Chapter 227

227.19(4)(c) (c) Waiver of committee review. A committee may waive its jurisdiction over a proposed rule prior to the expiration of the committee review period by adopting, by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee, a motion waiving the committee’s jurisdiction.

227.19(4)(d) (d) Committee action. A committee, by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee during the applicable review period under par. (b), may object to a proposed rule or to a part of a proposed rule for one or more of the following reasons:

227.19(4)(d)1. 1. An absence of statutory authority.

227.19(4)(d)2. 2. An emergency relating to public health, safety or welfare.

227.19(4)(d)3. 3. A failure to comply with legislative intent.

227.19(4)(d)4. 4. A conflict with state law.

227.19(4)(d)5. 5. A change in circumstances since enactment of the earliest law upon which the proposed rule is based.

227.19(4)(d)6. 6. Arbitrariness and capriciousness, or imposition of an undue hardship.

227.19(4)(d)7. 7. In the case of a proposed rule of the department of safety and professional services under s. 101.63 (1) establishing standards for the construction of a dwelling, as defined in s. 101.61 (1), the proposed rule would increase the cost of constructing or remodeling such a dwelling by more than $1,000. This subdivision applies notwithstanding that the purpose of the one- and 2-family dwelling code under s. 101.60 includes promoting interstate uniformity in construction standards. This subdivision does not apply to a proposed rule whose promulgation has been authorized under sub. (5) (fm).

227.19(4)(e) (e) Conclusion of committee jurisdiction. Subject to par. (b) 3., a committee’s jurisdiction over a proposed rule is concluded when the committee objects to, approves, or waives its jurisdiction over the proposed rule or when the committee review period ends, whichever occurs first. When a committee’s jurisdiction over a proposed rule is concluded, the committee shall report the proposed rule and any objection as provided in sub. (5) (a).

227.19(5) (5) Joint committee for review of administrative rules.

227.19(5)(a) (a) Referral. When a committee’s jurisdiction over a proposed rule is concluded as provided in sub. (4) (e), the committee shall report the proposed rule and any objection to the chief clerk of the appropriate house within 5 working days after that jurisdiction is concluded. The chief clerk shall refer the proposed rule and any objection to the joint committee for review of administrative rules within 5 working days after receiving the committee report.

227.19(5)(b) (b) Joint committee review period.

227.19(5)(b)1. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the review period for the joint committee for review of administrative rules extends for 30 days after the last referral of a proposed rule and any objection to that committee, and during that review period that committee may take any action on the proposed rule in whole or in part permitted under this subsection. The joint committee for review of administrative rules shall meet and take action in executive session during that period with respect to any proposed rule or any part of a proposed rule to which a committee has objected and may meet and take action in executive session during that period with respect to any proposed rule or any part of a proposed rule to which no committee has objected, except that if the cochairpersons take either of the following actions within the 30-day period, the joint committee review period is continued for 30 days from the date on which the first 30-day review period would have expired:

227.19(5)(b)1.a. a. Request in writing that the agency meet with the joint committee for review of administrative rules to review the proposed rule.

227.19(5)(b)1.b. b. Publish or post notice that the joint committee for review of administrative rules will hold a meeting or hearing to review the proposed rule and immediately send a copy of the notice to the agency.

227.19(5)(b)1m. 1m. If a notice and report received under sub. (2) after the last day of the legislature’s final general-business floorperiod as specified in sub. (2) is referred for review by the joint committee for review of administrative rules before the first day of the next regular session of the legislature, the review period for the joint committee for review of administrative rules extends to the day specified under s. 13.02 (1) for the next legislature to convene. During that review period, the joint committee for review of administrative rules may meet and take action in executive session and may take any action on the proposed rule in whole or in part permitted under this subsection. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules meets in executive session with respect to a proposed rule or part of a proposed rule to which a committee has objected, that joint committee shall take action as permitted under this subsection with respect to the committee’s objection.

227.19(5)(b)2. 2. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules, by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee, requests modifications in a proposed rule, and the agency, in writing, agrees to consider making modifications, the review period for the joint committee is extended either to the 10th working day following receipt by the joint committee of the modified proposed rule or a written statement to the joint committee that the agency will not make the modifications or to the expiration of the review period under subd. 1. or, if applicable, subd. 1m., whichever is later. There is no limit either on the number of modification agreements that may be entered into or on the time within which modifications may be made.

