Chapter 24

24.40 History History: 1985 a. 297 s. 76; 2017 a. 59; 2017 a. 364 s. 49; 2023 a. 77.

24.40 Annotation The state is specifically authorized to petition for annexation by sub. (2), which would be rendered meaningless if the petition had to be rejected or an annexation ordinance declared invalid on the grounds that the city could establish no commercial, residential, or mercantile need for the land. Some demonstrable need must be shown or the annexation is of necessity arbitrary and capricious. In cases of direct annexation a showing of benefits to the annexed land can be considered in the overall question of need under the rule of reason. The benefits to the state were abundant in this case where city recreational facilities and better quality fire, emergency police, and rescue service would be provided to the annexed land. Town of Lafayette v. City of Chippewa Falls, 70 Wis. 2d 610, 235 N.W.2d 435 (1975).

24.51 24.51 Constitutional board. The board created by article X, section 7, of the constitution may be styled in any law or any action or proceeding in court as “The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands”.

24.51 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.51; 1983 a. 192.

24.52 24.52 Jurisdiction. Together with the power and duty of selling the school and university lands and investing the funds arising therefrom, prescribed for the board by article X, section 7, of the constitution, it is invested with power to dispose of all other public lands and all interests in lands held by the state for sale, and with such further powers as may be necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise the functions and perform the duties imposed upon it by law.

24.52 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.52; 1983 a. 192.

24.53 24.53 Investigate land claims; deduct expenses. The board of commissioners of public lands shall investigate the rights of the state to school lands, normal school lands, university lands and agricultural college lands. The expenses incurred in making these investigations and taking necessary steps to protect common school lands, normal school lands, university lands and agricultural college lands and timber on those lands, as well as the expense of necessary surveys, records, appraisals and sales, upon the approval of the board, shall be deducted from the gross receipts of the fund to which the proceeds from the sale of the land or timber will be added.

24.53 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.53.

24.54 24.54 Records; copies as evidence.

24.54(1) (1) The department of administration shall provide an office for the board. The board shall conveniently arrange and preserve in that office all records, books, reports, surveys, maps, field notes, plats and other papers pertaining to the public lands owned by the state, including all public lands that have been or shall be received from the United States or any officer of the United States. The board may perfect the records, books, reports, surveys, maps, field notes, plats and other papers when incomplete, and cause copies of those documents to be made when from injury, loss, use or accident it shall become necessary. Any copy, when certified to be a correct copy by the executive secretary of the board under the executive secretary’s signature and the official seal of the office to have been made for any of the causes specified in this subsection, shall have the same force and effect in all courts and places as the original. Any copy from the original records, books, reports, surveys, maps, field notes, plats or other papers, or from any record or paper required by law to be kept in the office, or any copy from a certified copy of one of those documents, when certified by the executive secretary of the board or any member of the board of commissioners of public lands under the official seal of the board, shall be received in evidence with the same effect as the original.

24.54(2) (2) All records, books and files kept by the board shall at all business hours be open, under proper regulations made by it, to the inspection of any person, free of charge. The board also may in like manner make, perfect, and complete proper records, books, reports and other papers pertaining to the lands of which the state has been or is trustee for the United States.

24.54 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 24.54; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 16.

24.55 24.55 Executive secretary; deputy; staff; appointments; duties; oath. The board shall appoint an executive secretary outside the classified service. The executive secretary shall appoint a deputy who shall, during the absence of the executive secretary, have all of the authority given by law to the executive secretary. The executive secretary and deputy shall take and file the official oath.

24.55 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.55; 1993 a. 16.

24.56 24.56 Not to buy lands. The board, and all persons employed by it or about any of its respective offices, are prohibited from purchasing any of the public lands, directly or indirectly, either in their own name or in the name of any other person in trust for them or either of them; and for every tract or parcel of land purchased in violation hereof each such person offending shall forfeit not more than $250.

