Chapter 13

13.20 13.20 Legislative employees.

13.20(1) (1) Number and pay range of legislative employees. The legislature or either house thereof may employ under the unclassified service such policy research personnel, assistants to legislators, and research staff assigned to legislative committees and such clerical, professional, or other assistants as in the judgment of the joint committee on legislative organization or the committee on organization in each house are necessary to enable it to perform its functions and duties and to best serve the people of this state, except that the legislature or a house thereof may not employ a person for, or assign a person to, a party caucus.

13.20(2) (2) Pay ranges; duration of employment. All legislative employees shall be paid in accordance with the compensation and classification plan for employees in the classified civil service within ranges approved by the joint committee on legislative organization. The administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration shall make recommendations concerning a compensation and classification schedule for legislative employees if requested to do so by the joint committee on legislative organization or by the committee on organization of either house. If the joint committee does not approve pay ranges for legislative employees, the committee on organization of either house may approve pay ranges for its employees. Appointments shall be made for the legislative session, unless earlier terminated by the appointing officer.

13.20(3) (3) Application. This section does not apply to employees of any legislative branch agency created under this chapter which is authorized, or the head of which is authorized, to appoint subordinate staff.

13.20 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 196 ss. 130 (10), 131; 1977 c. 273; 1979 c. 34; 2001 a. 19; 2003 a. 33 ss. 20, 9160; 2015 a. 55.

13.21 13.21 State departments to cooperate in providing legislative help.

13.21(1) (1) Because of the difficulty in securing necessary help to fill legislative positions in regular sessions of the legislature, due to the manpower shortage, each department and agency of the state government and the employees thereof shall cooperate with the legislature to the fullest extent in the transfer to the legislature of such employees as are necessary to fill all legislative positions.

13.21(2) (2) All employees so transferred shall receive such compensation as is prescribed by law for such legislative positions. Such employees shall continue their civil service rating, sick leave, vacation and other rights under ch. 230 and after termination of their employment in such legislative positions shall be returned to the respective departments and agencies from which they were transferred for resumption of their regular employment.

13.21 History History: 1977 c. 196 s. 131.

13.22 13.22 Payroll, legislative employees. The chief clerk and sergeant at arms of each house shall certify to the department of administration the payrolls for legislative employees in their respective houses. Such certificates shall be approved as provided by the rules of each house.

13.23 13.23 Election contests; notice. Any person wishing to contest the election of any senator or member of the assembly shall, within 30 days after the decision of the board of canvassers, serve a notice in writing on the person whose election the contestant intends to contest, stating briefly that the election will be contested and the cause of such contest, and shall file a copy thereof in the office of the elections commission at least 10 days before the day fixed by law for the meeting of the legislature. The elections commission shall then send a copy of s. 13.24 to both contestants. If any contestant fails to so file a copy of such notice, the contestant shall not be entitled to any mileage or salary in case payment has been made therefor to the sitting member.

13.23 History History: 1973 c. 334 s. 57; 1991 a. 316; 2007 a. 1; 2015 a. 118.

13.235 13.235 Election contests; legislative inquiry.

13.235(1) (1) Either house of the legislature may by resolution inquire into a contested legislative election of its own house notwithstanding failure to comply with s. 13.23.

13.235(2) (2) The procedure of s. 13.24 shall be followed except that depositions so taken shall be received by the presiding officer of the house within 30 days after jurisdiction of the contest has been taken by the house. If authorized by the resolution in sub. (1), the house or a committee of the house may take testimony on matters not covered in the depositions.

13.235(3) (3) If a member takes the oath while the member’s seat is being contested, the member shall not be considered seated until the contest is resolved. Any election contest shall be resolved by a majority vote of the house.

13.235 History History: 1991 a. 316.

13.24 13.24 Testimony in election contests.

13.24(1) (1) After the service of the notice required by s. 13.23 either party may proceed to take the depositions of witnesses before any judge, circuit or supplemental court commissioner or a municipal judge in the district where the contest is pending, upon giving 10 days’ notice in writing to the opposite party of the time and place at which and the officer before whom such depositions will be taken. No deposition shall be taken after the last Monday preceding the day fixed by law for the meeting of the legislature, except in case of sickness or unavoidable absence of witnesses.

13.24(2) (2) The officer before whom such depositions are taken shall carefully envelope and seal up the same, endorse on the envelope the names of the contestant and contestee, and direct the depositions so endorsed to the presiding officer of the house of the legislature by which the contest is to be determined.

