Chapter 175

175.46(5)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), any agreement under this section shall provide that any Wisconsin law enforcement officer, acting under the agreement in another state, shall continue to be covered by his or her employing agency for purposes of worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, benefits under ch. 40 and civil liability and any officer of another state acting in Wisconsin under the agreement shall continue to be covered for worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, disability and other employee benefits and civil liability purposes by his or her employing agency in his or her home state. Any Wisconsin officer acting within an adjoining state, under the agreement, is considered while so acting to be in the ordinary course of his or her employment with his or her employing Wisconsin law enforcement agency.

175.46(5)(b) (b) An agreement under this section shall provide that any Wisconsin law enforcement officer, acting under the agreement in another state, is subject to any immunity from liability or limit on liability to the same extent as any officer of the other state. An agreement under this section shall provide that any law enforcement officer of another state, acting under the agreement in Wisconsin, is subject to any immunity from liability or limit on liability to the same extent as a Wisconsin law enforcement officer.

175.46(6) (6) No law enforcement officer of a physically adjacent state, acting under an agreement under this section, may be considered, for liability purposes, as an employee or agent of this state or any Wisconsin law enforcement agency for his or her actions within this state regardless of the supervision or control of the officer’s actions while within this state. The officer of the physically adjacent state is considered as continuing to be an employee of the agency employing him or her in the officer’s home state.

175.46(7) (7) Any agreement under this section entered into by a Wisconsin law enforcement agency may include any terms and conditions considered appropriate by that agency, except the agreement shall comply with this section.

175.46(8) (8) At least 30 days prior to entering into an agreement under sub. (2), a Wisconsin law enforcement agency shall submit a copy of the proposed agreement to the department of justice for the department’s review and comment. The department shall provide its comments to the Wisconsin law enforcement agency within 21 days after the department receives the proposed agreement. The Wisconsin law enforcement agency need not have the consent of the department to enter into the agreement. The Wisconsin law enforcement agency may revise the proposed agreement without having to resubmit the proposed agreement to the department.

175.46 History History: 1993 a. 49; 1993 a. 490 s. 154; Stats. 1993 s. 175.46; 1997 a. 39.

175.47 175.47 Review of deaths involving officers.

175.47(1) (1) In this section:

175.47(1)(a) (a) “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 165.83 (1) (b).

175.47(1)(b) (b) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c).

175.47(1)(c) (c) “Officer-involved death” means a death of an individual that results directly from an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer while the law enforcement officer is on duty or while the law enforcement officer is off duty but performing activities that are within the scope of his or her law enforcement duties.

175.47(2) (2) Each law enforcement agency shall have a written policy regarding the investigation of officer-involved deaths that involve a law enforcement officer employed by the law enforcement agency.

175.47(3) (3) 

175.47(3)(a) (a) Each policy under sub. (2) must require an investigation conducted by at least 2 investigators, one of whom is the lead investigator and neither of whom is employed by a law enforcement agency that employs a law enforcement officer involved in the officer-involved death.

175.47(3)(b) (b) If the officer-involved death being investigated is traffic-related, the policy under sub. (2) must require the investigation to use a crash reconstruction unit from a law enforcement agency that does not employ a law enforcement officer involved in the officer-involved death being investigated, except that a policy for a state law enforcement agency may allow an investigation involving a law enforcement officer employed by that state law enforcement agency to use a crash reconstruction unit from the same state law enforcement agency.

175.47(3)(c) (c) Each policy under sub. (2) may allow an internal investigation into the officer-involved death if the internal investigation does not interfere with the investigation conducted under par. (a).

175.47(4) (4) Compensation for participation in an investigation under sub. (3) (a) may be determined in a manner consistent with mutual aid agreements.

175.47(5) (5) 

175.47(5)(a) (a) The investigators conducting the investigation under sub. (3) (a) shall, in an expeditious manner, provide a complete report to the district attorney of the county in which the officer-involved death occurred.

175.47(5)(b) (b) If the district attorney determines there is no basis to prosecute the law enforcement officer involved in the officer-involved death, the investigators conducting the investigation under sub. (3) (a) shall release the report, except that the investigators shall, before releasing the report, delete any information that would not be subject to disclosure pursuant to a request under s. 19.35 (1) (a).

175.47 History History: 2013 a. 348; 2015 a. 55; 2021 a. 238 s. 45.

175.48 175.48 Law enforcement officer identification cards.

175.48(1) (1) In this section, “Wisconsin law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 175.46 (1) (f).

