1997 Wisconsin Act 27

635.02 (3g) “Employer" has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (6).

27,4932s Section 4932s. 635.02 (3k) of the statutes is created to read:

635.02 (3k) “Group health benefit plan" has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (9).

27,4932t Section 4932t. 635.02 (3m) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

635.02 (3m) “Health benefit plan" has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (11).

27,4932u Section 4932u. 635.02 (4t) of the statutes is created to read:

635.02 (4t) “Network plan" has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (19).

27,4932v Section 4932v. 635.02 (7) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

635.02 (7) “Small employer" means, with respect to a calendar year and a plan year, an employer that employed an average of at least 2 but not more than 50 employes on business days during the preceding calendar year, or that is reasonably expected to employ an average of at least 2 but not more than 50 employes on business days during the current calendar year if the employer was not in existence during the preceding calendar year, and that employs at least 2 employes on the first day of the plan year.

27,4932w Section 4932w. 635.02 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

635.02 (9) “Small group market" has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (26).

27,4932x Section 4932x. 635.09 of the statutes is repealed.

27,4932y Section 4932y. 635.11 of the statutes is renumbered 635.11 (1m), and 635.11 (1m) (intro.), as renumbered, is amended to read:

635.11 (1m) (intro.) Before the sale of a plan or policy subject to this subchapter chapter, a small employer insurer shall disclose to a small employer all of the following:

27,4933c Section 4933c. 635.11 (1m) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

635.11 (1m) (e) As part of the small employer insurer's solicitation and sales materials, the availability of the information under par. (f).

27,4933e Section 4933e. 635.11 (1m) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

635.11 (1m) (f) Upon the request of the small employer, the following information:

1. The provisions, if any, of the plan or policy relating to preexisting condition exclusions.

2. The benefits and premiums available under all health insurance coverage offered by the small employer insurer for which the small employer is qualified.

27,4933g Section 4933g. 635.11 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

635.11 (2m) Information required to be disclosed under this section shall be provided in a manner that is understandable to a small employer and shall be sufficient to reasonably inform a small employer of the small employer's rights and obligations under the health insurance coverage.

27,4933i Section 4933i. 635.11 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:

635.11 (3m) A small employer insurer is not required under this section to disclose information that is proprietary or trade secret information under applicable law.

27,4934c Section 4934c. 635.13 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

635.13 (1) Records. A small employer insurer shall maintain at its principal place of business complete and detailed records relating to its rating methods and practices and its renewal underwriting methods and practices, and shall make the records available to the commissioner and the small employer insurance board upon request.

27,4935m Section 4935m. 635.18 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

635.18 (1) Every small employer insurer shall actively market health benefit plan coverage, including basic health benefit plans, to small employers in the state. If a small employer insurer denies coverage to a small employer under a health benefit plan that is not a basic health benefit plan on the basis of the health status or claims experience of the small employer or its eligible employes or their dependents, the small employer insurer shall offer the small employer the opportunity to purchase a basic health benefit plan.

27,4935p Section 4935p. 635.18 (3) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4935r Section 4935r. 635.18 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

635.18 (7) A 3rd-party administrator that enters into a contract, agreement or other arrangement with a small employer insurer to provide administrative, marketing or other services related to the offering of health benefit plans to small employers in this state is subject to this subchapter chapter as if it were a small employer insurer.

27,4936c Section 4936c. 635.19 of the statutes is created to read:

635.19 Issuance of coverage in small group market. (1) (a) Except as provided in subs. (2) to (6), a small employer insurer that offers a group health benefit plan in the small group market shall do all of the following:

1. Accept any small employer in the state that applies for such coverage.

2. Accept for enrollment under such coverage any eligible individual who applies for enrollment during the period in which the individual first becomes eligible to enroll under the terms of the group health benefit plan.

3. Place no restriction on an eligible individual under par. (b) that is inconsistent with s. 632.746 or 632.748.

(b) For purposes of this section, whether an individual is an “eligible individual" in relation to a small employer shall be determined in accordance with all of the following:

1. The terms of the group health benefit plan under which the individual is applying for enrollment.

2. Rules of the small employer insurer offering the group health benefit plan under which the individual is applying for enrollment, which rules must apply uniformly in this state to small employers in the small group market.