227.19(5)(b)3. 3. The joint committee for review of administrative rules, by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee, may request the preparation of an independent economic impact analysis for a proposed rule, regardless of whether an independent economic impact analysis was prepared under s. 227.137 (4m). If the joint committee for review of administrative rules requests an independent economic impact analysis under this subdivision, the committee shall request approval by the committee on senate organization and the committee on assembly organization. If both the committee on senate organization and the committee on assembly organization approve the request, the joint committee for review of administrative rules shall notify the agency proposing the proposed rule and shall contract with a person that is not an agency to prepare the independent economic impact analysis, and the review period for the committee is extended to the 10th working day following receipt by the committee of the completed analysis. The person preparing the independent economic impact analysis shall comply with s. 227.137 (4m) (c) 1. to 3. Costs of completing an independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as follows:

227.19(5)(b)3.a. a. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under s. 227.137 (3) (b) 1. varies from the agency’s estimate by 15 percent or more or varies from the agency’s determination that there will be no implementation or compliance costs, the committee shall assess the agency that is proposing the proposed rule for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis.

227.19(5)(b)3.b. b. If the estimate in the independent economic impact analysis of total implementation and compliance costs under s. 227.137 (3) (b) 1. does not vary from the agency’s estimate by 15 percent or more or is in accord with the agency’s determination that there will be no implementation and compliance costs, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid in equal parts from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.765 (1) (a) and (b).

227.19(5)(b)3.c. c. Notwithstanding subd. 3. a. and b., if the maximum potential obligation under the contract for completing the independent economic impact analysis exceeds $50,000, the joint committee for review of administrative rules shall submit the proposed contract to the joint committee on finance for the purpose of determining the funding source for the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis, and the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided by the joint committee on finance. If the joint committee on finance does not act to determine the funding source within 90 days, the costs of completing the independent economic impact analysis shall be paid as provided in subd. 3. a. and b.

227.19(5)(b)4. 4. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules has not concluded its jurisdiction over a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule before the day specified under s. 13.02 (1) for the next legislature to convene, that jurisdiction immediately ceases and, within 10 working days after that date, the presiding officer of the appropriate house shall refer the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule to the joint committee for review of administrative rules of the next legislature. If a committee review period is interrupted by the loss of jurisdiction under this subdivision, a new committee review period as provided in subd. 1. shall begin for the joint committee for review of administrative rules to which the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule is referred under this subdivision beginning on the date of referral under this subdivision.

227.19(5)(c) (c) Agency not to promulgate rule during joint committee review. An agency may not promulgate a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule until the joint committee for review of administrative rules nonconcurs in the objection of the committee, concurs in the approval of the committee, otherwise approves the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule, or waives its jurisdiction over the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule under par. (d), until the expiration of the review period under par. (b) 1., if no committee has objected to the proposed rule or the part of the proposed rule, until a bill introduced under par. (e) fails to be enacted, or until a bill introduced under par. (em) is enacted. An agency may promulgate any part of a proposed rule to which no objection has been made.

227.19(5)(d) (d) Joint committee action. The joint committee for review of administrative rules may nonconcur in a committee’s objection to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule, concur in a committee’s approval of a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule, otherwise approve a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule, or waive its jurisdiction over a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule by voting to nonconcur, concur, or approve, or to waive its jurisdiction, during the applicable review period under par. (b). If the joint committee for review of administrative rules objects to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule and invokes this paragraph, an agency may not promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule objected to until a bill introduced under par. (e) fails to be enacted. The joint committee for review of administrative rules may object to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule under this paragraph only for one or more of the reasons specified under sub. (4) (d).

227.19(5)(dm) (dm) Indefinite objection; joint committee action. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules objects to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule and invokes this paragraph, the agency may not promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule objected to until a bill introduced under par. (em) is enacted. The joint committee for review of administrative rules may object to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule under this paragraph only for one or more of the reasons specified under sub. (4) (d). This paragraph does not apply to a proposed rule whose promulgation has been previously authorized under par. (fm).

