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.
19.65 History
History: 1991 a. 39.
19.67
19.67
Data collection. 19.67(1)(1)
Collection from data subject or verification. An authority that maintains personally identifiable information that may result in an adverse determination about any individual's rights, benefits or privileges shall, to the greatest extent practicable, do at least one of the following:
19.67(1)(a)
(a) Collect the information directly from the individual.
19.67(1)(b)
(b) Verify the information, if collected from another person.
19.67 History
History: 1991 a. 39.
19.69
19.69
Computer matching. 19.69(1)(1)
Matching specification. A state authority may not use or allow the use of personally identifiable information maintained by the state authority in a match under a matching program, or provide personally identifiable information for use in a match under a matching program, unless the state authority has specified in writing all of the following for the matching program:
19.69(1)(a)
(a) The purpose and legal authority for the matching program.
19.69(1)(b)
(b) The justification for the program and the anticipated results, including an estimate of any savings.
19.69(1)(c)
(c) A description of the information that will be matched.
19.69(2)
(2) Copy to public records board. A state authority that prepares a written specification of a matching program under
sub. (1) shall provide to the public records board a copy of the specification and any subsequent revision of the specification within 30 days after the state authority prepares the specification or the revision.
19.69(3)(a)(a) Except as provided under
par. (b), a state authority may not take an adverse action against an individual as a result of information produced by a matching program until after the state authority has notified the individual, in writing, of the proposed action.
19.69(3)(b)
(b) A state authority may grant an exception to
par. (a) if it finds that the information in the records series is sufficiently reliable.
19.69 History
History: 1991 a. 39,
269;
1995 a. 27.
19.71
19.71
Sale of names or addresses. An authority may not sell or rent a record containing an individual's name or address of residence, unless specifically authorized by state law. The collection of fees under
s. 19.35 (3) is not a sale or rental under this section.
19.71 History
History: 1991 a. 39.
19.77
19.77
Summary of case law and attorney general opinions. Annually, the attorney general shall summarize case law and attorney general opinions relating to due process and other legal issues involving the collection, maintenance, use, provision of access to, sharing or archiving of personally identifiable information by authorities. The attorney general shall provide the summary, at no charge, to interested persons.
19.77 History
History: 1991 a. 39.
19.80(2)(2)
Employee discipline. Any person employed by an authority who violates this subchapter may be discharged or suspended without pay.
19.80(3)(a)(a) Any person who wilfully collects, discloses or maintains personally identifiable information in violation of federal or state law may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation.
19.80(3)(b)
(b) Any person who wilfully requests or obtains personally identifiable information from an authority under false pretenses may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation.
19.80 History
History: 1991 a. 39,
269.
OPEN MEETINGS OF GOVERNMENTAL BODIES
19.81
19.81
Declaration of policy. 19.81(1)
(1) In recognition of the fact that a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the policy of this state that the public is entitled to the fullest and most complete information regarding the affairs of government as is compatible with the conduct of governmental business.
19.81(2)
(2) To implement and ensure the public policy herein expressed, all meetings of all state and local governmental bodies shall be publicly held in places reasonably accessible to members of the public and shall be open to all citizens at all times unless otherwise expressly provided by law.
19.81(3)
(3) In conformance with
article IV, section 10, of the constitution, which states that the doors of each house shall remain open, except when the public welfare requires secrecy, it is declared to be the intent of the legislature to comply to the fullest extent with this subchapter.
19.81(4)
(4) This subchapter shall be liberally construed to achieve the purposes set forth in this section, and the rule that penal statutes must be strictly construed shall be limited to the enforcement of forfeitures and shall not otherwise apply to actions brought under this subchapter or to interpretations thereof.
19.81 History
History: 1975 c. 426;
1983 a. 192.
19.81 Annotation
Subsequent to the presentation of evidence by the taxpayer, a board of review's consideration of testimony by the village assessor at an executive session was contrary to the open meeting law, since, although it was permissible for the board to convene a closed session for the purpose of deliberating after a quasi-judicial hearing, the proceedings did not constitute mere deliberations but were a continuation of the quasi-judicial hearing without the presence of or notice to the objecting taxpayer. Dolphin v. Board of Review,
70 Wis. 2d 403,
234 N.W.2d 277.
19.81 Annotation
A regular open meeting, held subsequent to a closed meeting on another subject, does not constitute a reconvened open meeting when there was no prior open meeting on that day. 58 Atty. Gen. 41.
19.81 Annotation
Consideration of a resolution is a formal action of an administrative or minor governing body and when taken in proper closed session, the resolution and result of the vote must be made available for public inspection, pursuant to 19.21, absent a specific showing that the public interest would be adversely affected. 60 Atty. Gen. 9.