24.56 History History: 1975 c. 365; 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.56; 1993 a. 16.

24.57 24.57 Report of board. The board shall include in any report submitted under s. 15.07 (6) a report of its official proceedings for the period since the proceedings reported in the most recent report, showing the quantity of land sold or leased and the amount received therefor, the amount of interest moneys accrued or received and a specific account of the several investments made by them, stating in all cases of loans, the name of each borrower, the sum borrowed and a description of the property mortgaged. The report also shall include such other matters as it thinks proper to communicate or as the legislature requires.

24.57 History History: 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.57; 1983 a. 27.

24.58 24.58 Appraisers. The board may select employees of the department to appraise lands or perform other services in field and forest. The board shall reimburse the department under a contract with the department for the performance of public land management services.

24.58 History History: 1975 c. 94; 1979 c. 34 s. 699g; Stats. 1979 s. 24.58; 1993 a. 16.

24.59 24.59 Sale of public lands to state under Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program.

24.59(1) (1) Notwithstanding ss. 24.09, 24.10, 24.15, 24.16, and 24.32, but subject to subs. (2) and (3), the board may sell to the state public lands that the board identifies as available for sale to the state. Notwithstanding s. 24.08 (4), the public lands shall be sold at the appraised value determined under sub. (2).

24.59(2) (2) The board shall have all of the public lands specified under sub. (1) independently appraised under s. 24.08 (2) and (3) after May 3, 2006, but before sale under sub. (1).

24.59(3) (3) Notwithstanding s. 24.11, public lands sold under sub. (1) may not be paid for in installments.

24.59 History History: 2005 a. 352; 2015 a. 55.

subch. II of ch. 24 SUBCHAPTER II

TRUST FUNDS

24.60 24.60 Definitions. In this subchapter, unless the context indicates otherwise:

24.60(1) (1) “Consortium” means an association of 2 or more of any of the following entities for the purpose of implementing, expanding or participating in a distance education or educational technology project:

24.60(1)(a) (a) A school district.

24.60(1)(b) (b) A technical college district.

24.60(1)(c) (c) A county, if the county acts on behalf of a county library board that has adopted a resolution under s. 24.66 (3m).

24.60(1)(d) (d) A city, village or town, if the city, village or town acts on behalf of a municipal library board that has adopted a resolution under s. 24.66 (3m).

24.60(1g) (1g) “Distance education” means instruction that takes place, regardless of the location of a teacher or student, by means of telecommunications or other means of communication, including cable, instructional television fixed service, microwave, radio, satellite, computer, telephone or television.

24.60(1r) (1r) “Educational technology” means technology used in the education or training of any person or in the administration of an elementary or secondary school or a public library.

24.60(1v) (1v) “Federated public library system” means a federated public library system whose territory lies within 2 or more counties.

24.60(1w) (1w) “General obligation trust fund loan” means a state trust fund loan that is the general obligation of the borrower.

24.60(2) (2) “Municipality” means a town, village, city, county, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, town sanitary district created under s. 60.71, metropolitan sewerage district created under s. 200.05 or 200.23, joint sewerage system created under s. 281.43 (4), school district or technical college district.

24.60(2m) (2m) “Revenue obligation trust fund loan” means a state trust fund loan to which any of the following applies:

24.60(2m)(a) (a) It is made to a municipality for the purpose of financing or refinancing a project, as defined in s. 67.04 (1) (ar), and is secured by a pledge and assignment of the revenue that the municipality will receive from moneys generated by that project.

24.60(2m)(b) (b) It is made to a city or village for the purpose of financing or refinancing project costs, as defined in s. 66.1105 (2) (f), and is secured by a pledge and assignment of the tax increments that will be allocated to the city or village for those project costs by the department of revenue under s. 66.1105 (6).

24.60(2m)(c) (c) It is made to a county for the purpose of financing or refinancing project costs, as defined in s. 66.1105 (2) (f), and is secured by a pledge and assignment of the tax increments that will be allocated to the county for those project costs by the department of revenue under s. 59.57 (3).

24.60(2m)(d) (d) It is made to a town for the purpose of financing or refinancing project costs, as defined in s. 60.85 (1) (h) 1., and is secured by a pledge and assignment of the tax increments that will be allocated to the town for those project costs by the department of revenue under s. 60.85 (6).