227.19(5)(e) (e) Bills to prevent promulgation. When the joint committee for review of administrative rules objects to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule under par. (d) it shall, within 30 days of the date of the objection, meet and take executive action regarding the introduction, in each house of the legislature, of a bill to support the objection. The joint committee shall introduce the bills within 5 working days after taking executive action in favor of introduction of the bills unless the bills cannot be introduced during this time period under the joint rules of the legislature.

227.19(5)(em) (em) Indefinite objection; bill to authorize promulgation. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules objects to a proposed rule or a part of a proposed rule under par. (dm), any member of the legislature may introduce a bill to authorize promulgation of the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule. This paragraph does not apply to a proposed rule whose promulgation has been previously authorized under par. (fm).

227.19(5)(f) (f) Bills to prevent promulgation; effect. If both bills required under par. (e) are defeated, or fail to be enacted in any other manner, the agency may promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule that was objected to. If either bill becomes law, the agency may not promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule that was objected to unless a subsequent law specifically authorizes its promulgation. This paragraph applies to bills introduced on or after the day specified under s. 13.02 (1) for the legislature to convene and before February 1 of an even-numbered year.

227.19(5)(fm) (fm) Indefinite objection; bills to authorize promulgation; effect. If all bills introduced under par. (em) are defeated, or fail to be enacted in any other manner, the agency may not promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule that was objected to unless subsequent law specifically authorizes its promulgation. If any of those bills becomes law, the agency may promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule that was objected to.

227.19(5)(g) (g) Introduction of bills in next session; effect. If the bills required under par. (e) are introduced on or after February 1 of an even-numbered year and before the next regular session of the legislature commences, as provided under s. 13.02 (2), or if the bills cannot be introduced during this time period under the joint rules of the legislature, the joint committee for review of administrative rules shall introduce the bills on the first day of the next regular session of the legislature, unless either house adversely disposes of either bill. If the joint committee for review of administrative rules is required to introduce the bills, the agency may not promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule to which the bills pertain except as provided in par. (f). If either house adversely disposes of either bill, the agency may promulgate the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule that was objected to. In this paragraph, “adversely disposes of” means that one house has voted in one of the following ways:

227.19(5)(g)1. 1. To indefinitely postpone the bill.

227.19(5)(g)2. 2. To nonconcur in the bill.

227.19(5)(g)3. 3. Against ordering the bill engrossed.

227.19(5)(g)4. 4. Against ordering the bill to a 3rd reading.

227.19(5)(g)5. 5. Against passage.

227.19(5)(g)6. 6. Against concurrence.

227.19(6) (6) Promulgation prevention or authorization procedure.

227.19(6)(a) (a) The legislature may not consider a bill required or permitted under sub. (5) (e) or (em) until the joint committee for review of administrative rules has submitted a written report on the bill. The report shall be printed as an appendix to each bill and shall contain:

227.19(6)(a)1. 1. An explanation of the issue involving the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule objected to and the factual situation out of which the issue arose.

227.19(6)(a)2. 2. Arguments presented for and against the proposed rule at the executive session held under sub. (5) (b).

227.19(6)(a)3. 3. A statement of the action taken by the joint committee for review of administrative rules regarding the proposed rule.

227.19(6)(a)4. 4. A statement and analysis of the grounds upon which the joint committee for review of administrative rules relies for objecting to the proposed rule or part of the proposed rule.

227.19(6)(b) (b) Upon introduction of the bills under sub. (5) (e) or (g), the presiding officer of each house of the legislature shall refer the bill introduced in that house to the appropriate committee, to the calendar scheduling committee or directly to the calendar. If the committee to which a bill is referred makes no report within 30 days after referral, the bill shall be considered reported without recommendation. No later than 40 days after referral, or as soon thereafter as is possible if the legislature is not in a floorperiod 40 days after referral, the bills shall be placed on the calendar of each house of the legislature according to its rule governing the placement of proposals on the calendar. A bill introduced under this section that is received in the 2nd house shall be referred, reported and placed on the calendar in the same manner as an original bill introduced under this section.

