Chapter 227

227.116(6)(a) (a) An agency’s failure to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law does not relieve any person from the obligation to secure a required permit nor affect in any way the agency’s authority to interpret the requirements of or grant or deny permits.

227.116(6)(b) (b) If a court finds that an agency failed to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law, that finding shall not constitute grounds for declaring the agency’s determination invalid.

227.116 History History: 1985 a. 182, 332; 1993 a. 52; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 2005 a. 249; 2011 a. 32; 2017 a. 364.

227.117 227.117 Review of rules impacting energy availability.

227.117(1) (1) The public service commission shall prepare an energy impact report on any proposed rule if, not later than 30 days after the public hearing under s. 227.18, the chairperson or ranking minority member of a standing committee, the speaker of the assembly, or the presiding officer of the senate requests in writing that the commission determine the rule’s impact on the cost or reliability of electricity generation, transmission, or distribution or of fuels used in generating electricity. The energy impact report shall include an evaluation and related findings and conclusions on the probable impact of the proposed rule on the cost or reliability of electricity generation, transmission, or distribution or of fuels used in generating electricity.

227.117(2) (2) Within 30 days after the written request is submitted to the public service commission, the commission shall submit a copy of any energy impact report prepared under sub. (1) to the agency that proposed the rule that resulted in the report.

227.117(3) (3) An agency that receives an energy impact report under sub. (2), shall consider the energy impact report before submitting the notification and report to the legislature under s. 227.19 (2) and (3).

227.117 History History: 2003 a. 277.

227.12 227.12 Petition for rules.

227.12(1) (1) Unless the right to petition for a rule is restricted by statute to a designated group or unless the form of procedure for a petition is otherwise prescribed by statute, a municipality, an association which is representative of a farm, labor, business or professional group, or any 5 or more persons having an interest in a rule may petition an agency requesting it to promulgate a rule.

227.12(2) (2) A petition shall state clearly and concisely:

227.12(2)(a) (a) The substance or nature of the rule making requested.

227.12(2)(b) (b) The reason for the request and the petitioners’ interest in the requested rule.

227.12(2)(c) (c) A reference to the agency’s authority to promulgate the requested rule.

227.12(3) (3) Except as provided in sub. (4), within a reasonable period of time after the receipt of a petition under this section, an agency shall either deny the petition in writing or proceed with the requested rule making. If the agency denies the petition, it shall promptly notify the petitioner of the denial, including a brief statement of the reason for the denial. If the agency proceeds with the requested rule making, it shall follow the procedures prescribed in this subchapter.

227.12(4) (4) If a petition to the department of revenue establishes that the department has established a standard by which it is construing a state tax statute, but has not promulgated a rule to adopt the standard or published the standard in a manner that is available to the public, the department shall, as provided under s. 227.135, submit a statement of the scope of the proposed rule to the department of administration no later than 90 days after receiving the petition. No later than 270 days after the statement is approved by the governor, the department shall submit the proposed rule in final draft form to the governor for the governor’s approval, as provided under s. 227.185. At the department’s request, the governor or the department of administration may, at any time prior to the expiration of any deadline specified in this subsection, extend the time for submitting the statement or proposed rule in draft form for any period not to exceed 60 days. The governor or the department of administration may grant more than one extension under this subsection, but the total period for all such extensions may not exceed 120 days. The rule need not adhere to the standard established by the department, but shall address the same circumstances as the standard addresses. If the department fails to comply with this subsection, any of the petitioners may commence an action in circuit court to compel the department’s compliance. If an action is commenced under this subsection, the court may compel the department to provide information to the court related to the degree to which the department is enforcing the standard, except that the information provided by the department shall not disclose the identity of any person who is not a party to the action.

227.12 History History: 1985 a. 182; 2011 a. 68; 2017 a. 57.

227.13 227.13 Advisory committees and informal consultations. An agency may use informal conferences and consultations to obtain the viewpoint and advice of interested persons with respect to contemplated rule making. An agency may also appoint a committee of experts, interested persons or representatives of the public to advise it with respect to any contemplated rule making. Such a committee shall have advisory powers only. Whenever an agency appoints a committee under this section, the agency shall submit a list of the members of the committee to the joint committee for review of administrative rules.

