Chapter 13

13.10(1) (1) Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, all matters before the joint committee on finance which require the affirmative action of the committee, except those related to the receipt of reports for which no committee action is required and except those related to the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, adoption, rejection, enactment or defeat of any bill, resolution, amendment, fiscal estimate or nomination, shall be considered by the committee according to the procedures under this section. The joint committee on finance shall hold regular quarterly meetings and shall hold special meetings upon call of the governor or upon call of the cochairpersons for the purposes of considering matters under this section.

13.10(2) (2) Requests for an appropriation change under s. 13.101 in an amount not exceeding $5,000 and requiring immediate committee action may be resolved by mail ballot to be formally recorded at the next ensuing special or regular meeting. The committee may employ such assistants as it deems necessary and fix their compensation. For the purposes of this section the secretary of administration, or a designated representative, shall serve as secretary of the committee. The state auditor and the director of the legislative fiscal bureau, or their designated representatives, shall attend such meetings if the committee requests.

13.10(3) (3) All requests for action by the committee shall be filed with the secretary of the committee in writing and shall contain a statement of the action requested, the purposes therefor, the statutory provision authorizing or directing the performance of the action, and such other information as the committee may require. The governor shall submit a recommendation on the request to the committee. The committee shall afford all such requests a public hearing and the secretary of the committee shall give public notice of the time and place of such hearing.

13.10(4) (4) All actions under this section shall be determined by a roll call vote. A copy of the minutes shall be signed by the secretary and approved by the presiding officers and be transmitted to the department of administration, the state auditor and the legislative reference bureau. All requests for action by the committee under this section may be approved in whole or in part by the governor and the part approved shall be so ordered, and the part objected to shall be returned to the committee for reconsideration. If the governor neither approves nor objects to a request within 15 working days after the committee takes action on the request, the request is approved in whole. The cochairpersons of the committee shall call a meeting or conduct a mail ballot within 15 working days after receipt of the governor’s objection and if, after reconsideration, two-thirds of the members of the committee by a roll call vote or recorded ballot sustain the original action it shall be so ordered by signature of the cochairpersons of the committee.

13.10(5) (5) Appropriation changes approved by the joint committee on finance shall be reported to the department of administration and expenditures therefrom shall be shown in the state budget report as an additional cost of the state agency or programs to which the changes were made.

13.10 History History: 1981 c. 20 ss. 3b, 3c, 3e, 3g, 3m; 1983 a. 27; 1993 a. 184.

13.101 13.101 Joint committee on finance; appropriation and position changes.

13.101(1) (1) Following the procedures under s. 13.10, the joint committee on finance may take action under this section.

13.101(2) (2) A department, board, commission or agency may request the committee to create or abolish a full-time equivalent position as defined in s. 230.03 (11) or portion thereof in the department, board, commission or agency. Upon receiving such a request, the committee may change the authorized level of full-time equivalent positions in the department, board, commission or agency. The committee may approve a different authorized level of full-time equivalent positions than is requested by the department, board, commission or agency.

13.101(3) (3) 

13.101(3)(a) (a) The committee may supplement, from the appropriations under s. 20.865 (4), the appropriation of any department, board, commission or agency, which is insufficient because of unforeseen emergencies or insufficient to accomplish the purpose for which made, if the committee finds that:

13.101(3)(a)1. 1. An emergency exists;

13.101(3)(a)2. 2. No funds are available for such purposes; and

13.101(3)(a)3. 3. The purposes for which a supplemental appropriation is requested have been authorized or directed by the legislature.

13.101(3)(b) (b) The committee may supplement an appropriation only for the fiscal biennium during which the committee takes the action to supplement the appropriation.

13.101(4) (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. 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.

13.101(4d) (4d) During the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, and for a period of 90 days after termination of the emergency, the committee may transfer under sub. (4) an amount not to exceed $75,000,000 from sum sufficient appropriations, as defined under s. 20.001 (3) (d), to be used for expenditures related to the emergency.

13.101(4m) (4m) The committee may make loans from the appropriation under s. 20.865 (4) (a) to any appropriation from the general fund or any state segregated fund. If a loan upon repayment is credited to the appropriation under s. 20.865 (4) (a), the committee may utilize the loan funds repaid as provided in this section and s. 20.865 (4) (a).

13.101(5) (5) The committee may allot moneys under s. 20.865 (4) (a), (g) and (u) to any state activity to which a federal project has been granted.