227.19(7) (7) Nonapplication. This section does not apply to rules promulgated under s. 227.24.

227.19 History History: 1985 a. 182; 1987 a. 253; 1987 a. 403 s. 256; 1989 a. 175; 2001 a. 87; 2003 a. 118, 277; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20, 180; 2011 a. 21, 32, 46; 2013 a. 20; 2013 a. 165 s. 115; 2017 a. 57, 68.

227.19 Annotation Discussing rule-making procedure. Wisconsin State Telephone Ass’n v. PSC, 105 Wis. 2d 601, 314 N.W.2d 873 (Ct. App. 1981).

227.19 Annotation Post-promulgation rule suspension under s. 227.26 (2) (d) does not violate the separation of powers doctrine. Martinez v. DILHR, 165 Wis. 2d 687, 478 N.W.2d 582 (1992). See also Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1 v. Vos, 2020 WI 67, 393 Wis. 2d 38, 946 N.W.2d 35, 19-0614.

227.19 Annotation When administrative agencies promulgate rules, they are exercising legislative power that the legislature has chosen to delegate to them by statute. Stated otherwise, agencies have no inherent constitutional authority to make rules, and their rule-making powers can be repealed by the legislature. It follows that the legislature may place limitations and conditions on an agency’s exercise of rulemaking authority, including establishing the procedures by which agencies may promulgate rules. Koschkee v. Taylor, 2019 WI 76, 387 Wis. 2d 552, 929 N.W.2d 600, 17-2278.

227.19 Annotation Rulemaking is a legislative power that does not fall within the state superintendent of public instruction’s supervisory constitutional authority under article X, section 1, of the Wisconsin Constitution. Rulemaking is a legislative delegation to the state superintendent; therefore, it may be limited or taken away, as the legislature chooses. Koschkee v. Taylor, 2019 WI 76, 387 Wis. 2d 552, 929 N.W.2d 600, 17-2278.

227.19 Annotation Changing the Rules on Rulemaking. Sklansky. Wis. Law. Aug. 2011.

227.20 227.20 Filing of rules.

227.20(1) (1) An agency shall file a certified copy of each rule it promulgates with the legislative reference bureau. No rule is valid until the certified copy has been filed. A certified copy shall be typed or duplicated on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, leaving sufficient room for a stamp at the top of the first page. Forms that are filed need not comply with the specifications of this subsection. The agency shall also send a copy of each rule to the legislative reference bureau in an electronic format approved by the legislative reference bureau.

227.20(2) (2) The legislative reference bureau shall endorse the date and the time of filing on each certified copy filed under sub. (1). The bureau shall keep a file of all certified copies filed under sub. (1).

227.20(3) (3) Filing a certified copy of a rule with the legislative reference bureau creates a presumption of all of the following:

227.20(3)(a) (a) That the rule was duly promulgated by the agency.

227.20(3)(b) (b) That the rule was filed and made available for public inspection on the date and time endorsed on it.

227.20(3)(c) (c) That all of the rule-making procedures required by this chapter were complied with, except as provided in s. 186.118 (2) (c) or (3) (b) 3.

227.20(3)(d) (d) That the text of the certified copy of the rule is the text as promulgated by the agency.

227.20 History History: 1985 a. 182; 1993 a. 214; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 20, 277.

227.20 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See s. 902.03 for provision for judicial notice of administrative rules.

227.20 Annotation Guidelines promulgated outside the context of one particular contested case do not qualify for exception to the requirement that all rules must be filed under s. 227.023 [now this section]. Here, failure to file the guideline as a rule did not deprive the Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations of the authority to decide contested cases dealing with pregnancy leaves under the sex discrimination statute. Wisconsin Telephone Co. v. DILHR, 68 Wis. 2d 345, 228 N.W.2d 649 (1975).

227.20 Annotation Sub. (3) directs a court to presume that the rule was duly promulgated by the agency and that all statutory rule-making procedures have been followed, including those pertaining to the preparation of a housing impact report. This section apparently creates a rebuttable presumption that a court is to presume that the agency that promulgated the rule followed the statute regarding housing reports, but a party challenging the rule may rebut that presumption. The statute also requires courts to respect the legislature’s role in reviewing and approving agency rules by presuming the validity of rules that have survived the legislature’s scrutiny. Wisconsin Realtors Ass’n v. PSC, 2015 WI 63, 363 Wis. 2d 430, 867 N.W.2d 364, 13-1407.