227.13 History History: 1985 a. 182; 2017 a. 369.

227.135 227.135 Statements of scope of proposed rules.

227.135(1) (1) An agency shall prepare a statement of the scope of any rule that it plans to promulgate. The statement shall include all of the following:

227.135(1)(a) (a) A description of the objective of the rule.

227.135(1)(b) (b) A description of existing policies relevant to the rule and of new policies proposed to be included in the rule and an analysis of policy alternatives.

227.135(1)(c) (c) The statutory authority for the rule.

227.135(1)(d) (d) Estimates of the amount of time that state employees will spend to develop the rule and of other resources necessary to develop the rule.

227.135(1)(e) (e) A description of all of the entities that may be affected by the rule.

227.135(1)(f) (f) A summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule.

227.135(2) (2) An agency that has prepared a statement of the scope of the proposed rule shall present the statement to the department of administration, which shall make a determination as to whether the agency has the explicit authority to promulgate the rule as proposed in the statement of scope and shall report the statement of scope and its determination to the governor who, in his or her discretion, may approve or reject the statement of scope. The agency may not send the statement to the legislative reference bureau for publication under sub. (3) until the governor issues a written notice of approval of the statement. The agency shall also present the statement to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule for approval. The individual or body with policy-making powers may not approve the statement until at least 10 days after publication of the statement under sub. (3) and, if a preliminary public hearing and comment period are held by the agency under s. 227.136, until the individual or body has received and reviewed any public comments and feedback received from the agency under s. 227.136 (5). No state employee or official may perform any activity in connection with the drafting of a proposed rule, except for an activity necessary to prepare the statement of the scope of the proposed rule until the governor and the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule approve the statement. This subsection does not prohibit an agency from performing an activity necessary to prepare a petition and proposed rule for submission under s. 227.26 (4).

227.135(3) (3) If the governor approves a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under sub. (2), the agency shall send an electronic copy of the statement to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, for publication in the register. On the same day that the agency sends the statement to the legislative reference bureau, the agency shall send a copy of the statement to the secretary of administration and to the chief clerks of each house of the legislature, who shall distribute the statement to the cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules. The agency shall include with any statement of scope sent to the legislative reference bureau the date of the governor’s approval of the statement of scope. The legislative reference bureau shall assign a discrete identifying number to each statement of scope and shall include that number and the date of the governor’s approval in the publication of the statement of scope in the register.

227.135(4) (4) If at any time after a statement of the scope of a proposed rule is approved under sub. (2) the agency changes the scope of the proposed rule in any meaningful or measurable way, including changing the scope of the proposed rule so as to include in the scope any activity, business, material, or product that is not specifically included in the original scope of the proposed rule, the agency shall prepare and obtain approval of a revised statement of the scope of the proposed rule in the same manner as the original statement was prepared and approved under subs. (1) and (2). No state employee or official may perform any activity in connection with the drafting of the proposed rule except for an activity necessary to prepare the revised statement of the scope of the proposed rule until the revised statement is so approved.

227.135(5) (5) A statement of scope shall expire on the date that is 30 months after the date on which it is published in the register. After a statement of scope expires, an agency may not submit a proposed rule based upon that statement of scope to the legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2), and any such rule that has not been submitted to the legislature for review before that date shall be considered withdrawn on that date as provided in s. 227.14 (6) (c) 1. a. For purposes of this subsection, a revised statement of scope prepared under sub. (4) shall expire on the date that is 30 months after the date on which the revised statement is published in the register.

227.135 History History: 1995 a. 106; 2003 a. 118, 145; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20; 2011 a. 21; 2013 a. 20, 165; 2017 a. 39, 57, 108.

227.135 Annotation The requirement that agencies receive gubernatorial approval under sub. (2) prior to drafting a proposed rule, and again under s. 227.185 before submitting the rule to the legislature, is constitutional as applied to the state superintendent of public instruction and the Department of Public Instruction. Koschkee v. Taylor, 2019 WI 76, 387 Wis. 2d 552, 929 N.W.2d 600, 17-2278.

