Chapter 16

16.47(2) (2) No bill containing an appropriation or increasing the cost of state government or decreasing state revenues in an annual amount exceeding $10,000 shall be passed by either house until the budget bill has passed both houses; except that the governor or the joint committee on finance may recommend such bills to the presiding officer of either house, in writing, for passage and the legislature may enact them, and except that the senate or assembly committee on organization may recommend to the presiding officer of its respective house any such bill not affecting state finances by more than $100,000 biennially. Such bills shall be accompanied by a statement to the effect that they are emergency bills recommended by the governor, the joint committee on finance, or the senate or assembly committee on organization. Such statement by the governor or joint committee on finance shall be sufficient to permit passage prior to the budget bill. Such statement by the senate or assembly committee on organization shall be effective only to permit passage by its respective house.

16.47 History History: 1971 c. 125; 1979 c. 34, 221; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1987 a. 4; 2003 a. 33.

16.48 16.48 Unemployment reserve financial statement.

16.48(1) (1) No later than May 31 of each even-numbered year, the secretary of workforce development shall prepare and furnish to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the majority and minority leaders of the senate, and the council on unemployment insurance, a statement of unemployment insurance financial outlook, which shall contain all of the following, together with the secretary’s recommendations and an explanation for such recommendations:

16.48(1)(am) (am) Projections of unemployment insurance operations under current law through at least the 2nd year following the close of the biennium, including benefit payments, tax collections, borrowing or debt repayments and amounts of interest charges, if any.

16.48(1)(bm) (bm) Specific proposed changes, if any, in the laws relating to unemployment insurance financing, benefits, and administration.

16.48(1)(c) (c) Projections specified in par. (am) under the proposed laws.

16.48(1)(d) (d) The economic and public policy assumptions upon which the projections are based, and the impact upon the projections of variations from those assumptions.

16.48(1)(e) (e) If significant cash reserves in the unemployment reserve fund are projected throughout the forecast period, a statement giving the reasons why the reserves should be retained in the fund.

16.48(1)(f) (f) If unemployment insurance program debt is projected at the end of the forecast period, the methods proposed to liquidate the debt.

16.48(3) (3) Biennially, no later than January 31 of each even-numbered year, the secretary of workforce development shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the majority and minority leaders of the senate, and the council on unemployment insurance the statement of unemployment insurance financial outlook prepared under sub. (1), together with a report that summarizes the deliberations of the council and the position of the council regarding any proposed change to the unemployment insurance laws submitted under sub. (1).

16.48(4) (4) The department shall post the most recent version of the statement prepared under sub. (1) and the most recent version of the report prepared under sub. (3) on the department’s Internet site.

16.48 History History: 1983 a. 388; 1995 a. 27 s. 9130 (4); 1997 a. 3, 39; 2013 a. 36; 2021 a. 231.

16.50 16.50 Departmental estimates.

16.50(1) (1) Expenditures.

16.50(1)(a) (a) Each department except the legislature and the courts shall prepare and submit to the secretary an estimate of the amount of money which it proposes to expend, encumber or distribute under any appropriation in ch. 20. The department of administration shall prepare and submit estimates for expenditures from appropriations under ss. 20.855, 20.865, 20.866 and 20.867. The secretary may waive the submission of estimates of other than administrative expenditures from such funds as he or she determines, but the secretary shall not waive submission of estimates for expenditure of any amount designated as a refund of an expenditure under s. 20.001 (5). Estimates shall be prepared in such form, at such times and for such time periods as the secretary requires. Revised and supplemental estimates may be presented at any time under rules promulgated by the secretary.

16.50(1)(b) (b) This subsection does not apply to appropriations under ss. 20.255 (2) (ac), 20.835, and 20.865 (4).

16.50(2) (2) Action thereon by secretary. The secretary shall examine each such estimate to determine whether appropriations are available therefor and expenditures under the appropriations can be made without incurring danger of exhausting the appropriations before the end of the appropriation period and whether there will be sufficient revenue to meet such contemplated expenditures except as provided in sub. (7). The secretary also shall examine each estimate to assure as nearly as possible that the proposed plan of program execution reflects the intentions of the joint committee on finance, legislature and governor, as expressed by them in the budget determinations. If satisfied that such estimate meets these tests, the secretary shall approve the estimate; otherwise he or she shall disapprove the estimate, in whole or in part, as the facts require. If the secretary is satisfied that an estimate for any period is more than sufficient for the execution of the normal functions of a department, he or she may modify or withhold approval of the estimate. This section shall be strictly construed by the secretary to the end that such budget determinations and policy decisions reflected by such determinations be implemented to the fullest extent possible within the concepts of proper management.