175.48(2) (2) If a Wisconsin law enforcement agency issues photographic identification cards to its officers, it may not require an officer to relinquish his or her card when the officer separates from service with the Wisconsin law enforcement agency unless one of the following applies:

175.48(2)(a) (a) The officer may not lawfully possess a firearm under federal law.

175.48(2)(b) (b) The officer did not separate from service in good standing as a law enforcement officer with the agency.

175.48(2)(c) (c) The officer served as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of less than 10 years. This paragraph does not apply if the officer, after completing any applicable probationary period of service with the agency, separated from service with the agency due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the agency.

175.48(2)(d) (d) Either of the following applies:

175.48(2)(d)1. 1. A qualified medical professional employed by the law enforcement agency has found the officer to be unqualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the officer’s mental health.

175.48(2)(d)2. 2. The officer has entered into an agreement with the law enforcement agency from which he or she is separating from service in which the officer acknowledges that he or she is not qualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the officer’s mental health and in which the officer declines the photographic identification for that reason.

175.48(3) (3) Unless sub. (2) (a), (b), (c), or (d) applies, if a Wisconsin law enforcement agency does not issue photographic identification cards to its officers, the law enforcement agency, or its successor agency, as defined in s. 175.49 (1) (i), shall issue such a card to an officer who separates from service with the law enforcement agency upon the separating officer’s request and at his or her expense.

175.48(4) (4) This section does not restrict the right of an officer who has separated from service to go armed with a firearm that is not concealed.

175.48 History History: 2011 a. 35; 2015 a. 68.

175.49 175.49 Former law enforcement officers seeking to carry concealed weapons.

175.49(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

175.49(1)(a) (a) “Department” means the department of justice.

175.49(1)(b) (b) “Destructive device” has the meaning given in 18 USC 921 (a) (4).

175.49(1)(c) (c) “Firearm silencer” has the meaning given in s. 941.298 (1).

175.49(1)(d) (d) “Former federal law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a federal law enforcement agency and who resides in Wisconsin.

175.49(1)(e) (e) “Former law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a state or local law enforcement agency in Wisconsin.

175.49(1)(em) (em) “Former out-of-state law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a state or local law enforcement agency in a state other than Wisconsin and who resides in Wisconsin.

175.49(1)(f) (f) “Law enforcement agency” means an agency that consists of one or more persons employed by the federal government, including any agency described under 18 USC 926C (e) (2); a state, or a political subdivision of a state; the U.S. armed forces; or the national guard, that has as its purposes the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of laws or ordinances, and that is authorized to make arrests for crimes.

175.49(1)(g) (g) “Law enforcement officer” means a person who is employed by a law enforcement agency for the purpose of engaging in, or supervising others engaging in, the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law and who has statutory powers of arrest.

175.49(1)(h) (h) “Machine gun” has the meaning given in s. 941.25 (1).

175.49(1)(i) (i) “Successor agency” means a law enforcement agency that assumes the responsibilities and duties of another law enforcement agency.

175.49(2) (2) Certification of former law enforcement officers.

175.49(2)(a) (a) Upon the request of a former law enforcement officer and at the expense of the former law enforcement officer, a law enforcement agency that employed the former law enforcement officer, or its successor agency, shall, except as provided in par. (b), issue the former law enforcement officer a certification card as described in sub. (4) stating all of the following:

175.49(2)(a)1. 1. The type of firearm the former law enforcement officer is certified to carry, but no former law enforcement officer may be certified to carry a machine gun, a firearm silencer, or a destructive device.

175.49(2)(a)2. 2. The former law enforcement officer has been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under subd. 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated or its successor agency.

175.49(2)(a)3. 3. The date on which the finding under subd. 2. was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.

175.49(2)(a)4. 4. That, due to the finding under subd. 2., the former law enforcement officer is qualified to carry a concealed firearm of the type under subd. 1.

175.49(2)(b) (b) The law enforcement agency may not issue the former law enforcement officer a certification card under par. (a) unless the law enforcement agency first verifies all of the following:

175.49(2)(b)1. 1. The former law enforcement officer separated from service as a law enforcement officer with the law enforcement agency that employed him or her in good standing.

175.49(2)(b)2. 2. The former law enforcement officer served as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of at least 10 years or the former law enforcement officer separated from law enforcement service due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service, after completing any applicable probationary period.

175.49(2)(b)3. 3. Both of the following:

175.49(2)(b)3.a. a. A qualified medical professional employed by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated from service has not found the former law enforcement officer to be unqualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the former officer’s mental health.

175.49(2)(b)3.b. b. The former law enforcement officer has not entered into an agreement with the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service in which the former officer acknowledges that he or she is not qualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to his or her mental health and in which he or she declines the photographic identification for that reason.