3. All state laws that apply to small employer insurers and the small group market.

(2) (a) A small employer insurer that offers a group health benefit plan in the small group market through a network plan may do any of the following:

1. Limit the small employers that may apply for such coverage to those with eligible individuals who reside, live or work in the service area of the network plan.

2. Within the service area of the network plan, deny such coverage to small employers if the small employer insurer demonstrates to the commissioner all of the following:

a. That the insurer does not have the capacity to deliver services adequately to enrollees of any additional groups because of its obligations to existing group contract holders and enrollees.

b. That the insurer is applying this subdivision uniformly to all small employers without regard to the claims experience of those small employers or their employes or employes' dependents or any other health status-related factor of those employes or their dependents.

(b) A small employer insurer that denies coverage under par. (a) 2. in any service area may not offer coverage in the small group market in that service area for 180 days after the date on which the coverage was denied.

(3) (a) A small employer insurer that offers a group health benefit plan in the small group market may deny small employers coverage under such a plan in the small group market if the small employer insurer demonstrates to the commissioner all of the following:

1. That the insurer does not have the financial reserves necessary to underwrite additional coverage.

2. That the insurer is applying this paragraph uniformly to all small employers in the small group market in the state in accordance with applicable state law and without regard to the claims experience of those small employers or their employes or employes' dependents or any other health status-related factor of those employes or their dependents.

(b) A small employer insurer that denies coverage under par. (a) may not offer a group health benefit plan in the small group market in the state for 180 days after the date on which the coverage was denied or until the insurer demonstrates to the commissioner that the insurer has sufficient financial reserves to underwrite additional coverage, whichever is later.

(4) Subsection (1) shall not be construed to preclude a small employer insurer from establishing, for the offering of a group health benefit plan in the small group market, any of the following:

(a) Rules or requirements relating to the minimum level or amount of small employer contribution toward the premium for the enrollment of participants and beneficiaries.

(b) Rules or requirements relating to the minimum number or percentage of participants or beneficiaries that must be enrolled in relation to a specified number or percentage of eligible individuals or employes of a small employer.

(5) Subsection (1) does not apply to a group health benefit plan offered by a small employer insurer in the small group market if all of the following apply:

(a) The group health benefit plan is offered in the small group market only through one or more bona fide associations.

(b) The small employer insurer offering the group health benefit plan makes the coverage available to all members of a bona fide association regardless of any health status-related factors of the members or individuals eligible for coverage through the members.

(c) The small employer insurer offering the group health benefit plan complies with any rules of the commissioner that are reasonably designed to prevent the use of an association for risk segmentation.

(6) The commissioner may by rule permit an exception to sub. (1) with respect to a small employer for which coverage is nonrenewed or discontinued for a reason specified under s. 632.749 (2) (a) or (b).

27,4937m Section 4937m. Subchapter II of chapter 635 [precedes 635.20] of the statutes, as affected by 1995 Wisconsin Act 289, is repealed.

27,4945 Section 4945 . 703.16 (6) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

703.16 (6) (e) A lien under s. 292.31 (8) (i), 292.41 (6) (d) or 292.81.

27,4946 Section 4946 . 706.11 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

706.11 (1) (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (4), when any of the following mortgages has been duly recorded, it shall have priority over all liens upon the mortgaged premises and the buildings and improvements thereon, except tax and special assessment liens filed after the recording of such mortgage and except liens under s. ss. 292.31 (8) (i), 292.41 (6) (d) and 292.81:

27,4946d Section 4946d. 706.13 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

706.13 (1) In addition to any criminal penalty or civil remedy provided by law, any person who submits for filing, entering in the judgment and lien docket or recording, any lien, claim of lien, lis pendens, writ of attachment, financing statement or any other instrument relating to a security interest in or the title in to real or personal property, knowing and who knows or should have known that the contents or any part of the contents to be of the instrument are false, a sham or frivolous, is liable in tort to any person interested in the property whose title is thereby impaired, for punitive damages of $1,000 plus any actual damages caused by the filing, entering or recording.