16.50(3) (3) Limitation of force and salaries.

16.50(3)(a) (a) No department, except the legislature or the courts, may increase the pay of any employee, expend money, or incur any obligation except in accordance with the estimate that is submitted to the secretary as provided in sub. (1) and approved by the secretary or the governor.

16.50(3)(b) (b) No change in the number of full-time equivalent positions authorized through the biennial budget process or other legislative act may be made without the approval of the joint committee on finance, except for position changes made by the governor under s. 16.505 (1) (c), (2), or (2j), by the investment board under s. 16.505 (2g), or by the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System under s. 16.505 (2m) or (2p).

16.50(3)(c) (c) The secretary may withhold, in total or in part, the funding for any position, as defined in s. 230.03 (11), as well as the funding for part-time or limited term employees until such time as the secretary determines that the filling of the position or the expending of funds is consistent with s. 16.505 and with the intent of the legislature as established by law or in budget determinations, or the intent of the joint committee on finance in creating or abolishing positions under s. 13.10, the intent of the governor in creating or abolishing positions under s. 16.505 (1) (c) or (2), or the intent of the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System in creating or abolishing positions under s. 16.505 (2m) or (2p). Until the release of funding occurs, recruitment or certification for the position may not be undertaken.

16.50(3)(d) (d) The secretary shall submit a quarterly report to the joint committee on finance of any position changes made by the governor under s. 16.505 (1) (c).

16.50(3)(e) (e) No pay increase may be approved unless it is at the rate or within the pay ranges prescribed in the compensation plan or as provided in a collective bargaining agreement under subch. V of ch. 111.

16.50(3)(f) (f) At the request of the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department, the secretary of administration may authorize the temporary creation of pool or surplus positions under any source of funds if the director determines that temporary positions are necessary to maintain adequate staffing levels for high turnover classifications, in anticipation of attrition, to fill positions for which recruitment is difficult. Surplus or pool positions authorized by the secretary shall be reported quarterly to the joint committee on finance in conjunction with the report required under s. 16.54 (8).

16.50(4) (4) Appeals to governor. Any department feeling itself aggrieved by the refusal of the secretary to approve any estimate, or any item therein, may appeal from the secretary’s decision to the governor, who, after a hearing and such investigation as the governor deems necessary, may set aside or modify such decision.

16.50(5) (5) Disbursements. The secretary may not draw a warrant for payment of any expenditures incurred by any department nor may any department make any expenditure for which the approval of the secretary or the governor is necessary under this section, including any expenditure under s. 20.867, unless the expenditure was made in accordance with an estimate submitted to and approved by the secretary or by the governor. In the event that the secretary determines that previously authorized expenditures will exceed revenues in the current or forthcoming fiscal year by more than 0.5 percent of the estimated general purpose revenue appropriations for that fiscal year, he or she may not decline to approve an estimate or to draw a warrant under this subsection, but shall instead proceed under sub. (7).

16.50(6) (6) Proportional spending. If the secretary determines that expenditures of general purpose or segregated fund revenues are utilized to match revenues received under s. 16.54 or 20.001 (2) (b) for the purposes of combined program expenditure, the secretary may require that disbursements of the general purpose revenue and corresponding segregated revenue be in direct proportion to the amount of program revenue or corresponding segregated revenue which is available or appropriated in ch. 20 or as condition of a grant or contract. If the secretary makes such a determination, the agency shall incorporate the necessary adjustments into the expenditure plans provided for in sub. (1).

16.50(7) (7) Revenue shortfall.

16.50(7)(a) (a) If following the enactment of the biennial budget act in any biennium the secretary determines that previously authorized expenditures will exceed revenues in the current or forthcoming fiscal year by more than one-half of one percent of the estimated general purpose revenue appropriations for that fiscal year, he or she may not take any action under sub. (2) and shall immediately notify the governor, the presiding officers of each house of the legislature and the joint committee on finance.

16.50(7)(b) (b) Following such notification, the governor shall submit a bill containing his or her recommendations for correcting the imbalance between projected revenues and authorized expenditures, including a recommendation as to whether moneys should be transferred from the budget stabilization fund to the general fund. If the legislature is not in a floorperiod at the time of the secretary’s notification, the governor shall call a special session of the legislature to take up the matter of the projected revenue shortfall and the governor shall submit his or her bill for consideration at that session.

