2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
June 23, 2021 - Introduced by
Joint Committee on Finance. Referred to Joint
Committee on Finance.
AB407,1,4
1An Act to repeal 13.15 (2) (a);
to amend 13.15 (2) (title), 13.22, 13.90 (1) (intro.)
2and 13.90 (1m) (a); and
to create 13.97, 20.923 (4) (f) 6f., 20.923 (6) (fm) and
3230.08 (2) (fr) of the statutes;
relating to: creating a Legislative Human
4Resources Office.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a Legislative Human Resources Office (LHRO), a nonpartisan
legislative service agency, headed by a director. The Joint Committee on Legislative
Organization appoints the director and the director reports to JCLO. The director
is assigned to executive salary group six, and the director and all LHRO staff hold
positions in the unclassified service of the state civil service system. The LHRO must
perform all of the following duties:
1. Provide human resources services to the legislative branch, as directed by
JCLO.
2. Establish a formal complaint process to review and investigate allegations
of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, violence, or bullying by legislators,
legislative employees, and legislative service agency employees. The office shall
investigate all such allegations, unless the director designates another person or
entity to review and investigate any specific allegation.
3. At all times observe the confidential nature of records, requests, advice,
complaints, reviews, investigations, disciplinary actions, and other information in
its possession relating to human resources matters.
4. Certify to the Department of Administration the payroll for legislative
employees in the assembly and senate and for legislative service agency employees.
In addition, under the bill, the LHRO director must perform the following
duties:
1. Direct the operations of the LHRO staff.
2. Employ, train, and supervise the personnel assigned to the director.
3. Supervise all expenditures of the LHRO.
4. Manage reviews and investigations of the formal complaint process. Upon
completion of an investigation, report the findings to the appropriate legislative
leader or employee supervisor.
5. On a periodic basis, recommend to JCLO improvements to human resources
services and programs.
For further information see the state 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:
AB407,1
1Section
1. 13.15 (2) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB407,2,22
13.15
(2) (title)
Salary and expenses Expenses.
AB407,2
3Section
2. 13.15 (2) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
AB407,3
4Section
3. 13.22 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB407,2,9
513.22 Payroll, legislative employees. The
chief clerk and sergeant at arms
6of each house legislative human resources office shall certify to the department of
7administration the payrolls for legislative employees in
their respective houses the
8assembly and senate. Such certificates shall be approved as provided by the rules
9of each house.
AB407,4
10Section
4. 13.90 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB407,2,1411
13.90
(1) (intro.) The joint committee on legislative organization shall be the
12policy-making board for the legislative reference bureau, the legislative fiscal
13bureau, the legislative audit bureau
, the legislative human resources office, and the
14legislative technology services bureau. The committee shall:
AB407,5
1Section
5. 13.90 (1m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB407,3,52
13.90
(1m) (a) In this subsection, “legislative service agency" means the
3legislative council staff, the legislative audit bureau, the legislative fiscal bureau,
4the legislative reference bureau,
the legislative human resources office, and the
5legislative technology services bureau.
AB407,6
6Section 6
. 13.97 of the statutes is created to read:
AB407,3,12
713.97 Legislative human resources office. There is created a service
8agency known as the “Legislative Human Resources Office,” headed by a director.
9The legislative human resources office shall be strictly nonpartisan and shall at all
10times observe the confidential nature of records, requests, advice, complaints,
11reviews, investigations, disciplinary actions, and other information in its possession
12relating to human resources matters.
AB407,3,13
13(1) Duties of the office. The legislative human resources office shall:
AB407,3,1514
(a) Provide human resources services to the legislative branch, as directed by
15the joint committee on legislative organization.
AB407,3,2016
(b) Establish a formal complaint process to review and investigate allegations
17of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, violence, or bullying by legislators,
18legislative employees, and legislative service agency employees. The office shall
19investigate all such allegations, unless the director designates another person or
20entity to review and investigate any specific allegation.
AB407,3,2221
(c) Certify to the department of administration payroll for legislative service
22agency employees.
AB407,3,24
23(2) Duties of the director. The director of the legislative human resources
24office shall:
AB407,3,2525
(a) Report to the joint committee on legislative organization.
AB407,4,1
1(b) Direct the operations of the staff.
AB407,4,22
(c) Employ, train, and supervise the personnel assigned to the director.
AB407,4,33
(d) Supervise all expenditures of the legislative human resources office.
AB407,4,64
(e) Manage reviews and investigations of the formal complaint process
5established under sub. (1) (b). Upon completion of an investigation, report the
6findings to the appropriate legislative leader or employee supervisor.
AB407,4,87
(f) On a periodic basis, recommend to the joint committee on legislative
8organization improvements to human resources services and programs.
AB407,7
9Section 7
. 20.923 (4) (f) 6f. of the statutes is created to read:
AB407,4,1010
20.923
(4) (f) 6f. Legislature; legislative human resources office: director.
AB407,8
11Section 8
. 20.923 (6) (fm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB407,4,1212
20.923
(6) (fm) Legislative human resources office: all positions.
AB407,9
13Section 9
. 230.08 (2) (fr) of the statutes is created to read:
AB407,4,1414
230.08
(2) (fr) The director and staff of the legislative human resources office.
