19.21(4)(b)
(b) The period of time any town, city or village public record is kept before destruction shall be as prescribed by ordinance unless a specific period of time is provided by statute. The period prescribed in the ordinance may not be less than 2 years with respect to water stubs, receipts of current billings and customer's ledgers of any municipal utility, and 7 years for other records unless a shorter period has been fixed by the public records board under
s. 16.61 (3) (e) and except as provided under
sub. (7). This paragraph does not apply to school records of a 1st class city school district.
19.21(4)(c)
(c) Any local governmental unit or agency may provide for the keeping and preservation of public records kept by that governmental unit through the use of microfilm or another reproductive device, optical imaging or electronic formatting. A local governmental unit or agency shall make such provision by ordinance or resolution. Any such action by a subunit of a local governmental unit or agency shall be in conformity with the action of the unit or agency of which it is a part. Any photographic reproduction of a record authorized to be reproduced under this paragraph is deemed an original record for all purposes if it meets the applicable standards established in
ss. 16.61 (7) and
16.612. This paragraph does not apply to public records kept by counties electing to be governed by
ch. 228.
19.21(5)(a)(a) Any county having a population of 500,000 or more may provide by ordinance for the destruction of obsolete public records, except for court records subject to
SCR chapter 72.
19.21(5)(b)
(b) Any county having a population of less than 500,000 may provide by ordinance for the destruction of obsolete public records, subject to
s. 59.52 (4) (b) and
(c), except for court records governed by
SCR chapter 72.
19.21(5)(c)
(c) The period of time any public record shall be kept before destruction shall be determined by ordinance except that in all counties the specific period of time expressed within
s. 7.23 or
59.52 (4) (a) or any other law requiring a specific retention period shall apply. The period of time prescribed in the ordinance for the destruction of all records not governed by
s. 7.23 or
59.52 (4) (a) or any other law prescribing a specific retention period may not be less than 7 years, unless a shorter period is fixed by the public records board under
s. 16.61 (3) (e).
19.21(5)(d)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., prior to any destruction of records under this subsection, except those specified within
s. 59.52 (4) (a), at least 60 days' notice of such destruction shall be given in writing, to the historical society, which may preserve any records it determines to be of historical interest. Notice is not required for any records for which destruction has previously been approved by the historical society or in which the society has indicated that it has no interest for historical purposes. Records which have a confidential character while in the possession of the original custodian shall retain such confidential character after transfer to the historical society unless the director of the historical society, with the concurrence of the original custodian, determines that such records shall be made accessible to the public under such proper and reasonable rules as the historical society promulgates.
19.21(5)(d)2.
2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to patient health care records, as defined in
s. 146.81 (4), that are in the custody or control of a local health department, as defined in
s. 250.01 (4).
19.21(5)(e)
(e) The county board of any county may provide, by ordinance, a program for the keeping, preservation, retention and disposition of public records including the establishment of a committee on public records and may institute a records management service for the county and may appropriate funds to accomplish such purposes.
19.21(5)(f)
(f) District attorney records are state records and are subject to
s. 978.07.
19.21(6)
(6) A school district may provide for the destruction of obsolete school records. Prior to any such destruction, at least 60 days' notice in writing of such destruction shall be given to the historical society, which shall preserve any records it determines to be of historical interest. The historical society may, upon application, waive the notice. The period of time a school district record shall be kept before destruction shall be not less than 7 years, unless a shorter period is fixed by the public records board under
s. 16.61 (3) (e) and except as provided under
sub. (7). This section does not apply to pupil records under
s. 118.125.
19.21(7)
(7) Notwithstanding any minimum period of time for retention set under
s. 16.61 (3) (e), any taped recording of a meeting, as defined in
s. 19.82 (2), by any governmental body, as defined under
s. 19.82 (1), of a city, village, town or school district may be destroyed no sooner than 90 days after the minutes have been approved and published if the purpose of the recording was to make minutes of the meeting.