227.135 Annotation Under sub. (4), there is a change to the scope of a proposed rule only when the agency changes a draft rule under consideration in a way that meaningfully or measurably departs from the topics described in the previously authorized scope statement. There is no need for a revised scope statement if all of the topics covered in both the initial and changed versions of the draft rule fit within the range of topics for potential rules described in the previously authorized scope statement. Applegate-Bader Farm, LLC v. DOR, 2020 WI App 7, 390 Wis. 2d 708, 940 N.W.2d 725, 18-1239.

227.135 Annotation Reversed on other grounds. 2021 WI 26, 396 Wis. 2d 69, 955 N.W.2d 793, 18-1239.

227.135 Annotation Practice Tips: Finding Administrative Intent in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. Sefarbi. Wis. Law. Apr. 2003.

227.135 Annotation Changing the Rules on Rulemaking. Sklansky. Wis. Law. Aug. 2011.

227.136 227.136 Preliminary public hearing and comment period.

227.136(1) (1) Within 10 days after publication of a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under s. 227.135 (3), either cochairperson of the joint committee for the review of administrative rules may submit a written directive to the agency that prepared the statement for the agency to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on the statement of scope as provided in this section.

227.136(2) (2) If the agency is directed to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period on a statement of scope as provided in sub. (1) or if the agency otherwise opts to do so on its own initiative, the agency shall submit to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, a notice of a preliminary public hearing and comment period to allow for public comment and feedback on the statement of scope. The agency may also take any other action it considers necessary to provide notice of the preliminary public hearing and comment period to other interested persons. The notice shall be approved by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule and shall include all of the following:

227.136(2)(a) (a) A statement of the date, time, and place of the preliminary public hearing.

227.136(2)(b) (b) The place where comments on the statement of scope should be submitted and the deadline for submitting those comments.

227.136(3) (3) The agency shall hold the preliminary public hearing and comment period in accordance with the notice required under sub. (2), but may not hold the hearing sooner than the 3rd day after publication of the notice in the register.

227.136(4) (4) The agency shall conduct a hearing under this section in accordance with s. 227.18.

227.136(5) (5) The agency shall report all public comments and feedback on the statement of scope of the proposed rule that the agency receives at the preliminary public hearing and comment period to the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule.

227.136(6) (6) Failure of any person to receive notice of a preliminary public hearing as provided in this section is not grounds for invalidating any resulting rule if notice of the hearing was published in the register in accordance with s. 35.93 (2) (b) 3. bm.

227.136(7) (7) For the purpose of soliciting public comment, an agency may hold a hearing on the general subject matter of possible or anticipated rules before preparing a statement of scope for a proposed rule. A hearing held under this subsection does not relieve the agency from its obligation to comply with a directive under sub. (1) or the requirement to hold a hearing under s. 227.16.

227.136 History History: 2017 a. 57 ss. 5, 17.

227.137 227.137 Economic impact analyses of proposed rules.

227.137(2) (2) An agency shall prepare an economic impact analysis for a proposed rule before submitting the proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15.

227.137(3) (3) An economic impact analysis of a proposed rule shall contain information on the economic effect of the proposed rule on specific businesses, business sectors, public utility ratepayers, local governmental units, and the state’s economy as a whole. The agency or person preparing the analysis shall solicit information and advice from businesses, associations representing businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency or person shall prepare the economic impact analysis in coordination with local governmental units that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency or person may also request information that is reasonably necessary for the preparation of an economic impact analysis from other businesses, associations, local governmental units, and individuals and from other agencies. The economic impact analysis shall include all of the following:

227.137(3)(a) (a) An analysis and quantification of the policy problem that the proposed rule is intending to address, including comparisons with the approaches used by the federal government and by Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota to address that policy problem. If the approach chosen by the agency to address that policy problem is different from those approaches, an economic impact analysis prepared by an agency shall include a statement as to why the agency chose a different approach.