16.50 History History: 1971 c. 270; 1973 c. 333; 1975 c. 39; 1977 c. 29, 196, 418; 1979 c. 32, 34; 1981 c. 20, 27, 30, 314; 1983 a. 27 ss. 70, 71a, 2202 (42); 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (6); 1987 a. 4, 27; 1989 a. 31, 336; 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33 ss. 173, 174, 9160; 2005 a. 25, 149; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 10, 32; 2013 a. 166; 2015 a. 55.

16.50 Annotation The secretary is not authorized by s. 16.50 (2) to reduce payments to municipalities under former s. 79.03, 1979 stats. Milwaukee v. Lindner, 98 Wis. 2d 624, 297 N.W.2d 828 (1980).

16.50 Annotation The secretary is not authorized by sub. (2) to reduce payments under the school aids program. School District of LaFarge v. Lindner, 100 Wis. 2d 111, 301 N.W.2d 196 (1981).

16.505 16.505 Position authorization.

16.505(1) (1) Except as provided in subs. (2), (2g), (2j), (2m), and (2p), no position, as defined in s. 230.03 (11), regardless of funding source or type, may be created or abolished unless authorized by one of the following:

16.505(1)(a) (a) The legislature by law or in budget determinations.

16.505(1)(b) (b) The joint committee on finance under s. 13.10.

16.505(1)(c) (c) The governor creating or abolishing positions funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (e).

16.505(2) (2) 

16.505(2)(a) (a) An agency may request the governor to create or abolish a full-time equivalent position or portion thereof funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (b) or (c) in the agency. Upon receiving such a request, the governor may change the authorized level of full-time equivalent positions funded from such revenues in the agency in accordance with this subsection. The governor may approve a different authorized level of positions than is requested by the agency. If the governor proposes to change the number of full-time equivalent positions in an agency funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (b) or (c), the governor shall notify the joint committee on finance in writing of his or her proposed action. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the position changes may be made as proposed by the governor. If, within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action, the position changes may be made under this subsection only upon approval of the committee.

16.505(2)(am) (am) The state public defender board may request the governor to create or abolish a full-time equivalent position or portion thereof funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (a) in the office of the state public defender. Upon receiving such a request, the governor may change the authorized level of full-time equivalent positions funded from such revenues in the office of the state public defender in accordance with this subsection. The governor may approve a different authorized level of positions than is requested by the state public defender board. If the governor proposes to change the number of full-time equivalent positions in the office of the state public defender funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (a), the governor shall notify the joint committee on finance in writing of his or her proposed action. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the position changes may be made as proposed by the governor. If, within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action, the position changes may be made under this subsection only upon approval of the committee.

16.505(2)(b) (b) This subsection does not apply to full-time equivalent positions funded from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (co) or (8) (mg).

16.505(2g) (2g) The investment board may create or abolish a full-time equivalent position or portion thereof funded from revenues appropriated under s. 20.536 (1) (k).

16.505(2j) (2j) 

16.505(2j)(a) (a) In this subsection, “executive branch agency” has the meaning given in s. 16.70 (4).

16.505(2j)(b) (b) The governor may abolish any vacant full-time equivalent position at any executive branch agency by notifying the joint committee on finance in writing of his or her proposed action. If, within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action, the position changes may be made as proposed by the governor. If, within 14 working days after the date of the governor’s notification, the cochairpersons notify the governor that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action, the position changes may be made only upon approval of the committee.

16.505(2m) (2m) The board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System or the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison may create or abolish a full-time equivalent position or portion thereof, other than positions funded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a). Beginning on July 1, 2015, all positions authorized for the University of Wisconsin shall not be included in any state position report. Annually, no later than November 1, the board of regents shall report to the department and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance concerning the number of full-time equivalent positions created or abolished by the board under this subsection during the preceding 12-month period and the source of funding for each such position. The report shall be based on the October 1 payroll.

16.505(2p) (2p) 

16.505(2p)(a) (a) Subject to par. (b), the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System or the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison may create or abolish a full-time equivalent academic staff or faculty position or portion thereof from revenues appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (a). Annually, no later than the September 30 following completion of the fiscal year, the board of regents or chancellor shall report to the department and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance concerning the number of full-time equivalent positions created or abolished by the board or chancellor under this subsection during the preceding fiscal year.

16.505(2p)(b) (b) The board of regents or chancellor may not create or abolish any position under par. (a) until the board or chancellor and the department have entered into a memorandum of understanding that establishes a methodology for identifying and accounting for the cost of funding any positions that are created, including any amounts that the board or chancellor may include in a certification to the department under s. 20.928 (1). The board or chancellor and the department shall enter into the memorandum of understanding no later than September 1, 2002.

