20.914 20.914 Acquisition of land and buildings. All appropriations made by law for the purchase of land and for the construction of new buildings or additions to existing buildings shall be expended only in accordance with the following conditions:

20.914(1) (1) Land purchase, governor's approval. No land shall be purchased and no contract or contracts entered into for the purchase of any land by any state agency until complete estimates of the total cost thereof shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the governor. The governor shall withhold such approval until the governor is satisfied by a personal investigation, or by such other means as the governor adopts, that such land is required for the purpose proposed, and can be purchased for the sum proposed out of the appropriations made for such purpose.

20.914(2) (2) Construction in order of need. Except as expressly provided otherwise, all construction shall be in the order of the greatest need therefor, as determined by the state agency to whom the appropriation is made.

20.915(1) (1) Purchase. Each state agency, upon written approval of the governor, may purchase necessary aircraft, trucks and automobiles for its general use. All aircraft, trucks and automobiles shall be purchased through the department of administration under ss. 16.70 to 16.82. The department of administration shall ensure that each general fleet passenger automobile at the time of procurement has a fuel economy rating of no less miles per gallon than the fleet average miles per gallon required of automobile manufacturers by the federal government at that time. Law enforcement vehicles and work vehicles for heavy passenger or equipment loads are exempt from the mileage requirement.

20.915(2) (2) Insurance. Every state agency may secure public liability, property damage and fire, theft and windstorm insurance for the protection of state automobiles, trucks and aircraft. Such insurance may provide public liability and property damage coverage for state traffic patrol officers and conservation division employees when, in the performance of their official duties, it is necessary to move other vehicles. The cost of such insurance by such state agencies shall be audited and paid in the same manner as other expenses.

20.916(1) (1) Employees to be reimbursed. State officers and employees shall be reimbursed for actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties in accordance with sub. (9). The officers and employees of any state agency shall, when for reasons of economy or efficiency they are stationed at any other place than an official location of such state agency, receive their actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling and other expenses when called to such official location for temporary service.

20.916(1m) (1m) Reimbursement of volunteers. Except where reimbursement is required by law, an individual who volunteers his or her services to a state agency may, at the discretion of the appointing authority of the state agency receiving the services, be reimbursed by the state agency for actual, reasonable, and necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of the services. Reimbursement shall not exceed the maximum amounts established for state officers and employees under sub. (8).

20.916(2) (2) Reimbursement of job applicants. Subject to rules of the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration, reimbursement may be made to applicants for all or part of actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in connection with oral examination and employment interviews.

20.916(3) (3) Furnishing of group transportation to place of work. The department of health services, the department of corrections, and the department of natural resources may, with the approval of the governor and the department of administration, provide group transportation, in the absence of convenient and public scheduled transportation, for employees to and from the Mendota and Winnebago mental health institutes and the centers for the developmentally disabled in the case of employees of the department of health services, to the Taycheedah Correctional Institution and the Fox Lake Correctional Institution in the case of employees of the department of corrections, and to and from its temporary branch offices located at the Nevin Fish Hatchery grounds in the case of employees of the department of natural resources. Any employee, if injured while being so transported, shall be considered to have been in the course of his or her employment.

20.916(4)(a)(a) If any state agency determines that the duties of any employee require the use of an automobile, it may authorize such employee to use a privately owned automobile in the employee's work for the state, and reimburse the employee for such use at a rate set at least biennially by the division of personnel management in the department of administration under sub. (8), subject to the approval of the joint committee on employment relations.

20.916(4)(b) (b) Upon recommendation of the head of the state agency and approval by the secretary of administration, an additional reimbursement at the rate of one cent per mile may be paid to any employee for the use of the employee's privately owned automobile when used as an emergency vehicle or under conditions that may cause excessive wear or depreciation, including pulling trailers or under conditions that require the installation of special equipment.

20.916(4)(c) (c) For travel between points that are conveniently reached by railroad, bus, or commercial airplane without unreasonable loss of time, the allowance for the use of a privately owned automobile shall not exceed the lowest cost of the most practical means of public transportation between such points. The department of administration shall establish guidelines for the most practical means of public transportation. The cost of meals and lodging paid by the state and the cost of the use of a state-owned automobile not chargeable to an employee may not exceed the cost that would have been incurred had the most practical form of public transportation been used, at the most appropriate time, if a practical form of public transportation is available.

20.916(4)(d) (d) All allowances for the use of a privately owned automobile shall be paid upon the certification of the amounts payable by the head of the state agency to the department of administration.

20.916(4)(e) (e) When an assigned or pool state-owned automobile is available and tendered to an employee, and the employee exercises the option to use the employee's privately owned automobile on state business, the mileage allowance shall be at a rate equal to the approximate cost per mile of operation of state automobiles, including depreciation, as determined by the secretary of administration.

20.916(4m)(a)(a) In this subsection, “motorcycle" has the meaning given under s. 340.01 (32).

20.916(4m)(b) (b) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, if any state agency determines that an employee's duties require the use of a motor vehicle, and use of a privately owned motor vehicle is authorized by the agency under similar circumstances, the agency shall authorize the employee to use a privately owned motorcycle for the employee's duties and shall reimburse the employee for the use of the motorcycle at rates determined at least biennially by the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration under sub. (8), subject to the approval of the joint committee on employment relations. No state agency may authorize an employee to use or reimburse an employee for the use of a privately owned motorcycle under this paragraph if more than one individual is transported on the motorcycle. All allowances for the use of a motorcycle shall be paid upon approval and certification of the amounts payable by the head of the state agency for which the employee performs duties to the department of administration.

20.916(5)(a)(a) If the use of a privately owned or chartered aircraft is more efficient and economical for the conduct of state business than commercial transportation, the head of a state agency may authorize an employee to charter an aircraft with or without a pilot; and may authorize any member or employee to use a privately owned aircraft and reimburse the member or employee for such use of a privately owned aircraft at a rate set at least biennially by the division of personnel management in the department of administration under sub. (8), subject to the approval of the joint committee on employment relations.