227.137(3)(b) (b) An analysis and detailed quantification of the economic impact of the proposed rule, including the implementation and compliance costs that are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to the businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule, specifically including all of the following:

227.137(3)(b)1. 1. An estimate of the total implementation and compliance costs that are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals as a result of the proposed rule, expressed as a single dollar figure. With respect to an independent economic impact analysis prepared under sub. (4m) or s. 227.19 (5) (b) 3., the person preparing the analysis shall provide a detailed explanation of any variance from the agency’s estimate under this subdivision.

227.137(3)(b)2. 2. A determination, for purposes of the requirement under s. 227.139, as to whether $10,000,000 or more in implementation and compliance costs are reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals over any 2-year period as a result of the proposed rule.

227.137(3)(c) (c) An analysis of the actual and quantifiable benefits of the proposed rule, including an assessment of how effective the proposed rule will be in addressing the policy problem that the rule is intended to address.

227.137(3)(d) (d) An analysis of alternatives to the proposed rule, including the alternative of not promulgating the proposed rule.

227.137(3)(e) (e) A determination made in consultation with the businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule as to whether the proposed rule would adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, jobs, or the overall economic competitiveness of this state.

227.137(3)(f) (f) Except as provided in this paragraph, if the economic impact analysis relates to a proposed rule of the department of safety and professional services under s. 101.63 (1) establishing standards for the construction of a dwelling, as defined in s. 101.61 (1), an analysis of whether the proposed rule would increase the cost of constructing or remodeling such a dwelling by more than $1,000. This paragraph applies notwithstanding that the purpose of the one- and 2-family dwelling code under s. 101.60 includes promoting interstate uniformity in construction standards. This paragraph does not apply to a proposed rule whose promulgation has been authorized under s. 227.19 (5) (fm).

227.137(3)(g) (g) An analysis of the ways in which and the extent to which the proposed rule would place any limitations on the free use of private property, including a discussion of alternatives to the proposed rule that would minimize any such limitations.

227.137(4) (4) On the same day that the agency submits the economic impact analysis to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 (1), the agency shall also submit that analysis to the department of administration, to the governor, and to the chief clerks of each house of the legislature, who shall distribute the analysis to the presiding officers of their respective houses, to the chairpersons of the appropriate standing committees of their respective houses, as designated by those presiding officers, and to the cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules. If a proposed rule is modified after the economic impact analysis is submitted under this subsection so that the economic impact of the proposed rule is significantly changed, the agency shall prepare a revised economic impact analysis for the proposed rule as modified. A revised economic impact analysis shall be prepared and submitted in the same manner as an original economic impact analysis is prepared and submitted.

227.137(4m) (4m) 

227.137(4m)(a) (a) After an agency submits an economic impact analysis for a proposed rule to the legislature under sub. (4), but before the agency submits the proposed rule for approval under s. 227.185, either cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules may request an independent economic impact analysis to be prepared for the proposed rule.

227.137(4m)(am) (am)

227.137(4m)(am)1. 1. A request by the senate cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules for an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a) requires approval by the committee on senate organization.

227.137(4m)(am)2. 2. A request by the assembly cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules for an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a) requires approval by the committee on assembly organization.

227.137(4m)(b) (b)

227.137(4m)(b)1. 1. If a cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules requests an independent economic impact analysis under par. (a), and the request is approved under par. (am), the cochairperson shall notify the agency proposing the proposed rule and shall contract with a person that is not an agency to prepare the independent economic impact analysis.

227.137(4m)(b)2. 2. Costs of completing an independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as follows:

227.137(4m)(b)2.a. a. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under sub. (3) (b) 1. varies from the agency’s estimate by 15 percent or more or varies from the agency’s determination that there will be no implementation or compliance costs, the cochairperson shall assess the agency that is proposing the proposed rule for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis.

227.137(4m)(b)2.b. b. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under sub. (3) (b) 1. does not vary from the agency’s estimate by 15 percent or more or is in accord with the agency’s determination that there will be no implementation and compliance costs, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid from the appropriation account that corresponds to his or her house of the legislature under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b).

