capital cost loan, for a project under this section and s. 144.2415 shall complete a staged facility plan, design plans and specifications and an environmental analysis sequence as required by the department by rule.

27,4235m Section 4235m. 144.241 (9) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (9) (e) If the governor's recommendation, as set forth in the executive budget bill, for the amount under s. 144.2415 (3) (d), the amount available under s. 20.866 (2) (tc) or the amount available under s. 144.2415 (4) (f) for a biennium is 85% or less of the amount of present value subsidy, general obligation bonding authority or revenue bonding authority, respectively, requested for that biennium in the biennial finance plan submitted under s. 144.2415 (3) (bm) 1., the department shall inform municipalities that, if the governor's recommendations are approved, clean water fund assistance during a fiscal year of that biennium will only be available to municipalities that submit financial assistance applications by the June 30 preceding that fiscal year.

27,4236 Section 4236 . 144.241 (9m) of the statutes is created to read:

144.241 (9m) Acceptance of application; allocation of funding. (a) Subject to pars. (c) and (d), the department shall approve an application after all of the following occur:

1. The department determines that the project meets the eligibility requirements and criteria under subs. (7), (8), (8m) and (8s).

2. The department of administration initially determines that the municipality will meet the requirements of s. 144.2415 (9) (b).

(e) 1. Except as provided under par. (f) and sub. (13), if a sufficient amount of subsidy is available under s. 144.2415 (3) (d) for the municipality's project, based on the calculation under s. 144.2415 (3) (i), when the department approves the application under par. (a), the department of administration shall allocate that amount to the project.

2. If a sufficient amount of subsidy is not available under s. 144.2415 (3) (d) for the municipality's project when the department approves the application under subd. 1., the department shall place the project on a list for allocation when additional subsidy becomes available.

(f) If the amount approved under s. 144.2415 (3) (d), the amount available under s. 20.866 (2) (tc) or the amount available under s. 144.2415 (4) (f) for a biennium is 85% or less of the amount of present value subsidy, general obligation bonding authority or revenue bonding authority, respectively, requested for that biennium in the biennial finance plan submitted under s. 144.2415 (3) (bm) 1., all of the following apply:

1. The department shall establish a funding list for each fiscal year of the biennium that ranks projects of municipalities that submit financial assistance applications under sub. (9) (a) no later than the June 30 preceding the fiscal year in the same order that they appear on the priority list under sub. (8e).

2. The department of administration shall allocate funding to projects in the order in which they appear on the funding list under subd. 1.

(fm) The department, in consultation with the department of administration, shall promulgate, by rule, methods to establish deadlines for actions that must be taken by a municipality to which subsidy has been allocated. The methods may provide for extending deadlines under specified circumstances. If a municipality fails to meet a deadline, including any extension, the department of administration shall release the amount of subsidy allocated to the municipality's project.

27,4237 Section 4237 . 144.241 (10) (title) of the statutes is renumbered 144.241 (8e) (title).

27,4238 Section 4238 . 144.241 (10) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 144.241 (8e), and 144.241 (8e) (intro.), as renumbered, is amended to read:

144.241 (8e) (intro.) The department shall establish a priority list under in accordance with 33 USC 1381 to 1387 which ranks each project. The ranking on the priority list shall be based on all of the following:

27,4239 Section 4239 . 144.241 (10) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4240 Section 4240 . 144.241 (10) (c) to (f) of the statutes are repealed.

27,4241 Section 4241 . 144.241 (11) (title), (a) and (b) of the statutes are amended to read:

144.241 (11) (title) Approval Type of financial assistance. (a) The Except as provided in par. (b), the department of administration shall specify the method by which financial assistance is to be provided for each approved application that it approves. The methods by which the department may provide financial assistance are the methods specified under sub. (6) (b).

(b) For municipalities meeting the financial hardship assistance requirements under sub. (13), the department of natural resources may approve financial hardship assistance and shall specify the method by which it will provide financial hardship assistance, including but not limited to a combination of loans at or below the market rate and grants, deferred payment loans, state payment of the loan for a number of years, or longer amortization periods.

27,4242 Section 4242 . 144.241 (11) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 144.241 (9m) (d) and amended to read:

144.241 (9m) (d) The department may not approve financial assistance under this section and s. 144.2415 approve an application under par. (a) for a project that is not on the priority list under sub. (10) (a) (8e).

27,4243 Section 4243 . 144.241 (11) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 144.241 (9m) (g) and amended to read:

144.241 (9m) (g) In approving financial assistance under this section and s. 144.2415 allocating subsidy under this subsection, the department of administration shall adhere to the amount approved by the legislature for each biennium under s. 144.2415 (3) (d).

27,4247b Section 4247b. 144.241 (12) (c) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

144.241 (12) (c) 1. Except as modified under par. (f), the interest rate for tier 1 projects is 50% of market interest rate.

2. Except as modified under par. (f), the interest rate for tier 2 projects is 70% of market interest rate.

3. The interest rate for tier 3 projects is market interest rate.

27,4251b Section 4251b. 144.241 (12) (d) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4252 Section 4252 . 144.241 (12) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

144.241 (12) (f) The department and the department of administration jointly may request the joint committee on finance to take action under s. 13.101 (11) to modify the percentage of market interest rates established by rule for tier 1 and tier 2 projects.

27,4253b Section 4253b. 144.241 (13) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

144.241 (13) Financial hardship assistance. (a) The department shall provide advance funding grants to fund a portion of the costs of preparing facility plans under sub. (8s) and project plans and specifications required under sub. (9) (a). The department shall approve an advance funding grant for a municipality if the median household income in the municipality is 80% or less of the median household income in this state. The amount of an advance funding grant for a facility plan is 50% of the cost of completing the facility plan, but not more than $20,000. The amount of an advance funding grant for project plans and specifications is 50% of the cost of completing plans and specifications but not more than $40,000.

(b) A municipality with an application that is approved under sub. (9m) is eligible for financial hardship assistance for the project costs that are eligible under this section and s. 144.2415, except for costs to which sub. (8) (b), (c), (f) or (h) applies, if the municipality meets all of the following criteria: