AB1038: Bill Text

This bill prohibits DHS from requiring an ambulance service provider, emergency medical services practitioner, or emergency medical responder that holds a credential to renew the credential or to meet renewal requirements during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72. Under the bill, a renewal that occurs after the emergency period is not considered a late renewal if the application to renew the credential is received before the next applicable renewal date, and DHS may, for that next applicable renewal date, provide an exemption from or reduction of continuing education or other conditions for renewal. Current law requires licenses for ambulance service providers and emergency medical services practitioners and certificates for emergency medical responders to be renewed every three years. Currently, emergency medical services practitioners must complete training, education, or examination requirements set by DHS to renew their licenses. Current law requires ambulance service providers must provide a financial report and a certification by each governmental unit in the service or contract area for license renewal. Currently, emergency medical responders must take a refresher course to renew their certificates.

Child Care and Development Fund block grant funding

Under this bill, federal Child Care and Development Fund block grant funds received by the state under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 are credited to federal block grant appropriations and the purposes for the expenditure of those funds are subject to passive review by the Joint Committee on Finance.

10.

Housing

Deadline for applying for heating assistance

Under current law, a household may apply for heating assistance under DOA's low-income energy assistance program after September 30 and before May 16 of any year. Under this bill, applications may be submitted at any time in calendar year 2020.

11.

INSURANCE

Payments for services by out-of-network providers

During the public health emergency declared by the governor or by the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill prohibits a defined network plan, including a health maintenance organization, or preferred provider plan from requiring an enrollee of the plan to pay more for a service, treatment, or supply provided by an out-of-network provider than if the service, treatment, or supply is provided by a provider that is participating in the plan's network. This prohibition applies to any service, treatment, or supply that is related to diagnosis or treatment for COVID-19 and any service, treatment, or supply that is provided by a provider that is not a participating provider because a participating provider is unavailable due to the public health emergency. For a service, treatment, or supply provided under those circumstances, the bill requires the plan to reimburse the out-of-network provider at 225 percent of the federal Medicare program rate. Also under those circumstances, any health care provider or facility that provides a service, treatment, or supply to an enrollee of a plan but is not a participating provider of that plan shall accept as payment in full any payment by a plan that is at least 225 percent of the federal Medicare program rate and may not charge the enrollee an amount that exceeds the amount the provider or facility is reimbursed by the plan.

Prohibiting coverage discrimination based on COVID-19 diagnosis

This bill prohibits insurers that offer an individual or group health benefit plan, pharmacy benefit managers, or self-insured governmental health plans from doing any of the following based on a current or past diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19: establishing rules for the eligibility of any individual, employer, or group to enroll or remain enrolled in a plan or for the renewal of coverage under the plan; cancelling coverage during a contract term; setting rates for coverage; or refusing to grant a grace period for payment of a premium that would generally be granted.

Prohibiting certain prescription drugs coverage limits

The bill prohibits insurers that offer health insurance, self-insured governmental health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers from requiring prior authorization for early refills of a prescription drug or otherwise restricting the period of time in which a prescription drug may be refilled and from imposing a limit on the quantity of prescription drugs that may be obtained if the quantity is no more than a 90-day supply. These prohibitions do not apply if the prescription drug is a controlled substance.

Liability insurance for physicians and nurse anesthetists

This bill specifies that, during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, a physician or nurse anesthetist for whom Wisconsin is not a principal place of practice but who is temporarily authorized to practice in Wisconsin may fulfill financial responsibility requirements by filing with the commissioner of insurance a certificate of insurance for a policy of health care liability insurance issued by an insurer authorized in a certain jurisdiction specified in the bill and may elect to be covered by Wisconsin's health care liability laws.

Coverage of COVID-19 testing without cost sharing

The bill requires every health insurance policy and every self-insured governmental health plan that generally covers testing for infectious disease to provide coverage of testing for COVID-19 without imposing any copayment or coinsurance before March 13, 2021. A health insurance policy is referred to in the bill as a disability insurance policy.

12.

legislature

Transfer of moneys from sum sufficient appropriations

The Joint Committee on Finance may currently transfer moneys between sum certain and continuing appropriations if JCF finds that unnecessary duplication of functions can be eliminated, more efficient and effective methods for performing programs will result, or legislative intent will be more effectively carried out because of the transfer.

This bill authorizes JCF to transfer moneys from sum sufficient appropriations during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72 and for 90 days after the end of the emergency. The total amount that may be transferred from all sum sufficient appropriations during the emergency may not exceed $75,000,000.

Audit of programs and expenditures under this act

Under this bill, beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending on June 30, 2021, the Legislative Audit Bureau must review programs affected by this act and expenditures authorized under this act and must report the results of its reviews at least quarterly to the legislature and to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

13.

local government

Board of review meeting

Under current law, a town, city, or village annually convenes a meeting of the board of review to hear objections to local assessments. The board must meet during the 45-day period beginning on the fourth Monday in April, but no sooner than seven days after the last day on which the property tax assessment roll is open for public examination. If the assessment roll is not complete in time for the board's first meeting, the board meets, but adjourns until the roll is complete. Under the bill, regardless of whether the 2020 assessment roll is complete at the time of the 45-day period beginning on the 4th Monday of April, the board may publish a notice that the board has adjourned and will proceed as provided under current law.

Annual town meeting

Under current law, a town is required to hold an annual town meeting. The town meeting must be held on the third Tuesday of April, except that the town may set another date within ten days after the third Tuesday of April. This bill allows a town board or, if the town board is unable to promptly meet, the town chair to postpone the town meeting so that it does not occur during the period beginning on the first day of the public health emergency declared by the governor by executive order 72 and ending 60 days after the termination of that order.

14.

OCCUPATIONAL REGULATION

Health care provider credential renewals

This bill exempts certain health care provider credentials issued by credentialing boards in the Department of Safety and Professional Services from having to be renewed during the period covered by the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, through the 60th day after the conclusion of that emergency (exemption period).

For the next applicable renewal period after the exemption period, the credential holder is not subject to any late renewal fee, and the applicable credentialing board may provide an exemption from or reduction of continuing education or other renewal requirements.

Temporary credentials for former health care providers

This bill authorizes former health care providers to obtain a temporary credential granted by DSPS and provide health care services for which they have been previously licensed or certified. Under the bill, DSPS may grant a temporary credential to a person who applies and was at any time during the previous five years, but is not currently, any of the following, if the person's credential was never revoked, limited, suspended, or denied renewal: 1) a physician, physician assistant, or perfusionist; 2) a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or nurse-midwife; 3) a dentist; 4) a pharmacist; 5) a psychologist; 6) a social worker; 7) a marriage and family therapist; 8) a professional counselor; 9) a clinical substance abuse counselor; or 10) a practitioner holding a credential to practice a profession identified by DHS. A temporary credential granted under the bill expires 90 days after the conclusion of the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72.

Current law generally prohibits a person from engaging in certain health care–related practices without holding a required credential.

The bill also authorizes DSPS, during the public health emergency, to waive fees for applications for an initial credential and renewal of a credential for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and certain behavioral health providers.

Temporary credentials for health care providers from other states

This bill authorizes health care providers licensed in another state or territory to obtain a temporary credential granted by DSPS and provide health care services for which they are licensed or certified. Under the bill, DSPS may grant a temporary credential to a person who applies and holds a valid, unexpired credential granted by another state or territory that authorizes the person to act as any of the following: 1) a physician, physician assistant, or perfusionist; 2) a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or nurse-midwife; 3) a dentist; 4) a pharmacist; 5) a psychologist; 6) a social worker; 7) a marriage and family therapist; 8) a professional counselor; 9) a clinical substance abuse counselor; or 10) a practitioner holding a credential to practice a profession identified by DHS. A temporary credential granted under the bill expires 90 days after the conclusion of the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72.

Current law generally prohibits a person from engaging in certain health-care related practices without holding a required credential.

The bill also authorizes DSPS, during the public health emergency, to waive fees for applications for an initial credential and renewal of a credential for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and certain behavioral health providers.

15.

public utilities

Loans to municipal utilities for the purpose of maintaining liquidity

Under current law, the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands manages the common school fund, the normal school fund, the university fund, and the agricultural college fund (trust funds). Current law authorizes the BCPL to manage and invest moneys belonging to the trust funds in good faith and with the care an ordinary prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances.

On March, 11, 2020, the governor issued emergency order 11 in connection with the COVID-19 public health emergency. EO 11 suspended certain rules of the Public Service Commission to ensure that customers of public utilities do not experience a loss of service during the public health emergency. EO 11 also required that deferred payment agreements be made available not only to residential customers but also commercial, farm, and industrial customers of public utilities.

This bill authorizes the BCPL to loan moneys belonging to the trust funds to municipal utilities to ensure that municipal utilities are able to maintain liquidity during the COVID-19 public health emergency. A municipal utility is a public utility that is a city, village, or town, or that is wholly owned or operated by a city, village, or town.

16.

retirement and group insurance

WRS annuities for certain annuitants returning to work during public health emergency

This bill allows an annuitant who is hired during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, by a public employer as an employee or to provide employee services to elect to not suspend his or her annuity for the duration of the declared public health emergency if the position for which the annuitant is hired is a critical position. Under current law, if a Wisconsin Retirement System annuitant, or a disability annuitant who has attained his or her normal retirement date, is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer, or provides employee services to a WRS-participating employer in which he or she is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds, the annuity must be suspended and no annuity payment is payable until after the participant again terminates covered employment.

Also under current law, a WRS participant who has applied to receive a retirement annuity must wait at least 75 days between terminating covered employment with a WRS employer and returning to covered employment again as a participating employee. This bill reduces that period to 15 days for individuals who are hired to a critical position during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72.

Employees returning from a leave of absence

Under the bill, for the purposes of group health insurance offered by the group insurance board, an employee who returns from a leave of absence and who has not resumed active duty for at least 30 consecutive calendar days on March 12, 2020, is deemed to have ended or interrupted the leave of absence on that date.

17.

state government

Refunding certain general obligation debt

This bill increases the amount of state public debt that may be contracted to refund any unpaid indebtedness used to finance tax-supported or self-amortizing facilities from $6,785,000,000 to $7,510,000,000.

Suspension of deadlines and training requirements

This bill authorizes state agencies, authorities, local governments, the legislature, and the courts to suspend, during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, deadlines and training requirements that they administer or enforce. The bill excludes deadlines relating to the filing or payment of taxes and deadlines relating to an election.

18.

taxation

Internal Revenue Code updates; federal tax law changes, coronavirus

This bill makes a number of changes to conform Wisconsin's tax law to federal tax law changes enacted in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The bill includes the following changes:

1. Exempts from otherwise applicable penalties certain taxable year 2020 distributions from a retirement account qualified under the Internal Revenue Code, and exempts from income taxation these distributions subject to a number of conditions.

2. Creates additional deductions, for taxable year 2020, for certain individual charitable contributions, and suspends the limitations on certain individual and corporate charitable deductions. The suspension of limitations applies to contributions made in calendar year 2020 only, although certain amounts donated in 2020 may be carried forward to future years.

3. Clarifies that an individual's health insurance plan is still treated as a high deductible plan even if it fails to provide a deductible for telehealth and other remote care services.

4. Conforms state law to federal law regarding the treatment of paycheck protection loans to businesses and employees under the small business administration's loan guarantee program for the period of time from February 15, 2020, through June 30, 2020. A portion of the loans may be forgiven on a tax-free basis under certain conditions.

5. Provides an exclusion from income for certain student loan principal and interest payments made by an employer on behalf of an employee, subject to the same current law cap of $5,250 in payments for qualified educational expenses made on behalf of an employee by an employer. This provision applies to payments made from March 28, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

6. Corrects a drafting error in the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to provide a 15-year recovery period for qualified improvement property.

Authority to waive interest and penalties for general fund and transportation fund taxes

This bill authorizes the secretary of revenue to waive, for any person who fails to remit general fund taxes or transportation fund taxes and fees by their due date, the interest and penalties that accrue during the period covered by the COVID-19 public health emergency if the due date falls within that period and the secretary determines that the person's failure is due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interest on late property tax payments

Under current law, a late installment payment of property taxes is subject to interest and penalties, with the interest accruing from February 1 of the year in which the taxes are due. Under this bill, for property taxes payable in 2020, after making a general or case-by-case finding of hardship, a municipality may provide that an installment payment due after April 1, 2020, that is received after its due date will not accrue interest or penalties if the total amount due is received on or before October 1, 2020. Interest and penalties will accrue from October 1, 2020, for any property taxes payable in 2020 that are delinquent after October 1, 2020.

Claims for recovery of unlawful taxes and excessive assessments

Current law allows a person to file a claim to recover the unlawful imposition of property taxes or a claim for the excessive assessment of property taxes. However, no person may file a claim for recovery of unlawful taxes or excessive assessment unless the person has paid his or her property taxes on time. The bill provides that this restriction does not apply to taxes due and payable in 2020 if paid by October 1, 2020, or by any installment date for which taxes are due after October 1, 2020.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

This proposal may contain a health insurance mandate requiring a social and financial impact report under s. 601.423, stats.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

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:

AB1038,1 Section 1 . 13.101 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1038,19,16 13.101 (4) The committee may transfer between appropriations and programs if the committee finds that unnecessary duplication of functions can be eliminated, more efficient and effective methods for performing programs will result or legislative intent will be more effectively carried out because of such transfer, if legislative intent will not be changed as the result of such transfer and the purposes for which the transfer is requested have been authorized or directed by the legislature. The authority to transfer between appropriations includes the authority to transfer between 2 fiscal years of the same biennium, between 2 appropriations of the same agency and between an appropriation of one agency and an appropriation of a different agency. No transfer between appropriations or programs may be made to offset deficiencies arising from the lack of adequate expenditure controls by a department, board, institution, commission or agency. The Except as provided in sub. (4d), the authority to transfer between appropriations shall not include the authority to transfer from sum sufficient appropriations as defined under s. 20.001 (3) (d) to other types of appropriations.