227.137(4m)(b)2.c. c. Notwithstanding subd. 2. a. and b., if the maximum potential obligation under the contract for completing the independent economic impact analysis exceeds $50,000, the cochairperson of the joint committee for review of administrative rules who is requesting the independent economic impact analysis shall submit the proposed contract to the joint committee on finance for the purpose of determining the funding source for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis, and the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided by the joint committee on finance. If the joint committee on finance does not act to determine the funding source within 90 days, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided in subd. 2. a. and b.

227.137(4m)(c) (c) A person preparing an independent economic impact analysis under par. (b) shall do all of the following:

227.137(4m)(c)1. 1. Include in the analysis the information that is required under sub. (3).

227.137(4m)(c)2. 2. Upon completion of the analysis, submit the analysis to the agency, to the department of administration, to the governor, and to the chief clerks of each house of the legislature, who shall distribute the analysis to the presiding officers of their respective houses, to the chairpersons of the appropriate standing committees of their respective houses, as designated by those presiding officers, and to the cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules.

227.137(4m)(c)3. 3. Complete the independent economic impact analysis within 60 days after contracting to prepare the analysis.

227.137(4m)(d) (d) When an independent economic impact analysis is requested under par. (a), the agency may not submit the proposed rule for approval under s. 227.185 until the agency receives the completed independent economic impact analysis.

227.137(5) (5) This section does not apply to emergency rules promulgated under s. 227.24.

227.137 History History: 2003 a. 118; 2005 a. 249; 2011 a. 21 ss. 7 to 18, 21 to 26; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 166 s. 76; 2015 a. 391; 2017 a. 57.

227.137 Annotation In this case, the plaintiff failed to establish undisputed facts from the record that would allow the court to assess to any degree of specificity whether the change in economic effects were significant due to the draft rule change so as to warrant the preparation of a new economic impact statement under sub. (4). Applegate-Bader Farm, LLC v. DOR, 2020 WI App 7, 390 Wis. 2d 708, 940 N.W.2d 725, 18-1239.

227.137 Annotation Reversed on other grounds. 2021 WI 26, 396 Wis. 2d 69, 955 N.W.2d 793, 18-1239.

227.137 Annotation Changing the Rules on Rulemaking. Sklansky. Wis. Law. Aug. 2011.

227.138 227.138 Retrospective economic impact analyses for rules.

227.138(1) (1) The joint committee for review of administrative rules may direct an agency to prepare a retrospective economic impact analysis for any of an agency’s rules that are published in the code. The committee may identify one or more specific chapters, sections, or other subunits in the code that are administered by the agency as the rules that are to be the subject of the analysis and may specify a deadline for the preparation of the analysis. A retrospective economic impact analysis shall contain information on the economic effect of the rules on specific businesses, business sectors, public utility ratepayers, local governmental units, and the state’s economy as a whole. When preparing the analysis, the agency shall solicit information and advice from businesses, associations representing businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that have been affected by the rules. The agency shall prepare the retrospective economic impact analysis in coordination with local governmental units that have been affected by the rules. The agency may request information that is reasonably necessary for the preparation of a retrospective economic impact analysis from other businesses, associations, local governmental units, and individuals and from other agencies. The retrospective economic impact analysis shall include all of the following:

227.138(1)(a) (a) An analysis and quantification of the policy problem that the rules were intended to address, including comparisons with the approaches used by the federal government and by Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota to address that policy problem.

227.138(1)(b) (b) An analysis and detailed quantification of the economic impact of the rules, including the implementation and compliance costs that have been incurred by or passed along to the businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that have been affected by the rules.

227.138(1)(c) (c) An analysis of the actual and quantifiable benefits of the rules, including an assessment of how effective the rules have been in addressing the policy problem that the rules were intended to address.

227.138(1)(d) (d) An analysis of alternatives to the rules, including the alternative of repealing the rules.

227.138(1)(e) (e) A determination made in consultation with the businesses, local governmental units, and individuals that have been affected by the rules as to whether the rules have adversely affected in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, jobs, or the overall economic competitiveness of this state.