227.21 227.21 Publication of rules; incorporation by reference.

227.21(1) (1) The legislative reference bureau shall publish all rules that agencies are directed by this chapter to file with the legislative reference bureau under s. 227.20 in the register and shall publish all permanent rules that agencies are directed by this chapter to file with the legislative reference bureau under s. 227.20 in the code, as provided in s. 35.93.

227.21(2) (2) 

227.21(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in s. 601.41 (3) (b), to avoid unnecessary expense an agency may, with the consent of the attorney general, adopt standards established by technical societies and organizations of recognized national standing by incorporating the standards in its rules by reference to the specific issue or issues of the publication in which they appear, without reproducing the standards in full.

227.21(2)(b) (b) The attorney general shall consent to incorporation by reference only in a rule of limited public interest and in a case where the incorporated standards are readily available in published form or are available on optical disc or in another electronic format. Each rule containing an incorporation by reference shall state how the material incorporated may be obtained and, except as provided in s. 601.41 (3) (b), that the standards are on file at the legislative reference bureau.

227.21(2)(c) (c) An agency that adopts standards under par. (a) may provide the legislative reference bureau with one or more Web addresses to provide electronic access to the standards for publication in conjunction with the publication of the Wisconsin administrative code and register under s. 35.93.

227.21(3) (3) A rule promulgated jointly by 2 or more agencies need not be published in more than one place in the code.

227.21(4) (4) Agency materials that are exempt from the requirements of this chapter under s. 227.01 (13) may be published, either verbatim or in summary form, if the promulgating agency and the legislative reference bureau determine that the public interest would be served by publication.

227.21 History History: 1985 a. 182; 1987 a. 403; 2001 a. 65; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20, 96, 180; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 196; 2021 a. 246.

227.21 Annotation Consent may not be given to incorporate by reference the U.S. Code or federal regulations, except rules meeting the definition of a technical standard. Material incorporated by reference cannot include future amendments thereto. 59 Atty. Gen. 31. See also 68 Atty. Gen. 9.

227.22 227.22 Effective date of rules.

227.22(1) (1) In this section, “date of publication” means the date on which a rule is published in the code as required under s. 35.93 (2) (c) 1.

227.22(2) (2) A rule is effective on the first day of the month commencing after the date of publication unless one of the following occurs:

227.22(2)(a) (a) The statute under which the rule was promulgated prescribes a different effective date for the rule.

227.22(2)(b) (b) A later date is prescribed by the agency in a statement filed with the rule.

227.22(2)(c) (c) The rule is promulgated under s. 227.24, in which case it becomes effective at the time prescribed in that section.

227.22(2)(e) (e) The rule has a significant economic impact on small businesses, as defined in s. 227.114 (1), in which case the rule applies to small businesses no earlier than the first day of the 3rd month commencing after the date of publication of the rule.

227.22(3) (3) The legislative reference bureau may prescribe in the manual prepared under s. 227.15 (7) the monthly date prior to which a rule must be filed in order to be included in that month’s issue of the register. The legislative reference bureau shall compute the effective date of each rule submitted for publication in the register and shall publish it in a note at the end of each section. For the purpose of computing the effective date, the legislative reference bureau may presume that an issue of the register will be published during the month in which it is designated for publication.

227.22 History History: 1985 a. 182; 1985 a. 332 s. 253; 2003 a. 145; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 20, 172.

227.23 227.23 Forms. A form imposing a requirement which meets the definition of a rule shall be treated as a rule for the purposes of this chapter, except that:

227.23(1) (1) Its promulgation need not be preceded by notice and public hearing.

227.23(2) (2) It need not be promulgated by the board or officer charged with ultimate rule-making authority but may be promulgated by any employee of the agency authorized by the board or officer.

227.23(3) (3) It need not be published in the code and register in its entirety, but may be listed by title or description together with a statement as to how it may be obtained.

227.23 History History: 1985 a. 182.

227.23 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Ins 7, Wis. adm. code.

227.24 227.24 Emergency rules; exemptions.