This bill authorizes the creation of RTAs in urbanized areas with the same powers and authority as provided RTAs under 2009 Act 28. Under the bill, any two or more municipalities or counties (political subdivisions) may join together to jointly create an RTA if the governing body of each political subdivision adopts a resolution authorizing the political subdivision to become a member of the RTA, each resolution is ratified by the electors at a referendum held in the political subdivision, and the resolutions of all of these political subdivisions are identical. However, Milwaukee County may create an RTA if the Milwaukee County board adopts a resolution authorizing the creation of the RTA and the resolution is ratified by the electors at a referendum held in Milwaukee County. After an RTA is created, any political subdivision may join the RTA if the governing body of the political subdivision adopts a resolution identical to the existing RTA resolutions, the new political subdivision's resolution is ratified by the electors at a referendum held in the political subdivision, and the RTA's board of directors adopts a resolution allowing the new political subdivision to join the RTA. However, a political subdivision may not create or join an RTA under the bill if the political subdivision is already a member of another RTA. Except for Milwaukee County, a county also may not create or join an RTA under the bill unless a municipality located in whole or in part within the county is a member of the RTA. Resolutions creating or joining an RTA must include provisions specifying the number and composition of the RTA's board of directors, and all directors must be elected officials of one or more of the RTA's participating political subdivisions. The jurisdictional area of the RTA is the geographic area formed by the combined territorial boundaries of all political subdivisions that have created or joined the RTA, except that, if the RTA includes a county (other than Milwaukee County), the jurisdictional area includes only that portion of the county that is within the territorial boundaries of municipalities that are also members of the RTA.

The provisions of 2009 Act 28 are recreated to establish the powers and duties of these RTAs. In brief, an RTA's authority is vested in its board of directors and its bylaws govern its management, operations, and administration. An RTA may: operate a transportation system or provide for its operation by contracting with a public or private organization; impose, by its board of directors adopting a resolution, a sales and use tax in the RTA's jurisdictional area at a rate not exceeding 0.5 percent of the sales price if certain conditions are satisfied; acquire property by condemnation; and issue tax-exempt revenue bonds. An RTA has a duty to provide, or contract for the provision of, transit service within the RTA's jurisdictional area. Rates and other charges received by an RTA must be used only for the general expenses and capital expenditures of the RTA, to pay interest, amortization, and retirement charges on the RTA's revenue bonds, and for specific purposes of the RTA and may not be transferred to any political subdivision.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB559, s. 1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table - See PDF for table

AB559, s. 2 Section 2. 20.566 (1) (gc) of the statutes is created to read:

AB559,3,9 20.566 (1) (gc) Administration of transit authority taxes. From the moneys received from the appropriation account under s. 20.835 (4) (gc), the amounts in the schedule for the purpose of administering the transit authority taxes imposed under s. 77.708. Notwithstanding s. 20.001 (3) (a), at the end of the fiscal year the unencumbered balance in this appropriation account shall be transferred to the appropriation account under s. 20.835 (4) (gc).

AB559, s. 3 Section 3. 20.835 (4) (gc) of the statutes is created to read:

AB559,4,6 20.835 (4) (gc) Transit authority taxes. All moneys received from the taxes imposed under s. 77.708, and from the appropriation account under s. 20.566 (1) (gc), for the purpose of distribution to the transit authorities that adopt a resolution imposing taxes under subch. V of ch. 77 which is affirmed by referendum, except that 1.5 percent of those tax revenues collected under subch. V of ch. 77 shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.566 (1) (gc).

AB559, s. 4 Section 4. 32.02 (11) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,4,13 32.02 (11) Any housing authority created under ss. 66.1201 to 66.1211; redevelopment authority created under s. 66.1333; community development authority created under s. 66.1335; local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229, subject to s. 229.844 (4) (c); or local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229; or transit authority created under s. 66.1039.

AB559, s. 5 Section 5. 32.05 (1) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,5,11 32.05 (1) (a) Except as provided under par. (b), a county board of supervisors or a county highway committee when so authorized by the county board of supervisors, a city council, a village board, a town board, a sewerage commission governing a metropolitan sewerage district created by ss. 200.05 or 200.21 to 200.65, the secretary of transportation, a commission created by contract under s. 66.0301, a joint local water authority created by contract under s. 66.0823, a transit authority created under s. 66.1039, a housing authority under ss. 66.1201 to 66.1211, a local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229, a local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229, a redevelopment authority under s. 66.1333 or a community development authority under s. 66.1335 shall make an order providing for the laying out, relocation and improvement of the public highway, street, alley, storm and sanitary sewers, watercourses, water transmission and distribution facilities, mass transit facilities, airport, or other transportation facilities, gas or leachate extraction systems to remedy environmental pollution from a solid waste disposal facility, housing project, redevelopment project, cultural arts facilities, exposition center or exposition center facilities which shall be known as the relocation order. This order shall include a map or plat showing the old and new locations and the lands and interests required. A copy of the order shall, within 20 days after its issue, be filed with the county clerk of the county wherein the lands are located or, in lieu of filing a copy of the order, a plat may be filed or recorded in accordance with s. 84.095.

AB559, s. 6 Section 6. 32.07 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,5,24 32.07 (2) The petitioner shall determine necessity if application is by the state or any commission, department, board or other branch of state government or by a city, village, town, county, school district, board, commission, public officer, commission created by contract under s. 66.0301, joint local water authority under s. 66.0823, transit authority created under s. 66.1039, redevelopment authority created under s. 66.1333, local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229, local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229, housing authority created under ss. 66.1201 to 66.1211 or for the right-of-way of a railroad up to 100 feet in width, for a telegraph, telephone or other electric line, for the right-of-way for a gas pipeline, main or service or for easements for the construction of any elevated structure or subway for railroad purposes.

AB559, s. 7 Section 7. 40.02 (28) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,6,12 40.02 (28) "Employer" means the state, including each state agency, any county, city, village, town, school district, other governmental unit or instrumentality of 2 or more units of government now existing or hereafter created within the state, any federated public library system established under s. 43.19 whose territory lies within a single county with a population of 500,000 or more, a local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229, a transit authority created under s. 66.1039, and a long-term care district created under s. 46.2895, except as provided under ss. 40.51 (7) and 40.61 (3). "Employer" does not include a local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229. Each employer shall be a separate legal jurisdiction for OASDHI purposes.

AB559, s. 8 Section 8. 66.0301 (1) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,7,4 66.0301 (1) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), in this section "municipality" means the state or any department or agency thereof, or any city, village, town, county, school district, public library system, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, sanitary district, farm drainage district, metropolitan sewerage district, sewer utility district, solid waste management system created under s. 59.70 (2), local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229, local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229, local professional football stadium district created under subch. IV of ch. 229, local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229, transit authority created under s. 66.1039, long-term care district under s. 46.2895, water utility district, mosquito control district, municipal electric company, county or city transit commission, commission created by contract under this section, taxation district, regional planning commission, housing authority created under s. 66.1201, redevelopment authority created under s. 66.1333, community development authority created under s. 66.1335, or city-county health department.

AB559, s. 9 Section 9. 66.0903 (1) (d) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, is amended to read:

AB559,7,12 66.0903 (1) (d) "Local governmental unit" means a political subdivision of this state, a special purpose district in this state, an instrumentality or corporation of such a political subdivision or special purpose district, a combination or subunit of any of the foregoing or an instrumentality of the state and any of the foregoing. "Local governmental unit" includes a regional transit authority created under s. 66.1039.

AB559, s. 10 Section 10. 66.1039 of the statutes is created to read:

AB559,7,14 66.1039 Transit authorities. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB559,7,15 (a) "Authority" means a transit authority created under this section.

AB559,7,17 (b) "Bonds" means any bonds, interim certificates, notes, debentures, or other obligations of an authority issued under this section.

AB559,7,18 (c) "Common carrier" means any of the following:

AB559,7,19 1. A common motor carrier, as defined in s. 194.01 (1).

AB559,7,20 2. A contract motor carrier, as defined in s. 194.01 (2).