Date of enactment: August 9, 2017
2017 Senate Bill 15   Date of publication*: August 10, 2017
* Section 991.11, Wisconsin Statutes: Effective date of acts. “Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication."
2017 WISCONSIN ACT 57
An Act to repeal 227.137 (6) and (7) and 227.17 (3) (em); to renumber and amend 227.137 (3) (b) and 227.16 (6); to amend 227.12 (4), 227.135 (2), 227.135 (3), 227.137 (3) (intro.) and (a), 227.14 (4m), 227.15 (1), 227.15 (1m) (bm), 227.16 (1), 227.17 (1) (intro.), 227.185, 227.19 (3) (intro.), 227.19 (3) (c), 227.19 (4) (b) 1. (intro.), 227.19 (5) (b) 1. (intro.), 227.19 (5) (d), 227.19 (5) (dm), 227.19 (5) (em), 227.19 (5) (f) (title), 227.19 (5) (fm), 227.19 (6) (b), 227.24 (1) (a), 227.24 (1) (e) 1d. and 227.24 (4); and to create 35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm., 227.136, 227.137 (3) (b) 1. and 2., 227.137 (4m), 227.139, 227.14 (2) (a) 3m., 227.17 (3) (eg) and 227.19 (5) (b) 3. of the statutes; relating to: various changes regarding administrative rules and rule-making procedures.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
57,1 Section 1 . 35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm. of the statutes is created to read:
35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm. Notices of preliminary public hearings and comment periods under s. 227.136.
57,2 Section 2. 227.12 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
227.12 (4) If a petition to the department of revenue establishes that the department has established a standard by which it is construing a state tax statute, but has not promulgated a rule to adopt the standard or published the standard in a manner that is available to the public, the department shall, as provided under s. 227.135, submit a statement of the scope of the proposed rule to the governor department of administration no later than 90 days after receiving the petition. No later than 270 days after the statement is approved by the governor, the department shall submit the proposed rule in final draft form to the governor for the governor's approval, as provided under s. 227.185. At the department's request, the governor or the department of administration may, at any time prior to the expiration of any deadline specified in this subsection, extend the time for submitting the statement or proposed rule in draft form for any period not to exceed 60 days. The governor or the department of administration may grant more than one extension under this subsection, but the total period for all such extensions may not exceed 120 days. The rule need not adhere to the standard established by the department, but shall address the same circumstances as the standard addresses. If the department fails to comply with this subsection, any of the petitioners may commence an action in circuit court to compel the department's compliance. If an action is commenced under this subsection, the court may compel the department to provide information to the court related to the degree to which the department is enforcing the standard, except that the information provided by the department shall not disclose the identity of any person who is not a party to the action.
57,3 Section 3. 227.135 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
227.135 (2) An agency that has prepared a statement of the scope of the proposed rule shall present the statement to the governor and to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule for approval department of administration, which shall make a determination as to whether the agency has the explicit authority to promulgate the rule as proposed in the statement of scope and shall report the statement of scope and its determination to the governor who, in his or her discretion, may approve or reject the statement of scope. The agency may not send the statement to the legislative reference bureau for publication under sub. (3) until the governor issues a written notice of approval of the statement. The agency shall also present the statement to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule for approval. The individual or body with policy-making powers may not approve the statement until at least 10 days after publication of the statement under sub. (3) and, if a preliminary public hearing and comment period are held by the agency under s. 227.136, until the individual or body has received and reviewed any public comments and feedback received from the agency under s. 227.136 (5). No state employee or official may perform any activity in connection with the drafting of a proposed rule, except for an activity necessary to prepare the statement of the scope of the proposed rule until the governor and the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule approve the statement.
57,4 Section 4. 227.135 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
227.135 (3) If the governor approves a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under sub. (2), the agency shall send an electronic copy of the statement to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, for publication in the register. On the same day that the agency sends the statement to the legislative reference bureau, the agency shall send a copy of the statement to the secretary of administration and to the chief clerks of each house of the legislature, who shall distribute the statement to the cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules. The agency shall include with any statement of scope sent to the legislative reference bureau the date of the governor's approval of the statement of scope. The legislative reference bureau shall assign a discrete identifying number to each statement of scope and shall include that number and the date of the governor's approval in the publication of the statement of scope in the register.
57,5 Section 5. 227.136 of the statutes is created to read:
227.136 Preliminary public hearing and comment period. (1) Within 10 days after publication of a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under s. 227.135 (3), either cochairperson of the joint committee for the review of administrative rules may submit a written directive to the agency that prepared the statement for the agency to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on the statement of scope as provided in this section.