19.81 Annotation
Joint apprenticeship committees, appointed pursuant to Wis. Adm. Code provisions are governmental bodies and subject to the requirements of the open meeting law. 63 Atty. Gen. 363.
19.81 Annotation
Voting procedures employed by worker's compensation and unemployment advisory councils that utilized adjournment of public meeting for purposes of having members representing employers and members representing employees or workers to separately meet in closed caucuses and to vote as a block on reconvening was contrary to the open records law. 63 Atty. Gen. 414.
19.81 Annotation
A governmental body can call closed sessions for proper purposes without giving notice to members of news media who have filed written request. 63 Atty. Gen. 470.
19.81 Annotation
The meaning of communication discussed with reference to giving the public and news media members adequate notice. 63 Atty. Gen. 509.
19.81 Annotation
Posting in the governor's office of agenda of future investment board meetings is not sufficient communication to the public or the news media who have filed a written request for notice. 63 Atty. Gen. 549.
19.81 Annotation
A county board may not utilize an unidentified paper ballot in voting to appoint a county highway commissioner, but may vote by ayes and nays or show of hands at an open session if some member does not require the vote to be taken in such manner that the vote of each member may be ascertained and recorded. 63 Atty. Gen. 569.
19.81 Note
NOTE: The following annotations refer to ss. 19.81 to 19.98.
19.81 Annotation
When the City of Milwaukee and a private non-profit festival organization incorporated the open meetings law into a contract, the contract allowed public enforcement of the contractual provisions concerning open meetings. Journal/Sentinel, Inc. v. Pleva,
155 Wis. 2d 704,
456 N.W.2d 359 (1990).
19.81 Annotation
Sub. (2) requires that a meeting be held in a facility that gives reasonable public access, not total access; no person may be systematically excluded or arbitrarily refused admittance. State ex rel. Badke v. Greendale Village Bd.
173 Wis. 2d 553,
494 N.W.2d 408 (1993).
19.81 Annotation
The open meeting law is not applicable to the judicial commission. State ex rel. Lynch v. Dancey,
71 Wis. 2d 287,
238 N.W.2d 81.
19.81 Annotation
This subchapter is discussed. 65 Atty. Gen. preface.
19.81 Annotation
Public notice requirements for meetings of a city district school board under this subchapter and s. 120.48, 1983 stats., are discussed. 66 Atty. Gen. 93.
19.81 Annotation
A volunteer fire department organized as a nonprofit corporation under s. 213.05 is not subject to the open meeting law. 66 Atty. Gen. 113.
19.81 Annotation
Anyone has the right to tape-record an open meeting of a governmental body provided the meeting is not thereby physically disrupted. 66 Atty. Gen. 318.
19.81 Annotation
The open meeting law does not apply to a coroner's inquest. 67 Atty. Gen. 250.
19.81 Annotation
The open meeting law does not apply if the common council hears a grievance under a collective bargaining agreement. 67 Atty. Gen. 276.
19.81 Annotation
The application of open meeting law to duties of WERC is discussed. 68 Atty. Gen. 171.
19.81 Annotation
A meeting of a committee on reapportionment was probably held in violation of the open meetings law.
71 Atty. Gen. 63.
19.81 Annotation
Foundations, building corporations and independent bodies politic and corporate are not "governmental bodies".
73 Atty. Gen. 53.
19.81 Annotation
A "quasi-governmental corporation" in sub. (1) includes private corporations that closely resemble governmental corporations in function, effect or status.
80 Atty. Gen. 129.
19.81 Annotation
Understanding Wisconsin's open meeting law. Harvey, WBB September 1980.
19.82
19.82
Definitions. As used in this subchapter:
19.82(1)
(1) "Governmental body" means a state or local agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation; a local exposition district under
subch. II of ch. 229; a family care district under
s. 46.2895; a nonprofit corporation operating the Olympic ice training center under
s. 42.11 (3); or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing, but excludes any such body or committee or subunit of such body which is formed for or meeting for the purpose of collective bargaining under
subch. I,
IV or
V of ch. 111.
19.82(2)
(2) "Meeting" means the convening of members of a governmental body for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body. If one-half or more of the members of a governmental body are present, the meeting is rebuttably presumed to be for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body. The term does not include any social or chance gathering or conference which is not intended to avoid this subchapter, any gathering of the members of a town board for the purpose specified in
s. 60.50 (6), any gathering of the commissioners of a town sanitary district for the purpose specified in s.
60.77 (5) (k) or any gathering of the members of a drainage board created under s.