19.21(8)
(8) Any metropolitan sewerage commission created under
ss. 200.21 to
200.65 may provide for the destruction of obsolete commission records. No record of the metropolitan sewerage district may be destroyed except by action of the commission specifically authorizing the destruction of that record. Prior to any destruction of records under this subsection, the commission shall give at least 60 days' prior notice of the proposed destruction to the state historical society, which may preserve records it determines to be of historical interest. Upon the application of the commission, the state historical society may waive this notice. Except as provided under
sub. (7), the commission may only destroy a record under this subsection after 7 years elapse from the date of the record's creation, unless a shorter period is fixed by the public records board under
s. 16.61 (3) (e).
19.21 History
History: 1971 c. 215;
1975 c. 41 s.
52;
1977 c. 202;
1979 c. 35,
221;
1981 c. 191,
282,
335;
1981 c. 350 s.
13;
1981 c. 391;
1983 a. 532;
1985 a. 180 ss.
22,
30m;
1985 a. 225;
1985 a. 332 s.
251 (1); Sup. Ct. Order, 136 Wis. 2d xi (1987);
1987 a. 147 ss.
20,
25;
1989 a. 248;
1991 a. 39,
185,
316;
1993 a. 27,
60,
172;
1995 a. 27,
201;
1999 a. 150 s.
672.
19.21 Annotation
Sub. (1) provides that a police chief, as an officer of a municipality, is the legal custodian of all records of that officer's department. Town of LaGrange v. Auchinleck,
216 Wis. 2d 84,
573 N.W.2d 232 (Ct. App. 1997).
19.21 Annotation
The department of administration probably has authority under sub. (1) and s. 19.21 (2), 1979 stats., [now see 19.35] to provide a private corporation with camera-ready copy of session laws that is the product of a printout of computer stored public records if the costs are minimal. The state cannot contract on a continuing basis for the furnishing of this service. 63 Atty. Gen. 302.
19.21 Annotation
Plans and specifications filed under s. 101.12 are public records and are available for public inspection. 67 Atty. Gen. 214.
19.21 Annotation
Under sub. (1), district attorneys must indefinitely preserve papers of a documentary nature evidencing activities of prosecutor's office. 68 Atty. Gen. 17.
19.21 Annotation
The right to privacy law, s. 895.50, does not affect the duties of a custodian of public records under s. 19.21. 68 Atty. Gen. 68.
19.21 Annotation
A county with a population under 500,000 may destroy obsolete case records maintained by the county social services agency under s. 48.59 (1). 70 Atty. Gen. 196.
19.21 Annotation
A VTAE (technical college) district is a "school district" under sub. (6).
71 Atty. Gen. 9.
19.22
19.22
Proceedings to compel the delivery of official property. 19.22(1)(1) If any public officer refuses or neglects to deliver to his or her successor any official property or things as required in
s. 19.21, or if the property or things shall come to the hands of any other person who refuses or neglects, on demand, to deliver them to the successor in the office, the successor may make complaint to any circuit judge for the county where the person refusing or neglecting resides. If the judge is satisfied by the oath of the complainant and other testimony as may be offered that the property or things are withheld, the judge shall grant an order directing the person so refusing to show cause, within some short and reasonable time, why the person should not be compelled to deliver the property or things.
19.22(2)
(2) At the time appointed, or at any other time to which the matter may be adjourned, upon due proof of service of the order issued under
sub. (1), if the person complained against makes affidavit before the judge that the person has delivered to the person's successor all of the official property and things in the person's custody or possession pertaining to the office, within the person's knowledge, the person complained against shall be discharged and all further proceedings in the matter before the judge shall cease.
19.22(3)
(3) If the person complained against does not make such affidavit the matter shall proceed as follows:
19.22(3)(a)
(a) The judge shall inquire further into the matters set forth in the complaint, and if it appears that any such property or things are withheld by the person complained against the judge shall by warrant commit the person complained against to the county jail, there to remain until the delivery of such property and things to the complainant or until the person complained against be otherwise discharged according to law.