(2) If the agency is directed to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on a statement of scope as provided in sub. (1) or if the agency otherwise opts to do so on its own initiative, the agency shall submit to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, a notice of a preliminary public hearing and comment period to allow for public comment and feedback on the statement of scope. The agency may also take any other action it considers necessary to provide notice of the preliminary public hearing and comment period to other interested persons. The notice shall be approved by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule and shall include all of the following:
(a) A statement of the date, time, and place of the preliminary public hearing.
(b) The place where comments on the statement of scope should be submitted and the deadline for submitting those comments.
(3) The agency shall hold the preliminary public hearing and comment period in accordance with the notice required under sub. (2), but may not hold the hearing sooner than the 3rd day after publication of the notice in the register.
(4) The agency shall conduct a hearing under this section in accordance with s. 227.18.
(5) The agency shall report all public comments and feedback on the statement of scope of the proposed rule that the agency receives at the preliminary public hearing and comment period to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule.
(6) Failure of any person to receive notice of a preliminary public hearing as provided in this section is not grounds for invalidating any resulting rule if notice of the hearing was published in the register in accordance with s. 35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm.
57,6 Section 6 . 227.137 (3) (intro.) and (a) of the statutes are amended to read:
227.137 (3) (intro.) An economic impact analysis of a proposed rule shall contain information on the economic effect of the proposed rule on specific businesses, business sectors, public utility ratepayers, local governmental units, and the state's economy as a whole. When The agency or person preparing the analysis, the agency shall solicit information and advice from businesses, associations representing businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency or person shall prepare the economic impact analysis in coordination with local governmental units that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency or person may also request information that is reasonably necessary for the preparation of an economic impact analysis from other businesses, associations, local governmental units, and individuals and from other agencies. The economic impact analysis shall include all of the following:
(a) An analysis and quantification of the policy problem that the proposed rule is intending to address, including comparisons with the approaches used by the federal government and by Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota to address that policy problem and, if. If the approach chosen by the agency to address that policy problem is different from those approaches, an economic impact analysis prepared by an agency shall include a statement as to why the agency chose a different approach.
57,7 Section 7. 227.137 (3) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (3) (b) (intro.) and amended to read:
227.137 (3) (b) (intro.) An analysis and detailed quantification of the economic impact of the proposed rule, including the implementation and compliance costs that are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to the businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule. , specifically including all of the following:
57,8 Section 8. 227.137 (3) (b) 1. and 2. of the statutes are created to read:
227.137 (3) (b) 1. An estimate of the total implementation and compliance costs that are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals as a result of the proposed rule, expressed as a single dollar figure. With respect to an independent economic impact analysis prepared under sub. (4m) or s. 227.19 (5) (b) 3., the person preparing the analysis shall provide a detailed explanation of any variance from the agency's estimate under this subdivision.
2. A determination, for purposes of the requirement under s. 227.139, as to whether $10,000,000 or more in implementation and compliance costs are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals over any 2-year period as a result of the proposed rule.
57,9 Section 9 . 227.137 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
227.137 (4m) (a) After an agency submits an economic impact analysis for a proposed rule to the legislature under sub. (4), but before the agency submits the proposed rule for approval under s. 227.185, either cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules may request an independent economic impact analysis to be prepared for the proposed rule.
(am) 1. A request by the senate cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules for an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a) requires approval by the committee on senate organization.
2. A request by the assembly cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules for an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a) requires approval by the committee on assembly organization.
(b) 1. If a cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules requests an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a), and the request is approved under par. (am), the cochairperson shall notify the agency proposing the proposed rule and shall contract with a person that is not an agency to prepare the independent economic impact analysis.
2. Costs of completing an independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as follows:
a. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under sub. (3) (b) 1. varies from the agency's estimate by 15 percent or more or varies from the agency's determination that there will be no implementation or compliance costs, the cochairperson shall assess the agency that is proposing the proposed rule for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis.
b. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under sub. (3) (b) 1. does not vary from the agency's estimate by 15 percent or more or is in accord with the agency's determination that there will be no implementation and compliance costs, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid from the appropriation account that corresponds to his or her house of the legislature under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b).
c. Notwithstanding subd. 2. a. and b., if the maximum potential obligation under the contract for completing the independent economic impact analysis exceeds $50,000, the cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules who is requesting the independent economic impact analysis shall submit the proposed contract to the joint committee on finance for the purpose of determining the funding source for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis, and the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided by the joint committee on finance. If the joint committee on finance does not act to determine the funding source within 90 days, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided in subd. 2. a. and b.
