19.56(1)
(1) Every state public official is encouraged to meet with clubs, conventions, special interest groups, political groups, school groups and other gatherings to discuss and to interpret legislative, administrative, executive or judicial processes and proposals and issues initiated by or affecting a department or the judicial branch.
19.56(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), every official required to file who receives for a published work or for the presentation of a talk or participation in a meeting, any lodging, transportation, money or other thing with a combined pecuniary value exceeding $50 excluding the value of food or beverage offered coincidentally with a talk or meeting shall, on his or her statement of economic interests, report the identity of every person from whom the official receives such lodging, transportation, money or other thing during his or her preceding taxable year, the circumstances under which it was received and the approximate value thereof.
19.56(2)(b)
(b) An official need not report on his or her statement of economic interests under
par. (a) information pertaining to any lodging, transportation, money or other thing of pecuniary value which:
19.56(2)(b)1.
1. The official returns to the payor within 30 days of receipt;
19.56(2)(b)2.
2. Is paid to the official by a person identified on the official's statement of economic interests under
s. 19.44 (1) (e) or
(f) as a source of income;
19.56(2)(b)3.
3. The official can show by clear and convincing evidence was unrelated to and did not arise from the recipient's holding or having held a public office and was made for a purpose unrelated to the purposes specified in
sub. (1);
19.56(2)(b)4.
4. The official has previously reported to the board as a matter of public record;
19.56(2)(b)5.
5. Is paid by the department or municipality of which the official's state public office is a part, or, in the case of a district attorney, is paid by that department or a county which the district attorney serves, or, in the case of a justice or judge of a court of record, is paid from the appropriations for operation of the state court system; or
19.56(2)(b)6.
6. Is made available to the official by the department of commerce or the department of tourism in accordance with
sub. (3) (e),
(em) or
(f).
19.56(3)(a)
(a) A state public official may receive and retain reimbursement or payment of actual and reasonable expenses and an elected official may retain reasonable compensation, for a published work or for the presentation of a talk or participation in a meeting related to a topic specified in
sub. (1) if the payment or reimbursement is paid or arranged by the organizer of the event or the publisher of the work.
19.56(3)(b)
(b) A state public official may receive and retain anything of value if the activity or occasion for which it is given is unrelated to the official's use of the state's time, facilities, services or supplies not generally available to all citizens of this state and the official can show by clear and convincing evidence that the payment or reimbursement was unrelated to and did not arise from the recipient's holding or having held a public office and was paid for a purpose unrelated to the purposes specified in
sub. (1).
19.56(3)(c)
(c) A state public official may receive and retain from the state or on behalf of the state transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor or payment or reimbursement of actual and reasonable costs that the official can show by clear and convincing evidence were incurred or received on behalf of the state of Wisconsin and primarily for the benefit of the state and not primarily for the private benefit of the official or any other person.
19.56(3)(d)
(d) A state public official may receive and retain from a political committee under
ch. 11 transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor or payment or reimbursement of costs permitted and reported in accordance with
ch. 11.
19.56(3)(e)
(e) A state public official who is an officer or employee of the department of commerce may solicit, receive and retain on behalf of the state anything of value for the purpose of any of the following:
19.56(3)(e)1.
1. The sponsorship by the department of commerce of a trip to a foreign country primarily to promote trade between that country and this state that the department of commerce can demonstrate through clear and convincing evidence is primarily for the benefit of this state.
19.56(3)(e)2.
2. Hosting individuals in order to promote business, economic development, tourism or conferences sponsored by multistate, national or international associations of governments or governmental officials.
19.56(3)(em)
(em) A state public official who is an officer or employee of the department of tourism may solicit, receive and retain on behalf of the state anything of value for the purpose of hosting individuals in order to promote tourism.
19.56(3)(f)
(f) A state public official may receive and retain from the department of commerce anything of value which the department of commerce is authorized to provide under
par. (e) and may receive and retain from the department of tourism anything of value which the department of tourism is authorized to provide under
par. (em).
19.56(4)
(4) If a state public official receives a payment not authorized by this subchapter, in cash or otherwise, for a published work or a talk or meeting, the official may not retain it. If practicable, the official shall deposit it with the department or municipality with which he or she is associated or, in the case of a justice or judge of a court of record, with the director of state courts. If that is not practicable, the official shall return it or its equivalent to the payor or convey it to the state or to a charitable organization other than one with which he or she is associated.