19.22(3)(b)
(b) If required by the complainant the judge shall also issue a warrant, directed to the sheriff or any constable of the county, commanding the sheriff or constable in the daytime to search such places as shall be designated in such warrant for such official property and things as were in the custody of the officer whose term of office expired or whose office became vacant, or of which the officer was the legal custodian, and seize and bring them before the judge issuing such warrant.
19.22(3)(c)
(c) When any such property or things are brought before the judge by virtue of such warrant, the judge shall inquire whether the same pertain to such office, and if it thereupon appears that the property or things pertain thereto the judge shall order the delivery of the property or things to the complainant.
19.23
19.23
Transfer of records or materials to historical society. 19.23(1)(1) Any public records, in any state office, that are not required for current use may, in the discretion of the public records board, be transferred into the custody of the historical society, as provided in
s. 16.61.
19.23(2)
(2) The proper officer of any county, city, village, town, school district or other local governmental unit, may under
s. 44.09 (1) offer title and transfer custody to the historical society of any records deemed by the society to be of permanent historical importance.
19.23(3)
(3) The proper officer of any court may, on order of the judge of that court, transfer to the historical society title to such court records as have been photographed or microphotographed or which have been on file for at least 75 years, and which are deemed by the society to be of permanent historical value.
19.23(4)
(4) Any other articles or materials which are of historic value and are not required for current use may, in the discretion of the department or agency where such articles or materials are located, be transferred into the custody of the historical society as trustee for the state, and shall thereupon become part of the permanent collections of said society.
19.24
19.24
Refusal to deliver money, etc., to successor. Any public officer whatever, in this state, who shall, at the expiration of the officer's term of office, refuse or willfully neglect to deliver, on demand, to the officer's successor in office, after such successor shall have been duly qualified and be entitled to said office according to law, all moneys, records, books, papers or other property belonging to the office and in the officer's hands or under the officer's control by virtue thereof, shall be imprisoned not more than 6 months or fined not more than $100.
19.24 History
History: 1991 a. 316.
19.25
19.25
State officers may require searches, etc., without fees. The secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general, respectively, are authorized to require searches in the respective offices of each other and in the offices of the clerk of the supreme court, of the court of appeals, of the circuit courts, of the registers of deeds for any papers, records or documents necessary to the discharge of the duties of their respective offices, and to require copies thereof and extracts therefrom without the payment of any fee or charge whatever.
19.25 History
History: 1977 c. 187,
449.
19.31
19.31
Declaration of policy. In recognition of the fact that a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the public policy of this state that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them. Further, providing persons with such information is declared to be an essential function of a representative government and an integral part of the routine duties of officers and employees whose responsibility it is to provide such information. To that end,
ss. 19.32 to
19.37 shall be construed in every instance with a presumption of complete public access, consistent with the conduct of governmental business. The denial of public access generally is contrary to the public interest, and only in an exceptional case may access be denied.
19.31 History
History: 1981 c. 335,
391.
19.31 Annotation
An agency cannot promulgate an administrative rule that creates an exception to the open records law. Chavala v. Bubolz,
204 Wis. 2d 82,
552 N.W.2d 892 (Ct. App. 1996).
19.31 Annotation
The Wisconsin public records law. 67 MLR 65 (1983).
19.31 Annotation
Municipal responsibility under the Wisconsin revised public records law. Maloney. WBB Jan. 1983.
19.31 Annotation
The public records law and the Wisconsin department of revenue. Boykoff. WBB Dec. 1983.
19.31 Annotation
The Wis. open records act: an update on issues. Trubek and Foley. WBB Aug. 1986.
19.31 Annotation
Toward a More Open and Accountable Government: A Call For Optimal Disclosure Under the Wisconsin Open Records Law. Roang. 1994 WLR 719.
19.32(1)
(1) "Authority" means any of the following having custody of a record: a state or local office, elected official, agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, law, 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; any court of law; the assembly or senate; a nonprofit corporation which receives more than 50% of its funds from a county or a municipality, as defined in
s. 59.001 (3), and which provides services related to public health or safety to the county or municipality; a nonprofit corporation operating the Olympic ice training center under
s. 42.11 (3); or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing.