13.24(3) (3) The depositions so taken may be used and read in evidence by either party upon the hearing of such contest, and no other depositions than those so taken shall be used or heard, nor shall such house of the legislature, by its committees or otherwise, hear or seek to procure other testimony, but shall proceed forthwith to determine the contest upon the depositions so furnished.

13.24 History History: 1977 c. 305 s. 64; 1983 a. 36 s. 96 (2); 2001 a. 61.

13.25 13.25 Expenses of election contest; limitation. Not more than $300 shall be allowed by the legislature to any contestant or contestee for any fees or expenses of any kind incurred in a contest over a seat in either house of the legislature.

13.25 History History: 1983 a. 36 s. 96 (2).

13.26 13.26 Contempt.

13.26(1) (1) Each house may punish as a contempt, by imprisonment, a breach of its privileges or the privileges of its members; but only for one or more of the following offenses:

13.26(1)(a) (a) Arresting a member or officer of the house, or procuring such member or officer to be arrested in violation of the member’s privilege from arrest.

13.26(1)(b) (b) Disorderly conduct in the immediate view of either house or of any committee thereof and directly tending to interrupt its proceedings.

13.26(1)(c) (c) Refusing to attend or be examined as a witness, either before the house or a committee, or before any person authorized to take testimony in legislative proceedings, or to produce any books, records, documents, papers or keys according to the exigency of any subpoena.

13.26(1)(d) (d) Giving or offering a bribe to a member, or attempting by menace or other corrupt means or device to control or influence a member’s vote or to prevent the member from voting.

13.26(2) (2) The term of imprisonment a house may impose under this section shall not extend beyond the same session of the legislature.

13.26 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1997 a. 35.

13.26 Annotation The legislature cannot sentence a person to confinement for contempt without notice and without giving an opportunity to respond to the charge. Groppi v. Leslie, 404 U.S. 496, 92 S. Ct. 582, 30 L. Ed. 2d 632 (1972).

13.26 Annotation Power of a legislature to punish for contempt. Boer. 1973 WLR 268.

13.27 13.27 Punishment for contempt.

13.27(1) (1) Whenever either house of the legislature orders the imprisonment of any person for contempt under s. 13.26 such person shall be committed to the Dane County jail, and the jailer shall receive and detain the person in close confinement for the term specified in the order of imprisonment, unless the person is sooner discharged by the order of such house or by due course of law.

13.27(2) (2) Any person who is adjudged guilty of any contempt of the legislature or either house thereof shall be deemed guilty also of a misdemeanor, and after the adjournment of such legislature, may be prosecuted therefor in Dane County, and may be fined not more than $200 or imprisoned not more than one year in the county jail.

13.27 History History: 1991 a. 316.

13.28 13.28 Interpellation of officers.

13.28(1) (1) Upon the petition of 6 members of the senate, not more than 4 of whom belong to the same political party, or of 17 members of the assembly, not more than 9 of whom belong to the same political party, any appointive state officer shall appear before that house of the legislature to which the petitioning members belong, to answer written and oral interrogatories relative to any matter, function or work of such officer, relative to any act, omission or other matter pertaining to the powers or privileges exercised or duties performed by the officer or by any employee or subordinate of such officer, relative to the manner, conditions or terms of the officer’s appointment or of any appointment made by the officer or relative to any act, omission or conduct unbecoming the position of any such officer. Such petition shall be in writing, shall be accompanied by written interrogatories, shall be signed by the petitioning members and shall be filed with the presiding officer of that house of the legislature to which such petitioning members belong.

13.28(2) (2) Upon the joint petition of 6 members of the senate, not more than 4 of whom belong to the same political party, and 17 members of the assembly, not more than 9 of whom belong to the same political party, filed with the presiding officer of the senate, requesting an examination of any appointive state officer made subject thereto by sub. (1) before a joint session of the 2 houses of the legislature, such officer shall appear before such joint session and answer written and oral interrogatories as to any matters included in sub. (1).

13.28 History History: 1983 a. 36 s. 96 (2); 1991 a. 316.

13.29 13.29 Time for interpellation and procedure.

13.29(1) (1) Upon the filing of any petition, under s. 13.28, the presiding officer with whom the petition is filed, shall fix a time not later than 20 days after the filing of the petition, for the meeting of that house of the legislature, or the joint session of the legislature, as the case may be, before which such interrogation and examination shall be held. A notice of such meeting, together with a copy of the written interrogatories, shall be forthwith delivered to the officer named therein.

13.29(2) (2) The legislature may adopt rules to govern such examinations. All proceedings, including all questions and answers, shall be fully recorded and a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the governor within 30 days after the close of the examination.