13.101(6) (6) 

13.101(6)(a) (a) As an emergency measure necessitated by decreased state revenues and to prevent the necessity for a state tax on general property, the committee may reduce any appropriation made to any board, commission, department, or the University of Wisconsin System, or to any other state agency or activity, by such amount as it deems feasible, not exceeding 25 percent of the appropriations, except appropriations made by ss. 20.255 (2) (ac), (bc), (bh), (cg), and (cr), 20.395 (1), (2) (cq), (eq) to (ex) and (gq) to (gx), (3), (4) (aq) to (ax), and (6) (af), (aq), (ar), and (au), 20.435 (4) (a) and (5) (da), and 20.437 (2) (a) and (dz) or for forestry purposes under s. 20.370 (2), or any other moneys distributed to any county, city, village, town, or school district. Appropriations of receipts and of a sum sufficient shall for the purposes of this section be regarded as equivalent to the amounts expended under such appropriations in the prior fiscal year which ended June 30. All functions of said state agencies shall be continued in an efficient manner, but because of the uncertainties of the existing situation no public funds should be expended or obligations incurred unless there shall be adequate revenues to meet the expenditures therefor. For such reason the committee may make reductions of such appropriations as in its judgment will secure sound financial operations of the administration for said state agencies and at the same time interfere least with their services and activities.

13.101(6)(b) (b) No reduction in any such appropriation may be made under authority of this section until an opportunity to be heard is given, in writing or through publication in the official state paper, to the state agency to which such appropriation is made. Notice of any reduction in appropriations shall be communicated to the state agency affected, and to the department of administration. Thereafter, the secretary of administration shall not release and shall not draw a warrant in payment of any amount exceeding the reduced appropriations.

13.101(7) (7) Whenever in the statutes an appropriation or a portion of an appropriation is available only upon release by the committee, such moneys shall be made available by the committee at such times and in such amounts as the committee may determine to be necessary to adequately provide for the purposes for which they are appropriated, with due regard for the whole amount available for such purposes. If the provision relating to release by the committee is invalid, the appropriation or portion of the appropriation which is subject to such release shall not be invalidated but shall be considered to be made without any condition as to time or manner of release.

13.101(8) (8) No part of any appropriation which is made conditional upon approval by the committee shall be effective and available until approval in writing signed by the governor and at least one of the chairpersons of the committee has been filed with the department of administration.

13.101(9) (9) Releases made by the committee shall be effective only for the fiscal year for which made.

13.101(10) (10) The committee may approve expenditure of moneys received by this state as a part of a block grant under s. 16.54 (2) (a) 2., and may approve a transfer of moneys allocated by the federal government to this state as a part of a block grant for use as a part of another such grant made for different purposes. In this subsection, “block grant” has the meaning given under s. 16.54 (2) (a).

13.101(11) (11) The committee may approve a clean water fund program interest rate change as specified under s. 281.58 (12) (f) or a safe drinking water loan program interest rate change as specified under s. 281.61 (11) (b).

13.101(14) (14) With the concurrence of the joint committee on information policy and technology, direct the department of administration to report to the committee concerning any specific information technology system project in accordance with s. 13.58 (5) (b) 4.

13.101(15) (15) Notwithstanding sub. (3) (a), if the department of administration requests the joint committee on finance to supplement the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ku) from the appropriation under s. 20.865 (4) (g), the committee may supplement the appropriation by not more than $500,000 in any fiscal year to provide a grant to one or more eligible counties if the committee finds that the proposed grantee or grantees are eligible to receive a grant under s. 16.18. Notwithstanding sub. (3) (a), no finding of emergency is required for the committee to act in accordance with this subsection.

13.101(17) (17) From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (2) (gk), the committee may approve expenditure of moneys received by the state under s. 51.06 (6) only to support any state activity, including by the department of veterans affairs, that is conducted or performed on the property that is occupied or managed by the department of health services or the department of corrections on December 30, 2003, at the Northern Center for the Developmentally Disabled.

13.101 History History: 1975 c. 39, 199, 224; 1977 c. 29 ss. 1649, 1656 (15); 1979 c. 1; 1979 c. 34 ss. 1b to 1g, 631j to 631s, 2102 (43) (a), (52) (a); 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 20 ss. 3d to 3v; 1983 a. 27 ss. 5p to 7, 2202 (20) and (42); 1983 a. 538; 1985 a. 29 ss. 22, 3202 (51); 1987 a. 4; 1989 a. 31, 336, 366; 1991 a. 39, 309; 1993 a. 16, 184, 414; 1995 a. 27, 132, 225, 227, 445; 1997 a. 27, 35, 113, 252; 1999 a. 9, 29; 2001 a. 16, 38, 109; 2003 a. 33, 64, 102; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 20 ss. 5, 9121 (6) (a); 2009 a. 28; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59; 2019 a. 185.

