AB902: Bill Text

LRB-3443/1

MES:lmk:rs

2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE

2005 Assembly BILL 902

December 29, 2005 - Introduced by Representatives Wasserman, Staskunas, Wood and Zepnick. Referred to Committee on Urban and Local Affairs.

AB902,1,2 An Act relating to: creating a task force to develop a plan to reduce the number of counties in this state.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates a nine member task force to study the responsibilities and obligations of county government and to develop a plan to reduce the number of counties in this state from 72 to 18. Two members of the task force are appointed by the governor, three members are appointed by the president of the senate, three members are appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and one member is appointed by the Wisconsin Counties Association.

The bill requires that the task force submit a written proposal for reducing the number of counties to the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) by January 15, 2009. If the cochairpersons of JCF do not notify the task force chairperson that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the task force's proposal within 14 working days after the proposal's submission to JCF, the proposal must be submitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) for drafting. If, within 14 working days after the date of the proposal's submission, the cochairpersons notify the task force chairperson that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposal, the proposal may be submitted to LRB only upon approval of JCF, however the bill requires JCF to submit such a proposal to LRB for drafting not later than April 15, 2009.

The bill also requires that a proposal that is submitted for drafting must be prepared by LRB not later than November 1, 2009.

For further information see the state and local 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:

AB902, s. 1 Section 1. Nonstatutory provisions.

AB902,2,2 (1) Study to reduce the number of counties.

AB902,2,4 (a) There is created a committee called the county reduction task force. The task force shall consist of the following members:

AB902,2,5 1. Two individuals appointed by the governor.

AB902,2,9 2. Three individuals appointed by the president of the senate, one of whom shall be a majority party member of the state senate, one of whom shall be a minority party member of the state senate, and one of whom shall be a member of the public who is not an elective official.

AB902,2,13 3. Three individuals appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one of whom shall be a majority party member of the state assembly, one of whom shall be a minority party member of the state assembly, and one of whom shall be a member of the public who is not an elective official.

AB902,2,14 4. One individual appointed by the Wisconsin Counties Association.

AB902,2,15 (b) From among its members, the task force shall select a chairperson.

AB902,3,7 (c) The task force shall study the responsibilities and obligations of county government and shall develop a plan to reduce the number of counties in this state to 18. Not later than January 15, 2009, the task force shall submit in writing its proposed county reduction plan to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the task force chairperson that it has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the written proposal within 14 working days after the date on which the proposal is submitted, the proposal shall be submitted to the legislative reference bureau for drafting. If, within 14 working days after the date on which the proposal is submitted, the cochairpersons notify the task force chairperson that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposal, the proposal may be submitted to the legislative reference bureau for drafting only upon approval of the committee, except that the committee shall submit such a proposal for drafting not later than April 15, 2009.

AB902,3,9 (d) A proposal that is submitted for drafting under paragraph (c) shall be prepared by the legislative reference bureau not later than November 1, 2009.

AB902,3,12 (e) The task force shall be dissolved upon the introduction of a bill described under paragraph (d) or at a date after November 1, 2009, that is specified by the joint committee on finance.

AB902,3,13 (End)