19.32(1b)
(1b) "Committed person" means a person who is committed under
ch. 51,
971,
975 or
980 and who is placed in an inpatient treatment facility, during the period that the person's placement in the inpatient treatment facility continues.
19.32(1c)
(1c) "Incarcerated person" means a person who is incarcerated in a penal facility or who is placed on probation and given confinement under
s. 973.09 (4) as a condition of placement, during the period of confinement for which the person has been sentenced.
19.32(1d)
(1d) "Inpatient treatment facility" means any of the following:
19.32(1d)(c)
(c) A facility or unit for the institutional care of sexually violent persons specified under
s. 980.065.
19.32(1d)(d)
(d) The Milwaukee County mental health complex established under
s. 51.08.
19.32(1e)
(1e) "Penal facility" means a state prison under
s. 302.01, county jail, county house of correction or other state, county or municipal correctional or detention facility.
19.32(1m)
(1m) "Person authorized by the individual" means the parent, guardian, as defined in
s. 48.02 (8), or legal custodian, as defined in
s. 48.02 (11), of a child, as defined in
s. 48.02 (2), the guardian, as defined in
s. 880.01 (3), of an individual adjudged incompetent, as defined in
s. 880.01 (4), the personal representative or spouse of an individual who is deceased or any person authorized, in writing, by the individual to exercise the rights granted under this section.
19.32(1r)
(1r) "Personally identifiable information" has the meaning specified in
s. 19.62 (5).
19.32(2)
(2) "Record" means any material on which written, drawn, printed, spoken, visual or electromagnetic information is recorded or preserved, regardless of physical form or characteristics, which has been created or is being kept by an authority. "Record" includes, but is not limited to, handwritten, typed or printed pages, maps, charts, photographs, films, recordings, tapes (including computer tapes), computer printouts and optical disks. "Record" does not include drafts, notes, preliminary computations and like materials prepared for the originator's personal use or prepared by the originator in the name of a person for whom the originator is working; materials which are purely the personal property of the custodian and have no relation to his or her office; materials to which access is limited by copyright, patent or bequest; and published materials in the possession of an authority other than a public library which are available for sale, or which are available for inspection at a public library.
19.32(3)
(3) "Requester" means any person who requests inspection or copies of a record, except a committed or incarcerated person, unless the person requests inspection or copies of a record that contains specific references to that person or his or her minor children for whom he or she has not been denied physical placement under
ch. 767, and the record is otherwise accessible to the person by law.
19.32 Annotation
A study commissioned by the corporation counsel and used in various ways was not a "draft" under sub. (2), although it was not in final form. A document prepared other than for the originator's personal use, although in preliminary form or marked "draft," is a record. Fox v. Bock,
149 Wis. 2d 403,
438 N.W.2d 589 (1989).
19.32 Annotation
A settlement agreement containing a pledge of confidentiality and kept in the possession of a school district's attorney was a public record subject to public access. Journal/Sentinel v. Shorewood School Bd.
186 Wis. 2d 443,
521 N.W.2d 165 (Ct. App. 1994).
19.32 Annotation
Individuals confined as sexually violent persons under ch. 980 are not "incarcerated" under sub. (1c). Klein v. Wisconsin Resource Center,
218 Wis. 2d 487,
582 N.W.2d 44 (Ct. App. 1998).
19.32 Annotation
A nonprofit corporation that receives 50% of its funds from a municipality or county is an authority under sub. (1) regardless of the source from which the municipality or county obtained those funds. Cavey v. Walrath,
229 Wis. 2d 105,
598 N.W.2d 240 (Ct. App. 1999).
19.32 Annotation
"Records" must have some relation to the functions of the agency.
