Emergency Rules Now in Effect
Under s. 227.24, Stats., state agencies may promulgate rules without complying with the usual rule-making procedures. Using this special procedure to issue emergency rules, an agency must find that either the preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare necessitates its action in bypassing normal rule-making procedures.
Emergency rules are published in the official state newspaper, which is currently the Wisconsin State Journal. Emergency rules are in effect for 150 days and can be extended up to an additional 120 days with no single extension to exceed 60 days.
Occasionally the Legislature grants emergency rule authority to an agency with a longer effective period than 150 days or allows an agency to adopt an emergency rule without requiring a finding of emergency.
Extension of the effective period of an emergency rule is granted at the discretion of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules under s. 227.24 (2), Stats.
Notice of all emergency rules which are in effect must be printed in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. This notice will contain a brief description of the emergency rule, the agency finding of emergency or a statement of exemption from a finding of emergency, date of publication, the effective and expiration dates, any extension of the effective period of the emergency rule and information regarding public hearings on the emergency rule.
Copies of emergency rule orders can be obtained from the promulgating agency. The text of current emergency rules can be viewed at www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code.
Beginning with rules filed with the Legislative Reference Bureau in 2008, the Legislative Reference Bureau will assign a number to each emergency rule filed, for the purpose of internal tracking and reference. The number will be in the following form: EmR0801. The first 2 digits indicate the year of filing and the last 2 digits indicate the chronological order of filing during the year.
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (2)
This emergency rule was approved by the governor on July 14, 2011.
The statement of scope for this rule, SS
002-11, was approved by the governor on July 14, 2011, published in
Register No. 667, on July 31, 2011, and approved by The Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on August 12, 2011.
Finding of Emergency
In Wisconsin, grain dealers (persons who purchase grain from producers), grain warehouse keepers (persons who store grain that is owned by others), milk contractors (persons who purchase milk from producers, and vegetable contractors (persons who purchase vegetables from producers for use in processing), must obtain a license to do these activities and are collectively referred to as “contractors". Most contractors are “contributing contractors", which means they must pay annual assessments into the Wisconsin Agricultural Producer Security Fund. This fund is designed to help partially reimburse producers in the event that a contractor defaults on payment to producers. The annual assessments are calculated based on the total dollar value of commodities purchased or stored, the length of time that the contractor has participated in the fund, and certain financial ratios from the contractor's balance sheet.
All else equal, a contractor who purchases small amounts will pay lower assessments than one who purchases large amounts. All else equal, a contractor who is in a conservative financial position will pay lower assessments than one who carries higher levels of liabilities relative to their assets or equity. All else equal, a contractor who has participated in the fund for more than five years will pay lower assessments than one who has participated for less than five years. The annual assessment, calculated from the factors discussed above, vary considerably from one contractor to another. An annual assessment may be as low as $100, or as high as several hundred thousand dollars.
The grain dealer and grain warehouse keeper license years begin on September 1 of each year. At that point, DATCP calculates the assessment for the new license year that will be due in four quarterly payments over the course of that year. Calculations are based on purchase data and financial statement data for the grain dealer or grain warehouse keeper's most recently completed fiscal year and annual financial statement.
For the license years that will begin on September 1, 2011, a very unusual combination of business financing and recent high commodity prices has lead to unusually high assessment calculations for one grain company. In fact, if the existing rule remains unmodified, there will be one individual elevator that will be charged over $1.2 million in assessments (for both grain dealer and grain warehouse combined). This is roughly four times greater than the previous highest annual assessment and roughly six times higher than the second highest annual assessment in the grain (dealer and warehouse combined) producer security fund program. Further, this potential assessment for next license year is more than double the highest assessment that has ever occurred in the milk contractor portion of the fund. This is significant because the dollar amount of a large milk contractor's annual purchase of milk tends to be much higher the dollar amount of a large grain dealer's annual purchase (or store) of grain.
In the majority of cases, the assessment calculation formulas reasonably charge contractors for the overall risk that they pose to the fund in the event that they should default on amounts owed to producers. However, at least in the short term, this is not true for this one elevator. DATCP will analyze whether or not it is appropriate for this emergency rule to also be promulgated as a permanent rule, and if so, begin a separate rulemaking process at a later date.
This temporary emergency rule is necessary to protect the welfare of the many hundreds of grain farmers who do business with this grain elevator, and to help prevent major disruptions in the grain industry.
Publication Date:
September 2, 2011
Effective Dates:
September 2, 2011 through
January 29, 2012
Hearing Date:
October 5, 2011
The statement of scope for this rule, published in
Register No. 664, on April 30, 2011, was sent to the Legislative Reference Bureau prior to the effective date of
2011 Wis. Act 21.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
Under s.
91.84 (2), the department may use the procedure under s.
227.24 to promulgate a rule designating an agricultural enterprise area or modifying or terminating the designation of an agricultural enterprise area. Notwithstanding s.
227.24 (1) (c) and
(2), a rule promulgated under that subsection remains in effect until the department modifies or repeals the rule. Notwithstanding s.
227.24 (1) (a) and
(3), the department is not required to determine that promulgating a rule under that subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under that subsection.
Publication Date:
November 14, 2011
Effective Dates:
January 1, 2012 until modified or repealed by the department.