19.56 Annotation
The interaction of s. 19.56 with the prohibition against furnishing anything of pecuniary value to state officials under s. 13.625 is discussed.
80 Atty. Gen. 205.
19.57
19.57
Conferences, visits and economic development activities. The department of commerce shall file a report with the board no later than April 30 annually, specifying the source and amount of anything of value received by the department of commerce during the preceding calendar year for a purpose specified in
s. 19.56 (3) (e), and the program or activity in connection with which the thing is received, together with the location and date of that program or activity.
19.57 History
History: 1991 a. 39;
1995 a. 27 s.
9116 (5).
19.575
19.575
Tourism activities. The department of tourism shall file a report with the board no later than April 30 annually, specifying the source and amount of anything of value received by the department of tourism during the preceding calendar year for a purpose specified in
s. 19.56 (3) (em) and the program or activity in connection with which the thing is received, together with the location and date of that program or activity.
19.575 History
History: 1995 a. 27.
19.58
19.58
Criminal penalties. 19.58(1)(1) Any person who intentionally violates this subchapter or a code of ethics adopted or established under
s. 19.45 (11) (a) or
(b) shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year in the county jail or both.
19.58(2)
(2) The penalty under
sub. (1) does not limit the power of either house of the legislature to discipline its own members or to impeach a public official, or limit the power of a department to discipline its state public officials or employees.
19.58(3)
(3) In this section "intentionally" has the meaning given under
s. 939.23.
19.58 History
History: 1973 c. 90; Stats. 1973 s. 11.10;
1973 c. 334 ss.
33,
57,
58; Stats. 1973 s. 19.50;
1975 c. 200;
1977 c. 277 ss.
34,
37; Stats. 1977 s. 19.58.
19.59
19.59
Codes of ethics for local government officials, employees and candidates. 19.59(1)(a)(a) No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated. A violation of this paragraph includes the acceptance of free or discounted admissions to a professional baseball or football game by a member of the district board of a local professional baseball park district created under
subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under
subch. IV of ch. 229. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from using the title or prestige of his or her office to obtain campaign contributions that are permitted and reported as required by
ch. 11.
19.59(1)(b)
(b) No person may offer or give to a local public official, directly or indirectly, and no local public official may solicit or accept from any person, directly or indirectly, anything of value if it could reasonably be expected to influence the local public official's vote, official actions or judgment, or could reasonably be considered as a reward for any official action or inaction on the part of the local public official. This paragraph does not prohibit a local public official from engaging in outside employment.
19.59(1)(c)
(c) Except as otherwise provided in
par. (d), no local public official may:
19.59(1)(c)1.
1. Take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official, a member of his or her immediate family, or an organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest.
19.59(1)(c)2.
2. Use his or her office or position in a way that produces or assists in the production of a substantial benefit, direct or indirect, for the official, one or more members of the official's immediate family either separately or together, or an organization with which the official is associated.
19.59(1)(d)
(d) Paragraph (c) does not prohibit a local public official from taking any action concerning the lawful payment of salaries or employee benefits or reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, or prohibit a local public official from taking official action with respect to any proposal to modify a county or municipal ordinance.
19.59(1)(f)
(f) Paragraphs (a) to
(c) do not apply to the members of a local committee appointed under
s. 289.33 (7) (a) to negotiate with the owner or operator of, or applicant for a license to operate, a solid waste disposal or hazardous waste facility under
s. 289.33, with respect to any matter contained or proposed to be contained in a written agreement between a municipality and the owner, operator or applicant or in an arbitration award or proposed award that is applicable to those parties.
19.59(1)(g)1.a.
a. "District" means a local professional baseball park district created under
subch. III of ch. 229 or a local professional football stadium district created under
subch. IV of ch. 229.
19.59(1)(g)1.b.
b. "District board member" means a member of the district board of a district.
19.59(1)(g)2.
2. No district board member may accept or retain any transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor, except in accordance with this paragraph.
19.59(1)(g)3.
3. A district board member may receive and retain reimbursement or payment of actual and reasonable expenses for a published work or for the presentation of a talk or participation in a meeting related to processes, proposals and issues affecting a district if the payment or reimbursement is paid or arranged by the organizer of the event or the publisher of the work.
19.59(1)(g)4.
4. A district board member may receive and retain anything of value if the activity or occasion for which it is given is unrelated to the member's use of the time, facilities, services or supplies of the district not generally available to all residents of the district and the member can show by clear and convincing evidence that the payment or reimbursement was unrelated to and did not arise from the recipient's holding or having held a public office and was paid for a purpose unrelated to the purposes specified in
subd. 3.