13.102 13.102 Joint committee on finance; consideration of biennial budget bill.

13.102(1) (1) The joint committee on finance may not vote to recommend passage of a biennial budget bill or an amendment thereto until the legislative fiscal bureau has distributed a copy of an earmark transparency report on the biennial budget bill, as amended, prepared under s. 13.95 (1r) (b), to each member of the legislature and has made the report available on the legislature’s Internet website.

13.102(2) (2) If a member of the joint committee on finance makes a motion during committee deliberations on a biennial budget bill to remove an earmark, as defined in s. 13.95 (1r) (a), from the biennial budget bill, the motion shall prevail on either a majority or a tie vote.

13.102 History History: 2011 a. 220; 2017 a. 365 s. 112.

13.105 13.105 Marquette University Dental School reports to governor and joint committee on finance. The Marquette University School of Dentistry shall biennially report to the governor and the joint committee on finance on the:

13.105(1) (1) Number of faculty and nonfaculty positions at the dental school.

13.105(2) (2) Average faculty salaries compared to national averages.

13.105(3) (3) Costs per dental student.

13.105(4) (4) Student-faculty ratios of the dental school.

13.105(5) (5) Placement of graduates of the dental program and their rate of retention in this state.

13.105(6) (6) Minority student recruitment policies and programs.

13.105(7) (7) Programs and purposes for which funds appropriated by this state are spent.

13.105 History History: 1973 c. 333.

13.106 13.106 Medical College of Wisconsin and UW-Madison Medical School reports.

13.106(2) (2) The Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School shall submit a biennial report containing financial summaries for the college and school to the governor and the joint committee on finance, in a consistent format and methodology to be developed in consultation with the medical education review committee under s. 39.16.

13.106(3) (3) By October 15 of each even-numbered year, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School shall submit a report to the governor, the joint committee on finance, and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2), that provides information on all of the following:

13.106(3)(ac) (ac) Minority student recruitment policies and programs of each medical school, and the number of minority students enrolled.

13.106(3)(ag) (ag) Number and percentages of Wisconsin residents enrolled.

13.106(3)(aL) (aL) Average faculty salaries compared to national averages.

13.106(3)(ap) (ap) Development of cooperative educational programs with other institutions throughout this state.

13.106(3)(at) (at) Placement of graduates of doctor of medicine and residency training programs.

13.106(3)(ax) (ax) The financial status of the family practice residency sites.

13.106(3)(b) (b) The number of family practice residents choosing to practice in medically underserved areas of the state upon graduation.

13.106(3)(c) (c) The number of graduates entering family practice as a career.

13.106(4) (4) 

13.106(4)(a) (a) In this subsection, “rural or underserved urban medicine program” includes the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine, the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health program, any community medical education program of the Medical College of Wisconsin, and any other rural or underserved urban medicine program established after July 2, 2013.

13.106(4)(b) (b) By October 15 of each even-numbered year, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) that provides information on all of the following:

13.106(4)(b)1. 1. The number of students enrolled in rural or underserved urban medicine programs.

13.106(4)(b)2. 2. The medical specialties and residency locations of the students in rural or underserved urban medicine programs.

13.106(4)(b)3. 3. The initial postresidency practice locations for graduates of rural or underserved urban medicine programs.

13.106 History History: 1973 c. 333; 1977 c. 418; 1983 a. 524; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 54; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 184.

13.11 13.11 Records of joint committee on finance. The joint committee on finance shall keep a complete record of all legislation referred to it, and of its proceedings thereon. At the close of the session, such record shall be transmitted to the chief clerks and deposited by them with the secretary of state. The secretary of state, upon request therefor, shall deliver any such records of previous sessions to the joint committee on finance. Records so delivered shall be returned to the secretary of state by the cochairpersons of the committee at or before the close of the session.

13.11 History History: 1993 a. 184.

13.111 13.111 Joint committee on employment relations.

13.111(1) (1) Creation. There is created a permanent joint legislative committee known as the joint committee on employment relations with such powers and authority as are provided by law and composed of the following 8 members:

13.111(1)(a) (a) Senate cochairperson, joint committee on finance.