13.29 History History: 1983 a. 36 s. 96 (2).

13.30 13.30 State officers; removal by legislature. Any appointive state officer after being examined under ss. 13.28 and 13.29 may be removed by the legislature by joint resolution adopted in each house by a majority of the members elected to such house. The power to remove appointive state officers provided in this section is additional to and shall not be construed as destroying the right of removal by other persons.

13.31 13.31 Witnesses; how subpoenaed. The attendance of witnesses before any committee of the legislature, or of either house thereof, appointed to investigate any subject matter, may be procured by subpoenas signed by the presiding officer and chief clerk of the senate or assembly. Such subpoenas shall state when and where, and before whom, the witness is required to appear, and may require such attendance forthwith or on a future day named and the production of books, records, documents and papers therein to be designated, and may also require any officer of any corporation or limited liability company, or other person having the custody of the keys, books, records, documents or papers of any such business entity, to produce the same before such committee. Such subpoenas may be served by any person and shall be returned to the chief clerk of the house which issued the same as subpoenas from the circuit court are served and returned.

13.31 History History: 1993 a. 112.

13.32 13.32 Summary process; custody of witness.

13.32(1) (1) Upon the return of a subpoena issued under s. 13.31, duly served, and upon filing with the presiding officer of the house from which the subpoena issued a certificate of the chairperson of the committee certifying that any person named therein failed or neglected to appear before the committee in obedience to the mandate of such subpoena, summary process to compel the attendance of such person shall be issued.

13.32(2) (2) Such summary process shall be signed by the presiding officer and chief clerk of the house which issued the subpoena, and shall be directed to the sergeant at arms thereof commanding the sergeant at arms “in the name of the state of Wisconsin” to take the body of the person so failing to attend, naming that person, and bring the person forthwith before the house whose subpoena the person disobeyed. When so arrested the person shall be taken before the committee desiring to examine the person as a witness, or to obtain from the person books, records, documents or papers for their use as evidence, and when before such committee such person shall testify as to the matters concerning which the person is interrogated.

13.32(3) (3) When such person is not on examination before such committee the person shall remain in the custody of the sergeant at arms or in the custody of some person specially deputed for that purpose; and the officer having charge of the person shall from time to time take the person before such committee until the chairperson of the committee certifies that the committee does not wish to examine such person further. Thereupon such witness shall be taken before the house which issued the summary process and that house shall order the release of the witness, or may proceed to punish the witness for any contempt of such house in not complying with the requirement of this chapter or of any writ issued or served as herein provided.

13.32 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 184.

13.33 13.33 Service of process. Either house ordering any summary process may also direct the sergeant at arms to specially depute some competent person to execute the same, and such deputation shall be endorsed on such process in writing over the signature of the sergeant at arms to whom the same is directed. The person so deputed shall have the same power as the sergeant at arms in respect thereto, and shall execute the same according to the mandate thereof, and for that purpose the sergeant at arms or the deputy may call to his or her aid the power of the county wherein such writ is to be executed the same as the sheriff of such county could do for the purpose of arresting a person charged with crime under process issued by a court of competent jurisdiction; and any sergeant at arms having any person in custody by virtue of any such summary process may depute any other person to have charge of the person so in custody, and the person so deputed shall have the same power over such person as is conferred upon the sergeant at arms.

13.33 History History: 1991 a. 316.

13.34 13.34 Refusal to testify. Every refusal to testify or answer any question, or to produce keys, books, records, documents or papers before any committee included within s. 13.31 shall be forthwith certified to the proper house by the chairperson of such committee. Such certificate shall be transmitted, and the person so refusing taken, by the sergeant at arms or an assistant to the sergeant at arms, before such house to be dealt with according to law.

13.34 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 184.

13.35 13.35 Liability of witness.

13.35(1) (1) No person who is required to testify before either house of the legislature or a committee thereof, or joint committee of the 2 houses, and is examined and so testifies, shall be held to answer criminally in any court or be subject to any penalty or forfeiture for any fact or act touching which the person is required to testify and as to which the person has been examined and has testified, and no testimony so given nor any paper, document or record produced by any such person before either house of the legislature or any such committee shall be competent testimony or be used in any trial or criminal proceeding against such person in any court, except upon a prosecution for perjury committed in giving such testimony; and no witness shall be allowed to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any papers, documents or records touching which the person is examined before either house or any such committee, for the reason that the testimony touching such fact, or the production of such papers, documents or records may tend to disgrace the person or otherwise render the person infamous.

13.35(2) (2) The immunity provided under sub. (1) is subject to the restrictions under s. 972.085.