19.59(1)(g)5.
5. A district board member may receive and retain from the district or on behalf of the district transportation, lodging, meals, food or beverage, or reimbursement therefor or payment or reimbursement of actual and reasonable costs that the member can show by clear and convincing evidence were incurred or received on behalf of the district and primarily for the benefit of the district and not primarily for the private benefit of the member or any other person.
19.59(1)(g)6.
6. No district board member may intentionally use or disclose information gained in the course of or by reason of his or her official position or activities in any way that could result in the receipt of anything of value for himself or herself, for his or her immediate family, or for any other person, if the information has not been communicated to the public or is not public information.
19.59(1)(g)7.
7. No district board member may use or attempt to use the position held by the member to influence or gain unlawful benefits, advantages or privileges personally or for others.
19.59(1)(g)8.
8. No district board member, member of a district board member's immediate family, nor any organization with which the district board member or a member of the district board member's immediate family owns or controls at least 10% of the outstanding equity, voting rights, or outstanding indebtedness may enter into any contract or lease involving a payment or payments of more than $3,000 within a 12-month period, in whole or in part derived from district funds unless the district board member has first made written disclosure of the nature and extent of such relationship or interest to the ethics board and to the district. Any contract or lease entered into in violation of this subdivision may be voided by the district in an action commenced within 3 years of the date on which the ethics board, or the district, knew or should have known that a violation of this subdivision had occurred. This subdivision does not affect the application of
s. 946.13.
19.59(1)(g)9.
9. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employee of the district with which he or she was associated as a district board member within 12 months prior to the date on which he or she ceased to be a district board member.
19.59(1)(g)10.
10. No former district board member, for 12 months following the date on which he or she ceases to be a district board member, may, for compensation, on behalf of any person other than a governmental entity, make any formal or informal appearance before, or negotiate with, any officer or employee of a district with which he or she was associated as a district board member in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge which might give rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding which was under the former member's responsibility as a district board member within 12 months prior to the date on which he or she ceased to be a member.
19.59(1)(g)11.
11. No former district board member may, for compensation, act on behalf of any party other than the district with which he or she was associated as a district board member in connection with any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, application, contract, claim, or charge which might give rise to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding in which the former member participated personally and substantially as a district board member.
19.59(1m)
(1m) In addition to the requirements of
sub. (1), any county, city, village or town may enact an ordinance establishing a code of ethics for public officials and employees of the county or municipality and candidates for county or municipal elective offices.
19.59(2)
(2) An ordinance enacted under this section shall specify the positions to which it applies. The ordinance may apply to members of the immediate family of individuals who hold positions or who are candidates for positions to which the ordinance applies.
19.59(3)
(3) An ordinance enacted under this section may contain any of the following provisions:
19.59(3)(a)
(a) A requirement for local public officials, other employees of the county or municipality and candidates for local public office to identify any of the economic interests specified in
s. 19.44.
19.59(3)(b)
(b) A provision directing the county or municipal clerk or board of election commissioners to omit the name of any candidate from an election ballot who fails to disclose his or her economic interests in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance.
19.59(3)(c)
(c) A provision directing the county or municipal treasurer to withhold the payment of salaries or expenses from any local public official or other employee of the county or municipality who fails to disclose his or her economic interests in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance.
19.59(3)(d)
(d) A provision vesting administration and civil enforcement of the ordinance with an ethics board appointed in a manner specified in the ordinance. A board created under this paragraph may issue subpoenas, administer oaths and investigate any violation of the ordinance on its own motion or upon complaint by any person. The ordinance may empower the board to issue opinions upon request. Records of the board's opinions, opinion requests and investigations of violations of the ordinance may be closed in whole or in part to public inspection if the ordinance so provides.
19.59(3)(e)
(e) Provisions prescribing ethical standards of conduct and prohibiting conflicts of interest on the part of local public officials and other employees of the county or municipality or on the part of former local public officials or former employees of the county or municipality.
19.59(3)(f)
(f) A provision prescribing a forfeiture for violation of the ordinance in an amount not exceeding $1,000 for each offense. A minimum forfeiture not exceeding $100 for each offense may also be prescribed.
19.59(4)
(4) This section may not be construed to limit the authority of a county, city, village or town to regulate the conduct of its officials and employees to the extent that it has authority to regulate that conduct under the constitution or other laws.