72 Atty. Gen. 99.
19.32 AnnotationThe treatment of drafts under the public records law is discussed.
77 Atty. Gen. 100.
19.32 Annotation
Applying Open Records Policy to Wisconsin District Attorneys: Can Charging Guidelines Promote Public Awareness? Mayer. 1996 WLR 295.
19.33
19.33
Legal custodians. 19.33(1)(1) An elected official is the legal custodian of his or her records and the records of his or her office, but the official may designate an employee of his or her staff to act as the legal custodian.
19.33(2)
(2) The chairperson of a committee of elected officials, or the designee of the chairperson, is the legal custodian of the records of the committee.
19.33(3)
(3) The cochairpersons of a joint committee of elected officials, or the designee of the cochairpersons, are the legal custodians of the records of the joint committee.
19.33(4)
(4) Every authority not specified in
subs. (1) to
(3) shall designate in writing one or more positions occupied by an officer or employee of the authority or the unit of government of which it is a part as a legal custodian to fulfill its duties under this subchapter. In the absence of a designation the authority's highest ranking officer and the chief administrative officer, if any, are the legal custodians for the authority. The legal custodian shall be vested by the authority with full legal power to render decisions and carry out the duties of the authority under this subchapter. Each authority shall provide the name of the legal custodian and a description of the nature of his or her duties under this subchapter to all employees of the authority entrusted with records subject to the legal custodian's supervision.
19.33(5)
(5) Notwithstanding
sub. (4), if an authority specified in
sub. (4) or the members of such an authority are appointed by another authority, the appointing authority may designate a legal custodian for records of the authority or members of the authority appointed by the appointing authority, except that if such an authority is attached for administrative purposes to another authority, the authority performing administrative duties shall designate the legal custodian for the authority for whom administrative duties are performed.
19.33(6)
(6) The legal custodian of records maintained in a publicly owned or leased building or the authority appointing the legal custodian shall designate one or more deputies to act as legal custodian of such records in his or her absence or as otherwise required to respond to requests as provided in
s. 19.35 (4). This subsection does not apply to members of the legislature or to members of any local governmental body.
19.33(7)
(7) The designation of a legal custodian does not affect the powers and duties of an authority under this subchapter.
19.33(8)
(8) No elected official of a legislative body has a duty to act as or designate a legal custodian under
sub. (4) for the records of any committee of the body unless the official is the highest ranking officer or chief administrative officer of the committee or is designated the legal custodian of the committee's records by rule or by law.
19.33 History
History: 1981 c. 335.
19.34
19.34
Procedural information. 19.34(1)
(1) Each authority shall adopt, prominently display and make available for inspection and copying at its offices, for the guidance of the public, a notice containing a description of its organization and the established times and places at which, the legal custodian under
s. 19.33 from whom, and the methods whereby, the public may obtain information and access to records in its custody, make requests for records, or obtain copies of records, and the costs thereof. This subsection does not apply to members of the legislature or to members of any local governmental body.
19.34(2)(a)(a) Each authority which maintains regular office hours at the location where records in the custody of the authority are kept shall permit access to the records of the authority at all times during those office hours, unless otherwise specifically authorized by law.
19.34(2)(b)
(b) Each authority which does not maintain regular office hours at the location where records in the custody of the authority are kept shall:
19.34(2)(b)1.
1. Permit access to its records upon at least 48 hours' written or oral notice of intent to inspect or copy a record; or
19.34(2)(b)2.
2. Establish a period of at least 2 consecutive hours per week during which access to the records of the authority is permitted. In such case, the authority may require 24 hours' advance written or oral notice of intent to inspect or copy a record.
19.34(2)(c)
(c) An authority imposing a notice requirement under
par. (b) shall include a statement of the requirement in its notice under
sub. (1), if the authority is required to adopt a notice under that subsection.
19.34(2)(d)
(d) If a record of an authority is occasionally taken to a location other than the location where records of the authority are regularly kept, and the record may be inspected at the place at which records of the authority are regularly kept upon one business day's notice, the authority or legal custodian of the record need not provide access to the record at the occasional location.