88.16, 1991 stats., or under
s. 88.17, for a purpose specified in
s. 88.065 (5) (a).
19.82(3)
(3) "Open session" means a meeting which is held in a place reasonably accessible to members of the public and open to all citizens at all times. In the case of a state governmental body, it means a meeting which is held in a building and room thereof which enables access by persons with functional limitations, as defined in
s. 101.13 (1).
19.82 Annotation
A "meeting" under sub. (2) was found although the governmental body was not empowered to exercise the final powers of its parent body. State v. Swanson,
92 Wis. 2d 310,
284 N.W.2d 655 (1979).
19.82 Annotation
A "meeting" under sub. (2) was found when members met with a purpose to engage in government business and the number of members present was sufficient to determine the parent body's course of action regarding the proposal discussed. State ex rel. Newspapers v. Showers,
135 Wis. 2d 77,
398 N.W.2d 154 (1987).
19.82 Annotation
A municipal public utility commission managing a city owned public electric utility is a governmental body under sub. (1). 65 Atty. Gen. 243.
19.82 Annotation
A "private conference" under s. 118.22 (3), on nonrenewal of a teacher's contract is a "meeting" within s. 19.82 (2). 66 Atty. Gen. 211.
19.82 Annotation
A private home may qualify as a meeting place under sub. (3). 67 Atty. Gen. 125.
19.82 Annotation
A telephone conference call involving members of governmental body is a "meeting" which must be reasonably accessible to public and public notice must be given. 69 Atty. Gen. 143.
19.83
19.83
Meetings of governmental bodies. 19.83(1)
(1) Every meeting of a governmental body shall be preceded by public notice as provided in
s. 19.84, and shall be held in open session. At any meeting of a governmental body, all discussion shall be held and all action of any kind, formal or informal, shall be initiated, deliberated upon and acted upon only in open session except as provided in
s. 19.85.
19.83(2)
(2) During a period of public comment under
s. 19.84 (2), a governmental body may discuss any matter raised by the public.
19.83 History
History: 1975 c. 426;
1997 a. 123.
19.83 Annotation
When a quorum of a governmental body attends the meeting of another governmental body when any one of the members is not also a member of the second governmental body, the gathering is a "meeting" unless the gathering is social or by chance. State ex rel. Badke v. Greendale Village Bd.
173 Wis. 2d 553,
494 N.W.2d 408 (1993).
19.84
19.84
Public notice. 19.84(1)(1) Public notice of all meetings of a governmental body shall be given in the following manner:
19.84(1)(b)
(b) By communication from the chief presiding officer of a governmental body or such person's designee to the public, to those news media who have filed a written request for such notice, and to the official newspaper designated under
ss. 985.04,
985.05 and
985.06 or, if none exists, to a news medium likely to give notice in the area.
19.84(2)
(2) Every public notice of a meeting of a governmental body shall set forth the time, date, place and subject matter of the meeting, including that intended for consideration at any contemplated closed session, in such form as is reasonably likely to apprise members of the public and the news media thereof. The public notice of a meeting of a governmental body may provide for a period of public comment, during which the body may receive information from members of the public.
19.84(3)
(3) Public notice of every meeting of a governmental body shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of such meeting unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in which case shorter notice may be given, but in no case may the notice be provided less than 2 hours in advance of the meeting.
19.84(4)
(4) Separate public notice shall be given for each meeting of a governmental body at a time and date reasonably proximate to the time and date of the meeting.
19.84(5)
(5) Departments and their subunits in any University of Wisconsin System institution or campus and a nonprofit corporation operating the Olympic Ice Training Center under
s. 42.11 (3) are exempt from the requirements of
subs. (1) to
(4) but shall provide meeting notice which is reasonably likely to apprise interested persons, and news media who have filed written requests for such notice.
19.84(6)
(6) Notwithstanding the requirements of
s. 19.83 and the requirements of this section, a governmental body which is a formally constituted subunit of a parent governmental body may conduct a meeting without public notice as required by this section during a lawful meeting of the parent governmental body, during a recess in such meeting or immediately after such meeting for the purpose of discussing or acting upon a matter which was the subject of that meeting of the parent governmental body. The presiding officer of the parent governmental body shall publicly announce the time, place and subject matter of the meeting of the subunit in advance at the meeting of the parent body.
19.84 Annotation
The word "licenses" on a city council's agenda was specific enough to apprise members of the public of the subject matter to be considered. State ex rel. H.D. Enterprises II, LLC v. City of Stoughton,
230 Wis. 2d 480,
602 N.W.2d 72 (Ct. App. 1999).