13.35 History History: 1989 a. 122, 359.

13.36 13.36 Witness fees. The compensation of all witnesses who are subpoenaed and appear pursuant to s. 13.31 shall be $2 for each day’s attendance and 10 cents per mile, one way, for travel to attend as such witness. The department of administration shall audit the accounts of such witnesses upon the certificate of the chairperson of the committee before which any such witness has attended, stating the number of days’ attendance and the distance the witness has traveled, and the accounts so audited shall be paid out of the state treasury and charged to the appropriation for the legislature.

13.36 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 184.

13.365 13.365 Intervention. Pursuant to s. 803.09 (2m), when a party to an action challenges in state or federal court the constitutionality of a statute, facially or as applied, challenges a statute as violating or preempted by federal law, or otherwise challenges the construction or validity of a statute, as part of a claim or affirmative defense:

13.365(1) (1) The committee on assembly organization may intervene at any time in the action on behalf of the assembly. The committee on assembly organization may obtain legal counsel other than from the department of justice, with the cost of representation paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (a), to represent the assembly in any action in which the assembly intervenes.

13.365(2) (2) The committee on senate organization may intervene at any time in the action on behalf of the senate. The committee on senate organization may obtain legal counsel other than from the department of justice, with the cost of representation paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (b), to represent the senate in any action in which the senate intervenes.

13.365(3) (3) The joint committee on legislative organization may intervene at any time in the action on behalf of the legislature. The joint committee on legislative organization may obtain legal counsel other than from the department of justice, with the cost of representation paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b), as determined by the cochairpersons, to represent the legislature in any action in which the joint committee on legislative organization intervenes.

13.365 History History: 2017 a. 369.

13.365 Annotation Certain institutional interests of the legislature were sufficient to defeat a facial challenge to the provisions of this section authorizing legislative intervention in certain cases, and those requiring legislative consent to defend and prosecute certain cases. Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1 v. Vos, 2020 WI 67, 393 Wis. 2d 38, 946 N.W.2d 35, 19-0614.

13.39 13.39 Legislative consideration of biennial budget bill.

13.39(1) (1) Neither house of the legislature may pass a biennial budget bill 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.

13.39(2) (2) If a committee of conference is convened on a biennial budget bill, a conference report may not contain any earmark, as defined in s. 13.95 (1r) (a), that was not included in the executive budget bill or an amendment thereto that was passed by either house of the legislature. The committee of conference, however, may reduce the amount of any earmark that requires a payment to a specific beneficiary or beneficiaries or may reduce the cost to the state of any earmark that is a tax deduction, credit, exclusion, or exemption.

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

13.41 13.41 Interim successors for legislators.

13.41(1) (1) 

13.41(1)(a) (a) If, during an emergency resulting from enemy action, there are 9 or more vacancies in the senate at the same time, as determined under s. 17.03, the senate leader of each political party, as specified in pars. (b) and (c), shall, for each vacant senate seat that was last held by a member of his or her party, do all of the following:

13.41 Note NOTE: Par. (a) (intro.) is amended by 2011 Wis. Act 260 effective the day after the secretary of state notifies the legislature that an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution has been approved that requires the legislature to provide for temporary succession to the powers and duties of public offices for the period of an emergency resulting from a cause other than an enemy action, to read:

13.41 Note (a) If there are 9 or more vacancies in the senate at the same time, as determined under s. 17.03, the senate leader of each political party, as specified in pars. (b) and (c), shall, for each vacant senate seat that was last held by a member of his or her party, do all of the following:

13.41(1)(a)1. 1. Request that the state chairperson of the party solicit nominations for an interim successor from the county chairpersons of the party in each county that is at least partially within the senate district.

13.41(1)(a)2. 2. Request that the state chairperson of the party select at least 3 and not more than 5 potential interim successors from the nominees under subd. 1.

13.41(1)(a)3. 3. Request that the state chairperson of the party submit the names of the potential interim successors selected under subd. 2. to the senate leader of the party within 7 days after the date on which the 9th vacancy occurred.

13.41(1)(a)4. 4. Within 14 days after the 9th vacancy occurred, appoint an interim successor from the list of potential interim successors submitted under subd. 3.

13.41(1)(b) (b) The person holding the highest position, ranked in the following order, that is not vacant, is the senate leader for the majority party under par. (a):

13.41(1)(b)1. 1. The senate majority leader.

13.41(1)(b)2. 2. The president of the senate.

13.41(1)(b)3. 3. The president pro tempore of the senate.

13.41(1)(b)4. 4. The assistant senate majority leader.

13.41(1)(b)5. 5. The senate majority caucus chairperson.