175.49(2)(b)4. 4. The former law enforcement officer is not prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm as indicated by a search of the transaction information for management of enforcement system and the national criminal background check system.

175.49(2)(b)5. 5. The former law enforcement officer has, during the previous 12 months at his or her own expense, been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under par. (a) 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated or its successor agency.

175.49(3) (3) Certification of former federal and out-of-state law enforcement officers.

175.49(3)(a) (a) Upon the request of a former federal law enforcement officer or a former out-of-state law enforcement officer and at the expense of that law enforcement officer, the department may, except as provided in par. (b), issue the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card as described in sub. (4) stating all of the following:

175.49(3)(a)1. 1. The type of firearm the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is certified to carry, but no former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer may be certified to carry a machine gun, a firearm silencer, or a destructive device.

175.49(3)(a)2. 2. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under subd. 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by any law enforcement agency in the state.

175.49(3)(a)3. 3. The date on which the finding under subd. 2. was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.

175.49(3)(a)4. 4. That, due to the finding under subd. 2., the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is qualified to carry a concealed firearm of the type under subd. 1.

175.49(3)(b) (b) The department may not issue a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card under par. (a) unless the department first verifies all of the following:

175.49(3)(b)1. 1. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated from service as a law enforcement officer with the law enforcement agency in good standing.

175.49(3)(b)2. 2. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer served as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of at least 10 years or the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated from law enforcement service due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the law enforcement agency from which the former officer separated, after completing any applicable probationary period.

175.49(3)(b)3. 3.

175.49(3)(b)3.a. a. A qualified medical professional employed by the law enforcement agency from which the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated has not found the former officer to be unqualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the former officer’s mental health.

175.49(3)(b)3.b. b. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has not entered into an agreement with the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service in which the former officer acknowledges that he or she is not qualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to his or her mental health.

175.49(3)(b)4. 4. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is not prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm as indicated by a search of the transaction information for management of enforcement system and the national criminal background check system.

175.49(3)(b)5. 5. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has, during the previous 12 months at his or her own expense, been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under par. (a) 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by any law enforcement agency in the state.

175.49(3)(c) (c) If, under par. (a), the department issues a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card, the department shall add the former officer’s information to the list the department maintains under s. 175.60 (12) (a).

175.49 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Jus 18, Wis. adm. code.

175.49(4) (4) Certification cards.

175.49(4)(a) (a)

175.49(4)(a)1. 1. Subject to pars. (b), (c), and (d) and sub. (3) (a), the department shall design a certification card to be issued by the department under sub. (3) (a).

175.49(4)(a)2. 2. Subject to pars. (b), (c), and (d) and sub. (2) (a), each law enforcement agency, upon a request, shall design a certification card to be issued by the law enforcement agency under sub. (2) (a).

175.49(4)(b) (b) A certification card shall contain on one side all of the following:

175.49(4)(b)1. 1. The full name, date of birth, and residence address of the person who holds the certification card.

175.49(4)(b)2. 2. A photograph of the certification card holder and a physical description that includes sex, height, and eye color.

175.49(4)(b)3. 3. The name of this state.

175.49(4)(c) (c) A certification card shall include a statement that the certification card does not confer any law enforcement authority on the certification card holder and does not make the certification card holder an employee or agent of the certifying agency or department.

175.49(4)(d) (d) A certification card may not contain the certification card holder’s social security number.

175.49(5) (5) Renewal of certification cards. A person who holds a current certification card issued under sub. (2) or (3) may renew the certification card by requesting the law enforcement agency or its successor agency, if the card was issued under sub. (2), or the department, if the card was issued under sub. (3), to renew the certification card at the expense of the person holding the card, if, before the date the certification card expires, the law enforcement agency verifies sub. (2) (b) 4. and 5. if the certification card holder is a former law enforcement officer, or the department verifies sub. (3) (b) 4. and 5. if the certification card holder is a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer, and the certification card holder provides any information necessary for the verification. The renewal shall state the date on which verification was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.

175.49(5m) (5m) Fees. The department may charge a fee to verify eligibility for a certification card under this section, for the issuance of a certification card under sub. (3), or for the renewal of a certification card under sub. (5), but the fee may not exceed the costs the department incurs in verifying eligibility or for issuing or renewing a certification card. Payments made to the department under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (2) (gr).

175.49(6) (6) Immunity.

175.49(6)(a) (a) When acting in good faith under this section, the department and its employees and a law enforcement agency and its employees are immune from civil and criminal liability arising from any act or omission under this section.