Hearing Date:
October 14, 2009
Financial Institutions — Banking
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
The legislature by section
9117 of
2009 Wisconsin Act 2 provides an exemption from a finding of emergency for the adoption of the rule.
Publication Date:
May 4, 2009
Effective: Section 1:
5-4-09 through 7-1-11
Section 2:
9-1-09 through 7-1-11
Section 3:
1-10-10 through 7-1-11
Hearing Date:
June 10, 2009
Health Services
emergency_rules EmR0928
EmR0928 — Rule adopted to revise
Chapter DHS 163, relating to requirements for conducting lead-safe renovation activities in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities, and affecting small businesses.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Health Services (department) finds that an emergency exists and that the adoption of an emergency rule is necessary for the continuity of regulations relating to lead hazard exposure in Wisconsin. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Under ch.
DHS 163, the department, as Wisconsin's public health agency, regulates lead hazard reduction and lead management activities in pre-1978 housing (target housing) and child-occupied facilities. The rules include standards for certification of individuals and companies conducting these activities, accreditation of lead training courses and approval of instructors, and work practices. In addition to the department's authority under chs.
250 and
254, Stats., to regulate lead hazards, the department has authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate lead hazard reduction and management activities in lieu of the EPA administering federal regulations in Wisconsin.
On April 22, 2008, the EPA issued rules under
40 CFR 745 to
establish requirements for training renovators, other renovation workers, and dust sampling technicians; for certifying renovators, dust sampling technicians, and renovation firms; for accrediting providers of renovation and dust sampling technician training; and for renovation work practices (and associated recordkeeping requirements) that disturb paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities.
Under the EPA regulations, beginning on April 22, 2010, persons who perform renovation activities for compensation, including repair and painting activities, that disturb paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities must be certified, properly trained, and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. The EPA will begin accepting applications for certification from individuals and companies on October 22, 2009.
States that promulgate rules that conform to the EPA standards on or before October 22, 2009, may accept applications for certification in lieu of the EPA. Otherwise, on October 22, 2009, the EPA will begin accepting these applications and the associated fees from Wisconsin companies and individuals. Such an occurrence may cause confusion among the regulated community and property owners, and would impede the department's ability to continue to administer a viable lead hazard reduction program if covered persons begin complying with the EPA certification requirements before state requirements are implemented. Promulgating rules before October 22, 2009, will help to avoid any unnecessary complexity for covered persons that may be caused by overlapping state and federal regulations that address lead-based paint hazards in target housing and child-occupied facilities.
Publication Date:
October 16, 2009
Effective: October 19, 2009
through March 17, 2010
Hearing Date:
November 18, 2009
(See the Notice in this Register)
Insurance (4)
emergency_rules EmR0918
1.
EmR0918 — Rule adopted to revise
Chapter Ins 6, relating to exempting commercial umbrella and commercial liability policies covering only hired and non-owned autos from having to offer or include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Finding of Emergency
The Commissioner of Insurance finds that an emergency exists and that an emergency rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. Facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Act 28 (2009) modified the requirements for auto insurance in Wisconsin. Most of these new provisions go into effect on November 1, 2009. These modifications did not specifically address the issue of insurers who write commercial liability insurance and commercial umbrella policies which insure only hired and non-owned automobiles (“HNO") under the policy but do not insure any automobiles owned by the insured.
If these new Act 28 requirements apply to commercial liability insurance and commercial umbrella policies which insure only hired and non-owned automobiles (“HNO") under the policy, this creates a significant problem. Some of these insurers do not have authority to write auto insurance which is needed to write uninsured (“UM") and underinsured coverage (“UIM"). Other insurers offering the commercial umbrella and commercial liability HNO have not ever written UM/UIM coverages because the current rules exempt them. Insurers have also stated that obtaining reinsurance for this is a problem.
This issue was addressed in 1997 when an emergency rule was promulgated and modifications to Ins 6.77 were enacted in response to various court cases. In that process, commercial insurers who wrote liability policies that covered only HNO were exempted from the requirement to offer or include UM/UIM coverage. This emergency rule would continue this exemption so that the market for commercial liability insurance and commercial umbrella policies is not disrupted.
Publication Date:
September 9, 2009
Effective: November 1, 2009 through
March 30, 2010
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
The Commissioner of Insurance pursuant to s.
632.895 (12m) (f) 2., Stats., need not find that an emergency exists nor provide evidence that promulgating a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare.
Specifically, s.
632.895 (12m) (f), Wis. Stats., requires the commissioner to define “intensive-level services," “nonintensive-level services," “paraprofessional," and “qualified" for purposes of providing services under this subsection. The statute further authorizes that the commissioner may promulgate rules governing the interpretation or administration of this subsection.
Publication Date:
September 26, 2009
Effective: September 26, 2009
through February 22, 2010
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
(4)
Continuation coverage rules. (a) Notwithstanding section
632.897 of the statutes and subsections (1), (2), and (3), the commissioner of insurance may promulgate rules establishing standards requiring insurers to provide continuation of coverage for any individual covered at any time under a group policy who is a state eligible individual to whom subsection (2) or (3) applies or an assistance eligible individual, as defined under section 3001 (a) (3) of the federal act, including rules governing election or extension of election periods, notice, rates, premiums, premium payment, application of preexisting condition exclusions, and election of alternative coverage.