(c) A person preparing an independent economic impact analysis under par. (b) shall do all of the following:
1. Include in the analysis the information that is required under sub. (3).
2. Upon completion of the analysis, submit the analysis to the agency, to the department of administration, to the governor, and to the chief clerks of each house of the legislature, who shall distribute the analysis to the presiding officers of their respective houses, to the chairpersons of the appropriate standing committees of their respective houses, as designated by those presiding officers, and to the cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules.
3. Complete the independent economic impact analysis within 60 days after contracting to prepare the analysis.
(d) When an independent economic impact analysis is requested under par. (a), the agency may not submit the proposed rule for approval under s. 227.185 until the agency receives the completed independent economic impact analysis.
57,10 Section 10 . 227.137 (6) and (7) of the statutes are repealed.
57,11 Section 11 . 227.139 of the statutes is created to read:
227.139 Passage of bill required for certain rules. (1) If an economic impact analysis prepared under s. 227.137 (2), a revised economic impact analysis prepared under s. 227.137 (4), or an independent economic impact analysis prepared under s. 227.137 (4m) or 227.19 (5) (b) 3. indicates that $10,000,000 or more in implementation and compliance costs are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals over any 2-year period as a result of the proposed rule, the agency proposing the rule shall stop work on the proposed rule and may not continue promulgating the proposed rule notwithstanding any provision authorizing or requiring the agency to promulgate the proposed rule, except as authorized under sub. (2).
(2) (a) Any member of the legislature may introduce a bill authorizing an agency to promulgate a rule that the agency is prohibited from promulgating under sub. (1). The agency may resume the rule-making process as provided in this subchapter upon enactment of a bill introduced under this paragraph.
(b) If an agency is prohibited from promulgating a rule under sub. (1), the agency may modify the proposed rule, if the modification is germane to the subject matter of the proposed rule, to address the implementation and compliance costs of the proposed rule. If the agency modifies a proposed rule under this paragraph, the agency shall prepare a revised economic impact analysis under s. 227.137 (4). Following the modification, the agency may continue with the rule-making process as provided in this subchapter if the revised economic impact analysis prepared by the agency indicates, and any independent economic impact analysis prepared under s. 227.137 (4m) or 227.19 (5) (b) 3. subsequent to the agency's modification also indicates, that $10,000,000 or more in implementation and compliance costs are not reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals over any 2-year period as a result of the proposed rule.
(3) This section does not apply to rules promulgated under s. 227.24.
(4) (a) This section does not apply to a proposed rule of the department of natural resources relating to air quality if all of the following apply:
1. The rule is necessary to comply with an explicit call for a state implementation plan by the federal environmental protection agency under 42 USC 7410 (a) (1), 42 USC 7411 (c) (1) or (d) (1), or 42 USC 7412 (l) (1).
2. Any standard, requirement, or limitation proposed in the rule is consistent with and no more stringent in substance or form than what is required under the federal clean air act, 42 USC 7401 to 7671q, and regulations issued by the federal environmental protection agency under that act.
3. The rule proposes to regulate only those emissions or substances explicitly required to be regulated under a state implementation plan described in subd. 1.
(b) If the department of natural resources believes that par. (a) applies to a proposed rule, the department shall include a statement to that effect in any economic impact analysis prepared under s. 227.137 for the proposed rule.
57,12 Section 12. 227.14 (2) (a) 3m. of the statutes is created to read:
227.14 (2) (a) 3m. A summary of any public comments and feedback on the statement of scope of the proposed rule that the agency received at any preliminary public hearing and comment period held under s. 227.136 and a description of how and to what extent the agency took those comments and that feedback into account in drafting the proposed rule.
57,13 Section 13. 227.14 (4m) of the statutes is amended to read:
227.14 (4m) Notice of submittal to legislative council staff. On the same day that an agency submits a proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15, the agency shall prepare a written notice of the agency's submittal to the legislative council staff. The notice shall include a statement of the date on which the proposed rule has been submitted to the legislative council staff for review, of the subject matter of the proposed rule, and of whether a public hearing on the proposed rule is required under s. 227.16, and shall identify the organizational unit within the agency that is primarily responsible for the promulgation of the rule. The notice shall also include a statement containing the identifying number of the statement of scope for the proposed rule assigned under s. 227.135 (3), the date of publication and issue number of the register in which the statement of scope is published, and the date of approval of the statement of scope by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule under s. 227.135 (2). The notice shall be approved by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule. The agency shall send an electronic copy of the notice to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, for publication in the register. On the same day that the agency sends the notice to the legislative reference bureau, the agency shall send a copy of the notice to the secretary of administration.
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