16.505(2p)(c) (c) Notwithstanding s. 20.928 (1), in certifying the sum of moneys needed to pay any costs associated with a position that is created under par. (a), the board of regents or chancellor may only certify the sum that is permitted under the memorandum of understanding entered into under par. (b).

16.505(2p)(d) (d) Notwithstanding s. 16.42 (1), in submitting information under s. 16.42 for the biennial budget bill or bills, the board of regents or chancellor may only include that portion of the cost of funding the positions created under par. (a) that is permitted under the memorandum of understanding entered into under par. (b).

16.505(3) (3) If the secretary determines that the expenditure estimate established under s. 16.50 (1) for any agency so warrants, the secretary may require an agency to seek prior approval to expend funds for any position, including limited term employment. The secretary may also require any agency except a judicial branch agency or legislative service agency to comply with the procedures for entering position information for its employees, including limited term employees, into the information system established under s. 16.004 (7).

16.505(4) (4) 

16.505(4)(a) (a) In this subsection, “agency” has the meaning given under s. 16.52 (7).

16.505(4)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (c), no agency may change the funding source for a position authorized under this section unless the position is authorized to be created under a different funding source in accordance with this section.

16.505(4)(c) (c) The department shall fund from general purpose revenue under s. 20.865 (1) (cj) positions in the University of Wisconsin System that are otherwise funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (e), to the extent authorized under s. 20.865 (1) (cj).

16.505 History History: 1977 c. 196, 418; 1979 c. 34; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31, 127; 1991 a. 39, 269; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2005 a. 25; 2009 a. 28, 276; 2011 a. 10, 32; 2013 a. 20, 166; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59.

16.51 16.51 Department of administration; preauditing and accounting; additional duties and powers. The department of administration in the discharge of preauditing and accounting functions shall:

16.51(1) (1) Suggest improvements. Suggest plans for the improvement and management of the public revenues and expenditures.

16.51(4) (4) Direct collection of moneys. Except as otherwise provided by law, direct and superintend the collection of all moneys due the state.

16.51(5) (5) Keep and state accounts. Keep and state all accounts in which the state is interested as provided in s. 16.52.

16.51(6) (6) Audit claims. Examine, determine and audit, according to law, the claims of all persons against the state as provided in s. 16.53.

16.51(7) (7) Audit claims for expenses in connection with prisoners and juveniles in juvenile correctional facilities. Receive, examine, determine, and audit claims, duly certified and approved by the department of corrections, from the clerk of any county, city, village, or town on behalf of the county, city, village, or town, which are presented for reimbursement for certain expenses incurred or paid by it in reference to matters involving prisoners in state prisons, as defined in s. 302.01, or juveniles in juvenile correctional facilities, as defined in s. 938.02 (10p), including prisoners or juveniles transferred to a mental health institute for observation or treatment. The department shall reimburse under this subsection a county in which a state prison or juvenile correctional facility is located for expenses relating to actions or proceedings involving a prisoner in the state prison or a juvenile in the juvenile correctional facility that are commenced by a district attorney or by the prisoner or juvenile as a postconviction remedy or a matter involving the prisoner’s status as a prisoner or the juvenile’s status as a resident of a juvenile correctional facility and for certain expenses incurred or paid by the county in reference to holding those juveniles in secure custody while those actions or proceedings are pending. The department shall reimburse on a quarterly basis a county, city, village, or town under this subsection for expenses relating to law enforcement investigative services that it provided for an incident involving a prisoner in a state prison or a juvenile in a juvenile correctional facility within its jurisdiction. Expenses shall only include the amounts that were necessarily incurred and actually paid and shall be no more than the legitimate cost would be to any other jurisdiction had the offense or crime occurred therein.

16.51 History History: 1971 c. 125; 1977 c. 418; 1979 c. 221; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31; 1995 a. 27, 77; 1997 a. 35; 2005 a. 344; 2023 a. 19.

16.513 16.513 Program and segregated revenue sufficiency.

16.513(1) (1) Each agency which has a program revenue appropriation or appropriation of segregated revenues from program receipts shall, at such times as required by the secretary, make quarterly reports to the department projecting the revenues and expenditures for the ensuing quarterly period under each such appropriation to the agency.

