LRB-1439/P1
SWB:skw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Schmidt, BB0321 - Tobacco Settlement Agreement Arbitration
For 2023-2025 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
JUSTICE
Certain legal expenses related to the tobacco settlement agreement
This bill establishes an appropriation from which DOJ may expend moneys for its legal expenses related to participation in arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution processes arising from payments under the Attorneys General Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement of November 23, 1998. In 1998, numerous states and territories including Wisconsin agreed to a settlement with the major U.S. tobacco companies regarding dozens of state lawsuits brought to recover health care costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses. Under the agreement, the state receives annual payments from U.S. tobacco product manufacturers in perpetuity.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section
1. 20.455 (1) (hg) of the statutes is created to read:
20.455 (1) (hg) Legal services; tobacco settlement agreement. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for legal expenses as set forth under s. 165.14.
****Note: This Section
involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
Section
2. 165.14 of the statutes is created to read:
165.14 Tobacco settlement.
(1) In this section:
(a) “Department” means the department of justice.
(b) “Tobacco settlement agreement" means the Attorneys General Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement of November 23, 1998.
(2) The department may expend moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (1) (hg) for its legal expenses related to participation in arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution processes arising from payments under the tobacco settlement agreement.
(3) Annually, no later than September 1, the department shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution under s. 13.172 (2) that identifies its expenses that are attributable to participation in arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution processes arising from payments under the tobacco settlement agreement.
****Note: The date included for the deadline of the report is just a placeholder. Please let me know if you would like to change it.
(End)