Hearing Date:
December 12, 2011
Employment Relations Commission
These emergency rules were approved by the governor on September 13, 2011.
The statement of scope for this rule, SS
004-11, was approved by the governor on July 20, 2011, published in
Register 667, on July 31, 2011, and approved by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission as required by s.
227.135 (2) on August 15, 2011.
Finding of Emergency
Publication Date:
September 15, 2011
Effective Dates:
September 15, 2011 thru
February 12, 2012
Insurance
The statement of scope for this rule, SS
027-11 Ch.
Ins 18, was approved by the governor on September 30, 2011, published in
Register No. 670, on October 14, 2011, and approved by the Commissioner Theodore Nickel on October 26, 2011. The emergency rule was approved by the governor on November 3, 2011.
Finding of Emergency
The Commissioner of Insurance finds that an emergency exists and that the attached proposed emergency rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. Portions of Wisconsin's insurance law and regulations governing grievances and independent review processes are in conflict with federal law and regulation following the amendment of
42 USC 300gg 19 (a) and (b), as implemented by
45 CFR 147.136, as amended. Therefore, the Commissioner, pursuant to s.
631.01 (5), Stats., has determined that it is in the interest of the State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin insureds and the public to exempt insurers, certified independent review organizations and self-insured governmental health plans that elect to comply with ch.
Ins 18, Wis. Adm. Code, as revised, from being required to comply with provisions contained in s.
632.83 and
632.835, Stats., that are inconsistent with
42 USC 300gg-19 (a) and (b), and
45 CFR 147.136 et seq., as amended.
Facts constituting the emergency arise from the desire for the State of Wisconsin to retain jurisdiction and regulatory control over the grievance and the independent review processes and independent review organizations operating in the state. The Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services issued interim final regulations and guidance, most recently released late June 2011. The regulations require states that desire to retain regulatory oversight of the grievance and independent external review processes, to demonstrate compliance with the federal internal appeal and external review laws and regulations to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (“CCIIO"). The Commissioner received notice on July 29, 2011, from CCIIO that Wisconsin's current regulatory oversight is not compliant.
The Commissioner has requested reconsideration of that initial determination, however, to ensure retention of regulatory oversight of the grievance and independent external review processes revisions to ch.
Ins 18, Wis. Adm. Code, must be made and be applicable for claims arising on or after January 1, 2012. Assembly Bill 210 has been introduced, a bill that repeals inconsistent provisions in accordance with federal requirements, but it is unlikely that AB 210 will be enrolled within the reconsideration timeframe. Therefore the Commissioner is proposing this emergency rule to comply with the federal requirements in order to retain regulatory jurisdiction of grievance and independent review processes.
Publication Date:
November 16, 2011
Effective Dates:
November 16, 2011 through April 13, 2012
Justice (2)
emergency_rules EmR1114
1.
EmR1114 — Rule to create
Chapter Jus 17 and
Chapter Jus 18, relating to licenses authorizing persons to carry concealed weapons; concealed carry certification cards for qualified former federal law enforcement officers; and the certification of firearms safety and training instructors.
This emergency rule was approved by the governor on October 14, 2011.
The statement of scope for this rule, SS
020-11, was approved by the governor on August 31, 2011, published in
Register No. 669, on September 14, 2011, and approved by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen on September 26, 2011.
Finding of Emergency
Under section
101 of
2011 Wis. Act 35, most of the provisions of that Act — including the provisions governing the licensing and certification processes covered by the rules proposed here and the provisions authorizing the carrying of a concealed weapon by the holder of a license, an out-of-state license, or a certification card — will have an effective date of November 1, 2011. In particular, s.
175.60 (9), Stats., will require DOJ to begin receiving and processing license applications and issuing or denying licenses as soon as that provision takes effect on November 1, 2011. The Legislature has thus determined that the public welfare requires the licensing system to take effect on November 1, 2011.
DOJ cannot comply with the requirements of s.
175.60 (9), Stats., and related statutory requirements until it has in effect administrative rules establishing the procedures and standards that will govern DOJ's enforcement and administration of those requirements. It follows that, in order for DOJ to meet its statutory duties that take effect on November 1, 2011, it must complete the promulgation of such administrative rules prior to that date.
Under the non-emergency rulemaking procedures of ch.
227, Stats., before the proposed rules could be promulgated, numerous notice, hearing, and publication requirements would have to be fulfilled — including, but not limited to a public hearing on the proposed rules, preparation of a detailed report including a summary of public comments and DOJ's responses to those comments, and legislative review of the proposed rules. DOJ has determined that it is impossible for all of the required steps in that non-emergency rulemaking process to be completed by November 1, 2011. Only if DOJ utilizes the emergency rulemaking procedures of s.
227.24, Stats., can the requisite rules be promulgated and in effect in time for DOJ to meet its statutory duties that take effect on November 1, 2011. The public welfare thus necessitates that the proposed rules be promulgated as emergency rules under s.
227.24, Stats. Once the proposed emergency rules have been promulgated, DOJ will promptly follow up with the promulgation of a permanent version of the rules under the full rulemaking procedures.
Publication Date:
October 25, 2011
Effective Dates:
November 1, 2011 through March 29, 2012
Suspended in Part: November 9, 2011