16.513(2) (2) Upon reviewing the reports submitted under sub. (1), the department shall report to the joint committee on finance concerning any projected insufficiency of program revenues or segregated revenues from program receipts to meet expenditures contemplated by agencies. The report shall contain information concerning any encumbrances made by agencies attributable to a program revenue appropriation or appropriation of segregated revenues from program receipts that are in excess of the moneys, assets or accounts receivable under s. 20.903 (2) required to remove the liabilities created by the encumbrances.

16.513(3) (3) 

16.513(3)(a) (a) If there are insufficient moneys, assets, or accounts receivable, as determined under s. 20.903 (2), that are projected by an agency or projected by the department under s. 16.40 (7) to cover anticipated expenditures under a program revenue appropriation or appropriation of segregated revenues from program receipts, the agency shall propose and submit to the department a plan to assure that there are sufficient moneys, assets, or accounts receivable to meet projected expenditures under the appropriation.

16.513(3)(b) (b) The department may approve, disapprove, or approve with modifications each plan submitted by an agency under par. (a). If the department approves a plan, or approves a plan with modifications, the department shall forward the plan to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the secretary that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed plan within 14 working days after the date of the secretary’s submittal, any portion of the plan that does not require the action of the legislature or the action of the committee under another law may be implemented. If, within 14 working days after the date of the secretary’s submittal, the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance notify the secretary that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed plan, no part of the plan may be implemented without the approval of the committee in accordance with applicable law, or without the approval of the legislature if legislative approval is required.

16.513(4) (4) The department shall monitor the performance of agencies in carrying out plans approved under sub. (3) and shall periodically report its findings regarding such performance to the joint committee on finance.

16.513(5) (5) Any officer of an agency which is responsible for the submission of a report required by sub. (1) or a plan required by sub. (3) who fails to submit the report or plan within the time required by the department may be required to forfeit not less than $200 nor more than $1,000.

16.513 History History: 1983 a. 27; 2005 a. 149; 2011 a. 32.

16.515 16.515 Supplementation of program revenue and program revenue-service appropriations.

16.515(1) (1) The secretary may supplement any sum certain program revenue or program revenue-service appropriation which the secretary determines is insufficient because of unforeseen emergencies or insufficient to accomplish the purpose for which made, if the secretary finds that an emergency exists, no funds are available for such purposes and the purposes for which a supplemental appropriation is requested have been authorized or directed by the legislature. If the secretary proposes to supplement such an appropriation, the secretary shall notify the joint committee on finance in writing of the proposed action. The secretary may proceed with the proposed action if within 14 working days of the notification the committee does not schedule a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the secretary’s proposed action. If the committee schedules a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed action, the action shall not take effect unless the committee approves the action.

16.515(2) (2) All supplements proposed under this section which are not acted upon by the committee shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.865 (8) (g).

16.515(3) (3) This section does not apply to supplementation of the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (co) or (8) (mg).

16.515 History History: 1981 c. 20; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 16; 2017 a. 59.

16.517 16.517 Adjustments of program revenue positions and funding levels.

16.517(1) (1) No later than 30 days after the effective date of each biennial budget act, the department shall provide to the joint committee on finance a report indicating any initial modifications that are necessary to the appropriation levels established under that act for program revenue and program revenue-service appropriations as defined in s. 20.001 (2) (b) and (c) or to the number of full-time equivalent positions funded from program revenue and program revenue-service appropriations authorized by that act to account for any additional funding or positions authorized under s. 16.505 (2) or (2m) or 16.515 in the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal biennium of the budget that have not been included in authorizations under the biennial budget act but that should be included as continued budget authorizations in the fiscal biennium of the budget.

16.517(2) (2) Modifications under sub. (1) shall be limited to adjustment of the appropriation or position levels to the extent required to account for higher base levels for the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal biennium of the budget due to appropriation or position increases authorized under s. 16.505 (2) or (2m) or 16.515 during the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal biennium of the budget.

16.517(3) (3) If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the secretary that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed modifications under sub. (1) within 14 working days after the date of receipt of the department’s report, the department may make the modifications specified in the report. If, within 14 working days after the date of the department’s report, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the secretary that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed modifications, the department may not make the modifications specified in the report until the committee approves the report.

16.517 History History: 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 4, 27; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27; 2005 a. 149.

16.518 16.518 Transfers to the budget stabilization fund.

16.518(1) (1) In this section, “summary” means the amount shown in the summary in s. 20.005 (1), as published in the biennial budget act or acts.

16.518(2) (2) Annually, the secretary shall calculate the difference between the amount of moneys projected to be deposited in the general fund during the fiscal year that are designated as “Taxes” in the summary and the amount of such moneys actually deposited in the general fund during the fiscal year.

16.518(3) (3)