13.111(1)(b) (b) Assembly cochairperson, joint committee on finance.

13.111(1)(c) (c) Assembly majority leader.

13.111(1)(d) (d) Assembly minority leader.

13.111(1)(e) (e) Senate majority leader.

13.111(1)(f) (f) Senate minority leader.

13.111(1)(g) (g) Speaker of the assembly.

13.111(1)(h) (h) President of the senate.

13.111(2) (2) Duties. The joint committee on employment relations shall perform the functions assigned to it under subch. V of ch. 111, subch. II of ch. 230 and ss. 16.53 (1) (d) 1., 20.916, 20.917, and 20.923.

13.111 History History: 1971 c. 270; 1977 c. 196 s. 131; 1977 c. 325, 418; 1979 c. 34; 1979 c. 177 s. 86; 1983 a. 27 s. 2201 (33); 1983 a. 30 s. 13; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 10.

13.121 13.121 Legislators’ salaries and benefits.

13.121(1) (1) Current member. From the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b), each member of the legislature shall be paid, in equal installments, the salary provided under s. 20.923.

13.121(2) (2) Deceased Member. The salary of any member who dies during a term of office shall be paid for each pay period to a beneficiary named by the member in writing and filed with the chief clerk of the house in which the member serves, until a personal representative has been appointed and qualified, and then to such personal representative until a successor has been elected and qualified. When any person elected a member dies before commencement of the term of office to which the person is elected, the person shall be deemed a member dying during such term of office and the person’s salary shall be paid for each pay period to the person’s estate or personal representative until a successor is elected and qualified.

13.121(3) (3) Speaker. For services as speaker, the speaker of the assembly shall receive $25 per month, payable monthly, in addition to the speaker’s compensation, expenses and mileage as a member.

13.121(4) (4) Insurance. For the purpose of premium determinations under s. 40.05 (4) and (5) each member of the legislature shall accrue sick leave at a rate equivalent to a percentage of time worked recommended for such positions by the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration and approved by the joint committee on employment relations in the same manner as compensation for such positions is determined under s. 20.923. This percentage of time worked shall be applied to the sick leave accrual rate established under s. 230.35 (2). The approved percentage shall be incorporated into the compensation plan under s. 230.12 (1).

13.121 History History: 1973 c. 51, 243; 1977 c. 196 s. 131; 1981 c. 96 s. 67; 1983 a. 27 ss. 8, 9, 2202 (33); 1991 a. 316; 2003 a. 33 ss. 11, 12, 9160; 2005 a. 25; 2015 a. 55.

13.123 13.123 Legislators’ expenses.

13.123(1) (1) In-session expenses.

13.123(1)(a) (a)

13.123(1)(a)1. 1. Any member of the legislature who has signified, by affidavit filed with the department of administration, the necessity of establishing a temporary residence at the state capital for the period of any regular or special legislative session shall be entitled to an allowance for expenses incurred for food and lodging for each day that he or she is in Madison on legislative business, but not including any Saturday or Sunday unless the legislator is in actual attendance on such day at a session of the legislature or a meeting of a standing committee of which the legislator is a member. The amount of the allowance for each biennial session shall be 90 percent of the per diem rate for travel for federal government business within the city of Madison, as established by the federal general services administration. For the purpose of determining the amount of the allowance, the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration shall certify to the chief clerk of each house the federal per diem rate in effect on December 1, or the first business day thereafter if December 1 is not a business day, in each even-numbered year. Each legislator shall file an affidavit with the chief clerk of his or her house certifying the specific dollar amount within the authorized allowance the member wishes to receive. Such affidavit, when filed, shall remain in effect for the biennial session.

13.123(1)(a)2. 2. Any legislator may, if the legislator chooses not to establish a temporary residence at the state capital, claim one-half of the allowance under subd. 1. for each of the days authorized thereunder.

13.123(1)(b) (b) No allowance shall be paid under this subsection for any day during a recess of the legislature for 30 days or more unless so provided by joint resolution adopted by both houses of the legislature.

13.123(1)(c) (c) Each member shall certify to the chief clerk of the house in which the member serves, as promptly as may be following the 1st of each month, the number of days during the previous calendar month on which the member was in Madison on legislative business and for which the member seeks the allowance provided by this subsection. Such allowances shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b) within one week after each calendar month; and shall be paid, upon the filing with the department of administration, the chief clerk’s affidavit stating the number of days in Madison on legislative business for all members of the chief clerk’s house.