r. roth Judd
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
September 9, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Public Service Commission (PSC), we have completed a financial audit of the Universal Service Fund, which was established to ensure that all state residents receive essential telecommunications services and have access to advanced telecommunications capabilities. Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the Fund's financial statements and related notes for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2003 and 2002.
The Universal Service Fund is funded through assessments on telecommunications providers, which totaled $23.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2002-03. The largest program supported by the Fund is the Educational Telecommunications Access Program, which is administered by the Department of Administration and subsidizes new and existing data lines and video links to public and private K-12 schools, colleges, public libraries, and others. In FY 2002-03, expenditures for these activities were $18.0 million, or 61.4 percent of the Universal Service Fund's total expenditures and transfers.
Eight of the 12 programs supported by the Fund are operated by the PSC. As we reported in past audits, expenditures for PSC-operated programs historically had been significantly less than the amounts budgeted. In response, the Legislature in
2001 Wisconsin Act 16 limited the amount of assessments to support the PSC-operated programs to $5.0 million in FY 2003-04 and $6.0 million in FY 2004-05. The level of expenditures for the PSC-operated programs has been increasing, and in FY 2002-03 it was close to the limit on assessment levels.
As a result of legislative action, the Universal Service Fund was required to lapse nearly $4.0 million to the General Fund during the 2001-03 biennium. It had an accounting balance of $4.2 million as of June 30, 2003, which is a 58.8 percent decrease from the $10.2 million accounting balance as of June 30, 2002.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the staff at the PSC, the Department of Administration, and the Fund's administrator, Wipfli Young, during the audit.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin System
September 10, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
The University of Wisconsin System is pleased to provide you with a copy of our annual Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA) report. This document fulfills Section
1.11 (2)(j) of the
Wisconsin Statutes, providing information on the number of Type I Environmental Impact Statements and Type II Environmental Impact Assessments completed during the past fiscal year.
The attached report reflects WEPA activities of The University of Wisconsin System related to Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Impact Assessments completed during the period of July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004.
Should you have any questions regarding this report, they should be directed to Terri Reda, UW System Environmental Affairs Officer. Terri may be reached at 263-4410.
Sincerely,
Kevin P. Reilly
President
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
September 10, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed a review of the Environmental Cooperation Pilot Program (ECPP), which was established in
1997 Wisconsin Act 27. The pilot program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and is intended to test and evaluate innovative environmental regulations for maintaining the protection of public health and the environment. The Legislative Audit Bureau is required by statutes to monitor and report annually on this pilot program.
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While DNR has successfully executed seven five-year agreements with six different companies, it has not yet established a methodology to collect and evaluate information about the innovative environmental regulatory methods implemented under the program. As a result, it does not have the information necessary to determine the applicability of innovations to other companies, the feasibility of extending this program's reduced reporting and monitoring requirements to more businesses, and the effect of innovative environmental regulations on its own administrative duties.
2003 Wisconsin Act 276 created the Environmental Results Program, commonly referred to as "Green Tier." This program aims to encourage enhanced compliance with environmental regulations and provides incentives to businesses that meet higher environmental standards while at the same time implementing environmental programs. DNR officials indicate that ECPP participants are eligible to transfer to the Environmental Results Program before the agreements are completed, however, four of the six companies indicate they plan to remain in ECPP. We include a recommendation for DNR to seek legislative approval should it attempt to terminate any existing. ECPP agreements.
I hope you find this information useful. Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
September 8, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Meyer
, Mark,
of La Crosse, as a member of the Public Service Commission, to serve for the interim term ending March 1, 2005 and for the full term ending March 1, 2011.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Energy and Utilities.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
September 10, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Nelson
, Elwyn,
of Oshkosh, as a member of the Fox River Navigational System Authority to serve for the term ending July 1, 2007
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
September 8, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Wegenke, Rolf,
of Madison, as a member of the Educational Communications Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2007.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
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The committee on Agriculture, Financial Institutions and Insurance reports and recommends:
Relating to the agricultural chemical cleanup program.
No action taken.
Dale Schultz
Chairperson
The committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care reports and recommends:
Relating to operation of the health insurance risk-sharing plan (HIRSP).
No action taken.
Carol Roessler
Chairperson