19.59(5)(a)(a) Any individual, either personally or on behalf of an organization or governmental body, may request of a county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit, an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the person is or may become a party. Any appointing officer, with the consent of a prospective appointee, may request of a county or municipal ethics board, or, in the absence of a county or municipal ethics board, a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit an advisory opinion regarding the propriety of any matter to which the prospective appointee is or may become a party. The county or municipal ethics board or the county corporation counsel or attorney shall review a request for an advisory opinion and may advise the person making the request. Advisory opinions and requests therefor shall be in writing. It is prima facie evidence of intent to comply with this section or any ordinance enacted under this section when a person refers a matter to a county or municipal ethics board or a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit and abides by the advisory opinion, if the material facts are as stated in the opinion request. A county or municipal ethics board may authorize a county corporation counsel or attorney to act in its stead in instances where delay is of substantial inconvenience or detriment to the requesting party. Except as provided in
par. (b), neither a county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit nor a member or agent of a county or municipal ethics board may make public the identity of an individual requesting an advisory opinion or of individuals or organizations mentioned in the opinion.
19.59(5)(b)
(b) A county or municipal ethics board, county corporation counsel or attorney for a local governmental unit replying to a request for an advisory opinion may make the opinion public with the consent of the individual requesting the advisory opinion or the organization or governmental body on whose behalf it is requested and may make public a summary of an advisory opinion issued under this subsection after making sufficient alterations in the summary to prevent disclosing the identities of individuals involved in the opinion. A person who makes or purports to make public the substance of or any portion of an advisory opinion requested by or on behalf of the person waives the confidentiality of the request for an advisory opinion and of any records obtained or prepared by the county or municipal ethics board, the county corporation counsel or the attorney for the local governmental unit in connection with the request for an advisory opinion.
19.59(6)
(6) Any county corporation counsel, attorney for a local governmental unit or statewide association of local governmental units may request the board to issue an opinion concerning the interpretation of this section. The board shall review such a request and may advise the person making the request.
19.59(7)
(7) Any person who violates
sub. (1) may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000 for each violation.
19.59(8)(a)(a) Subsection (1) shall be enforced in the name and on behalf of the state by action of the district attorney of any county wherein a violation may occur, upon the verified complaint of any person.
19.59(8)(b)
(b) In addition and supplementary to the remedy provided in
sub. (7), the district attorney may commence an action, separately or in conjunction with an action brought to obtain the remedy provided in
sub. (7), to obtain such other legal or equitable relief, including but not limited to mandamus, injunction or declaratory judgment, as may be appropriate under the circumstances.
19.59(8)(c)
(c) If the district attorney fails to commence an action to enforce
sub. (1) within 20 days after receiving a verified complaint or if the district attorney refuses to commence such an action, the person making the complaint may petition the attorney general to act upon the complaint. The attorney general may then bring an action under
par. (a) or
(b), or both.
19.59(8)(d)
(d) If the district attorney prevails in such an action, the court shall award any forfeiture recovered together with reasonable costs to the county wherein the violation occurs. If the attorney general prevails in such an action, the court shall award any forfeiture recovered together with reasonable costs to the state.
PERSONAL INFORMATION PRACTICES
19.62
19.62
Definitions. In this subchapter:
19.62(3)
(3) "Matching program" means the computerized comparison of information in one records series to information in another records series for use by an authority or a federal agency to establish or verify an individual's eligibility for any right, privilege or benefit or to recoup payments or delinquent debts under programs of an authority or federal agency.
19.62(5)
(5) "Personally identifiable information" means information that can be associated with a particular individual through one or more identifiers or other information or circumstances.
19.62(7)
(7) "Records series" means records that are arranged under a manual or automated filing system, or are kept together as a unit, because they relate to a particular subject, result from the same activity or have a particular form.
19.62(8)
(8) "State authority" means an authority that is a state elected official, agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, rule or order; a state governmental or quasi-governmental corporation; the supreme court or court of appeals; the assembly or senate; or a nonprofit corporation operating the Olympic Ice Training Center under
s. 42.11 (3).
19.65
19.65
Rules of conduct; employee training; and security. An authority shall do all of the following:
19.65(1)
(1) Develop rules of conduct for its employees who are involved in collecting, maintaining, using, providing access to, sharing or archiving personally identifiable information.
19.65(2)
(2) Ensure that the persons identified in
sub. (1) know their duties and responsibilities relating to protecting personal privacy, including applicable state and federal laws.