27,4947 Section 4947 . 707.37 (4) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

707.37 (4) (d) A lien under s. 292.31 (8) (i) , 144.77 292.41 (6) (d) or 292.81.

27,4948m Section 4948m. 753.06 (8) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

753.06 (8) (e) Oconto county. The circuit has one branch. Commencing August 1, 1998, the circuit has 2 branches.

27,4950g Section 4950g. 755.09 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

755.09 (1) Every judge shall keep his or her office and hold court only in the municipal hall of the town, village or city in which elected or if no room is available in the municipal hall, in any adequate facility provided by the governing body may authorize him or her to temporarily keep office and hold court elsewhere in the municipality of the city, village or town, other than at a place prohibited under sub. (2). The judge may issue process or perform ministerial functions at any place in the county.

27,4950m Section 4950m. 755.19 of the statutes is created to read:

755.19 Municipal court commissioners. (1) Appointment. First class cities may create the office of municipal court commissioner. The municipal court commissioner shall be an attorney licensed to practice in this state and shall complete annual educational credits consistent with supreme court requirements for municipal judges. The common council shall establish the number of positions and set the term, the additional qualifications and the compensation for the office. The presiding judge of the municipal court shall be the appointing authority and may terminate the employment of a municipal court commissioner at will and without cause. The municipal court commissioner shall be supervised by the judge whose cases the commissioner is hearing. Each municipal court commissioner shall take and file the official oath in the office of the clerk of the municipal court of the 1st class city for which appointed before performing any duty of the office.

(2) Powers and duties. Under the supervision of a municipal judge, a municipal court commissioner may do all of the following:

(a) Under ss. 800.04 and 800.095 (4) and (5), conduct initial appearances and receive noncontested forfeiture pleas, order the revocation or suspension of driving privileges and impose forfeitures, impose community service and restitution according to the schedule adopted by the municipal court where appointed, and issue dispositional and sanction orders pursuant to ch. 938.

(b) Issue warrants for those who do not appear as scheduled or as summoned.

(c) Conduct hearings on warrant returns.

(d) Schedule indigency hearings.

(e) Make a finding on the indigency of defendants.

(f) Enforce alternative judgments for failure to comply with court orders.

(g) Conduct court proceedings and exercise any power authorized by statute.

(3) New hearings and appeals of municipal court commissioner rulings. A motion for a new hearing or appeal of a contested ruling by a municipal court commissioner shall be filed with the municipal court no later than the 20th day after the commissioner makes the ruling. The motion shall be heard by the supervising municipal judge under the procedure consistent with the procedure adopted by the judicial district on motions to reopen judgments before the municipal court. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as altering the time periods for filing a notice of appeal from a final judgment or filing a motion of relief from judgment.

27,4950r Section 4950r. 757.23 of the statutes is amended to read:

757.23 Court commissioner, when disqualified. A municipal court commissioner, a court commissioner, or any judge acting as a court commissioner, shall not act or take part in the decision of, or make any order in any matter or proceeding in which he or she is a party, or in which his or her rights would be in any manner affected by his or her decision or order thereon, or in which he or she is interested, or in which his or her law partner, or any person connected with him or her as employer, employe or clerk, or in the law business in any manner, shall be interested or appear as a party, agent, attorney or counsel. Any municipal court commissioner, court commissioner or judge, acting as a court commissioner, violating this section shall forfeit $25 for each violation, and shall also be subject to removal from office.

27,4952 Section 4952 . 758.19 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4957 Section 4957 . 767.001 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

767.001 (2) (b) With respect to the department of health and family services or a county agency specified in s. 48.56 (1) or a licensed child welfare agency granted legal custody of a child, the rights and responsibilities specified under s. 48.02 (12).

27,4958 Section 4958 . 767.001 (7) of the statutes is repealed.

27,4959 Section 4959 . 767.02 (1) (m) of the statutes is amended to read: