Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 73, No. 4, April 2000

Legislative Watch

Recently Passed Legislation

Recently passed legislation is a feature of the Legislative Watch column, offered in response to your requests for more information on new laws. To subscribe to the slip laws (acts), send your order with payment to: Document Sales, P.O. Box 7840, Madison, WI 53707-7840. The subscription period is from January 1999 through December 2000. The mailed subscription price is $70 plus applicable sales tax. Save mailing costs by picking up your subscription for $20 plus tax. Pick up orders at Legislative Documents, 202 S. Thornton Ave., Madison, Wis. MasterCard or Visa orders may be placed by calling (800) 362-7253. For information, call (608) 266-3358. To receive a free, single copy of an entire act, please contact Legislative Documents, 202 S. Thornton Ave., Madison, WI 53703, (608) 266-2400. Or access the acts online.

The executive budget act of the 1999 Legislature

1999 Wisconsin Act 9 (vetoed in part)
1999 Assembly Bill 133

Publication date*: Oct. 28, 1999

Relating to: State finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 1999 Legislature.

Effective date: Several sections take effect on different dates. For complete information, please request a full copy of 1999 Wisconsin Act 9. See ordering information at the beginning of this article.

Budget bill modifications, taxes

1999 Wisconsin Act 10 (vetoed in part)
Assembly Bill 1 (October 1999 Special Session)

Publication date*: Nov. 18, 1999

Relating to: Creating a tax rebate for individuals, repealing the school property tax rent credit, reducing the amount that is available under the school levy tax credit, and making an appropriation.

Wisconsin retirement system benefit improvements

1999 Wisconsin Act 11
1999 Assembly Bill 495

Publication date*: Dec. 29, 1999

Relating to: Benefit improvements, interest crediting, variable annuity option, contribution credits for employers, death benefits, credit for legislative service, recognition of income and capital gains and losses in the fixed retirement investment trust and affecting certain actuarial assumptions and liabilities under the Wisconsin retirement system.

Effective dates: This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:
(1) Elimination of transaction amortization account and creation of market recognition account. The treatment of sections 25.17(14)(f), 25.18(1)(a) and (m) and 40.04(3)(intro.), (a), (ab), (am) and (d) of the statutes takes effect on Jan. 1, 2000.

Wisconsin retirement system death benefits

1999 Wisconsin Act 12
1999 Asembly Bill 584

Publication date*: Dec. 29, 1999

Relating to: Death benefits under the Wisconsin retirement system.

State employees health insurance premiums

1999 Wisconsin Act 13
1999 Assembly Bill 329

Publication date*: Dec. 30, 1999

Relating to: Payment of health insurance premiums for state employees activated for military duty in the U.S. armed forces.

Changes to the worker's compensation law

1999 Wisconsin Act 14
1999 Assembly Bill 547

Publication date*: Dec. 30, 1999

Relating to: Various changes to the worker's compensation law.

Effective date: This act takes effect on Jan. 1, 2000, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.

Changes in the unemployment insurance law

1999 Wisconsin Act 15
1999 Senate Bill 255

Publication date*: Dec. 30, 1999

Relating to: Various changes in the unemployment insurance law, granting rule-making authority, making appropriations, and providing penalties.

Effective dates: This act takes effect on the first Sunday after publication, except as follows: (1) The treatment of sections 108.02(12)(a), (b)(intro.) and (bm), 108.09(2)(bm) and (4s), 108.15(3)(e), 108.151(1) and 108.18(2)(b) and (c) of the statutes takes effect on Jan. 1, 2000.

Prohibiting law enforcement traffic citation quotas

1999 Wisconsin Act 16
1999 Assembly Bill 119

Publication date*: Dec. 30, 1999

Relating to: Prohibiting requirements that law enforcement officers meet citation quotas in the enforcement of state and local traffic laws.

Financing for school districts

1999 Wisconsin Act 17
1999 Assembly Bill 576

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Authorizing a school board to create a capital improvement fund and adjusting a school district's revenue limit.

School district boundary disputes

1999 Wisconsin Act 18
1999 Assembly Bill 279

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: School district boundary disputes.

Remedial legislation, various topics

1999 Wisconsin Act 19
1999 Assembly Bill 370

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Distribution of certain state documents; school district reports on programs for school age parents and on special transfer programs; the supervision of nurses and dentists employed by a school board; and the term "limited-English speaking" (suggested as remedial legislation by the department of public instruction).

Disclosure of child abuse and neglect reports

1999 Wisconsin Act 20
1999 Assembly Bill 144

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Disclosure of child abuse and neglect reports for the purpose of investigating or providing services to a person who is subject to a correctional community placement and who is the subject of such a report.

Proper chemical name of GHB

1999 Wisconsin Act 21
1999 Assembly Bill 357

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: The proper chemical name of the controlled substance gamma-butyrolactone (suggested as remedial legislation by the department of justice).

Adopting the nurse licensure compact

1999 Wisconsin Act 22
1999 Assembly Bill 305

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Adopting the nurse licensure compact and granting rule-making authority.

Effective dates: This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:
(1) The repeal and recreation of section 441.11(3) and (4) of the statutes takes effect on April 1, 2000, or the day after publication, whichever is later.

Dieticians as volunteer health providers

1999 Wisconsin Act 23
1999 Assembly Bill 91

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Participation of dieticians in the volunteer health care provider program.

Effective date: (1) Dieticians as volunteer health providers. This act takes effect on Feb. 1, 1999, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.

Sale of forest products at Fort McCoy

1999 Wisconsin Act 24
1999 Senate Bill 92

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Proceeds from the sale of forest products at Fort McCoy and making an appropriation.

Boundary changes of Jackson and Monroe counties

1999 Wisconsin Act 25
1999 Assembly Bill 227

Publication date*: Dec. 31, 1999

Relating to: Changing the boundaries of Jackson County and Monroe County.

*Section 991.11, Wisconsin Statutes 1997-98: Effective date of acts. "Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication as designated" by the secretary of state [the date of publication may not be more than 10 working days after the date of enactment].