(b) The commissioner may promulgate the rules under paragraph (a) as emergency rules under section
227.24 of the statutes. Notwithstanding section
227.24 (1) (c) of the statutes, emergency rules promulgated under this paragraph may remain in effect for one year and may be extended under section
227.24 (2) of the statutes. Notwithstanding section
227.24 (1) (a) and
(3) of the statutes,
the commissioner is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this paragraph as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this paragraph. [Emphasis Added]
Publication Date:
October 1, 2009
Effective: October 2, 2009
through October 1, 2010
Finding of Emergency
The Commissioner of Insurance finds that an emergency exists and that an emergency rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. Facts constituting the emergency are as follows:
Beginning January 1, 2010, care management organizations are required to obtain a permit from the commissioner to provide services under the Family Care program. In order to ensure no gap in services to enrollees, organizations and the office need to complete and accept applications for permits prior to January 1, 2010. Promulgation of this rule will permit the timely filing and review of permittees.
Publication Date:
October 9, 2009
Effective: October 10, 2009
through March 10, 2010
Natural Resources
Fish, Game, etc., Chs.
NR 1—
Finding of Emergency
The emergency rule procedure, pursuant to s.
227.24, Stats., is necessary and justified in establishing rules to protect the public welfare. The federal government and state legislature have delegated to the appropriate agencies rule-making authority to control the hunting of migratory birds. The State of Wisconsin must comply with federal regulations in the establishment of migratory bird hunting seasons and conditions. Federal regulations are not made available to this state until mid-August of each year. This order is designed to bring the state hunting regulations to conformity with the federal regulations. Normal rule-making procedures will not allow the establishment of these changes by September 1. Failure to modify our rules will result in the failure to provide hunting opportunity and continuation of rules which conflict with federal regulations.
Publication Date:
August 22, 2009
Effective: September 1, 2009 through
January 28, 2010
Hearing Date:
November 4, 2009
Natural Resources
Environmental Protection — Water Regulation,
Chs.
NR 300—
Finding of Emergency
The substantial increase in bonding for the dam grant programs is a strong message from the legislature that concern for public welfare from unsafe dams is growing, as well as the desire to help dam owners, including the owners of the many dams damaged during the flooding in 2007 and 2008. In order to protect the public and provide this financial assistance, these additional funds should be put to work as soon as possible. The timeline for permanent rule promulgation will impede the Department's ability to accept applications and commit funding to dam safety projects until at least June 2010, which would delay most projects until late 2010 or 2011. The emergency rules will allow immediate implementation of modifications that will allow a grant application cycle to be conducted yet this fall and allow most projects to be constructed during the 2010 construction season or before.
Publication Date:
August 28, 2009
Effective: August 28, 2009 through
January 24, 2010
Pharmacy Examining Board
Finding of Emergency
The Pharmacy Examining Board finds that, under s.
227.24 (1), Stats., the repeal of s.
Phar 4.02 (2) is required for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety and welfare.
Currently, under s.
Phar 4.02 (2), the board administers a practical examination to determine an applicant's competence in compounding and dispensing medications, which includes consultation of patients. The board has determined that this examination is no longer needed because the competencies tested in the examination are also tested in two other national examinations that applicants are required to take in order to obtain a license in Wisconsin. The board has also determined that the practical examination requirement may contribute to the shortage of pharmacists in Wisconsin.
First, under s.
Phar 4.02 (1) and
(3), an applicant is required to take and pass the Multi-State Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) and the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Both of these examinations test competencies that relate to subject areas that are also tested in the practical examination. As a result, applicants are required to take an additional examination, and pay an additional examination fee. In some instances, this step may also result in a delay in the processing of applications for licensure.
Second, in reference to the shortage of pharmacists in Wisconsin, the board has found that populations in rural areas and in certain city neighborhoods are underserved. The board believes that, because of its practical examination requirement, potential applicants from other states are declining to seek licensure in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is one of only four states that require a practical examination. None of the states that border Wisconsin have a practical examination requirement.
Publication Date:
February 28, 2009
Effective: February 28, 2009 through
July 27, 2009
Extension Through:
November 24, 2009
Hearing Date:
April 8, 2009
Public Defender Board
emergency_rules EmR0926
EmR0926 — Rule adopted to create
Chapter PD 8, Discovery Payments, relating to the maximum fees that the state public defender may pay for copies of discovery materials in criminal proceedings, proceedings under Chapter
980, Wis. Stats., and other proceedings in which the state public defender provides legal representation.
Finding of Emergency
These rules are promulgated under s.
227.24 (1) (a), Stats., because the magnitude of the shortfall in the state public defender's appropriation for transcripts, discovery, and interpreters in both years of the current biennium constitutes an emergency that requires implementation of a rule earlier than a permanent rule could take effect if the agency were to comply with the applicable notice, hearing, legislative- review, and publication requirements.
The state public defender was initially provided a base budget of $60,000 in 1995 for discovery payments, which at that time consisted mostly of photocopies and some photographs. In the 1999-2001 budget act, this appropriation was increased to $150,000, based on a presumptive rate for photocopies of $0.20 per page. In the 2001-2003 biennial budget act, this appropriation was subjected to a five percent funding reduction, leaving a base budget for discovery payments of $142,500.
The public defender received discovery bills totaling $717,000 for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2009. Although discovery costs are caseload driven, this represents a nearly five-fold increase since 2001 and is due primarily to two factors. First, in the past many counties and municipalities did not bill the state public defender for copies of discovery materials. Because local budgets have come under increasing pressure, most now do so. Second,
2005 Wisconsin Act 60 resulted in more widespread use of audio and video recordings of interrogations by law enforcement, copies of which must be provided to the defense.
The public defender board's requests for cost-to-continue budget increases for discovery payments in 2007-2009 and in 2009-2011 were not funded. Instead, the FY 2009-2011 budget act reduced this appropriation by 1%, leaving a base budget of $141,100, and directed the board to promulgate rules to address the funding shortfall.
Publication Date:
October 3, 2009
Effective: October 3, 2009 through
March 1, 2010
Hearing Date:
November 16, 2009
(See the Notice in this Register)
Public Instruction (2)
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