24.60(2m)(e) (e) It is made to a local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229 for the purpose of financing acquisition, construction, and equipment costs for sports and entertainment arena facilities, as defined in s. 229.41 (11g), and is secured by district revenues.

24.60(3) (3) “School district” has the meaning designated under s. 115.01 (3).

24.60(4) (4) “State trust fund loan” means a loan authorized under s. 24.61 (3).

24.60(5) (5) “Trust funds” means the common school fund, the normal school fund, the university fund and the agricultural college fund.

24.60 History History: 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 169; Stats. 1981 s. 24.60; 1983 a. 27 s. 2202 (42); 1983 a. 196; 1985 a. 49, 225; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27, 227; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 253; 2011 a. 71; 2015 a. 60.

24.605 24.605 Accounts in trust funds for deposit of proceeds from sale of certain lands. The board shall establish in each of the trust funds an account to which are credited the proceeds from the sale of any public lands, except sales under s. 24.09 (1) (bg), on or after May 3, 2006, that are required by law to be deposited in the funds. Moneys credited to the accounts in the funds may only be used to invest in land under s. 24.61 (2) (a) and for the payment of expenses necessarily related to investing in land under s. 24.61 (2) (a).

24.605 History History: 2005 a. 352; 2015 a. 60; 2017 a. 314.

24.61 24.61 Authorized investments and loans.

24.61(1) (1) Investments and loans; separate accounts. The board shall loan or invest moneys belonging to the trust funds as those moneys accumulate in the treasury. The board shall keep a separate account of all investments and loans from each fund.

24.61(2) (2) Investments.

24.61(2)(a) (a) Authorized investments by board. The board shall manage and invest moneys belonging to the trust funds in good faith and with the care an ordinary prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances, in accordance with s. 112.11 (3).

24.61(2)(b) (b) Manner for holding securities. All bonds, notes, and other instruments of indebtedness and securities purchased under par. (a) shall be held in a manner determined by the board.

24.61(2)(c) (c) Contracting with investment board. The board of commissioners of public lands may contract with the investment board to invest part or all of the moneys belonging to the trust funds. If the board of commissioners of public lands contracts with the investment board, the investment board may invest the moneys belonging to the trust funds in accordance with the investment board’s standard of responsibility specified in s. 25.15 (2). All moneys received by the investment board under this paragraph shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.536 (1) (k).

24.61(2)(cm) (cm) Investments in land in this state. Except as provided under s. 24.09 (1) (bg), the board may not invest moneys in the purchase of any land under par. (a) unless all of the following occur:

24.61(2)(cm)1. 1. The land is within any applicable consolidation area approved by the board.

24.61(2)(cm)2. 2. The total acreage of public lands managed by the board does not exceed the total acreage of public lands managed by the board on May 3, 2006.

24.61(2)(cm)3. 3. The board determines that the purchase of the land will improve timberland management, address forest fragmentation, or increase public access to the land.

24.61(2)(cm)4. 4. The moneys are in an account specified in s. 24.605.

24.61(3) (3) Loans.

24.61(3)(a) (a) Authorized loans. The board may loan moneys under its control or belonging to the trust funds to:

24.61(3)(a)1. 1. A school district by whatever name designated, to be used for any of the following:

24.61(3)(a)1.a. a. The operation and maintenance of schools.

24.61(3)(a)1.b. b. Erecting and remodeling school buildings and teacherages.

24.61(3)(a)1.c. c. Purchasing teacherages, teacherage sites, schoolhouse sites, bus garage sites, transportation vehicles, bus garages, school equipment and school playgrounds.

24.61(3)(a)1.d. d. Refunding any indebtedness incurred for a lawful purpose within constitutional limitations.

24.61(3)(a)1.e. e. The purpose authorized by s. 67.04.

24.61(3)(a)1.f. f. Any purpose otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)2. 2. A town, village, city or county as provided under s. 67.04 or otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)3. 3. A technical college district as provided under s. 67.04 or otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)4. 4. A public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district for the purposes of the exercise of its powers under s. 33.22.

24.61(3)(a)5. 5. A town sanitary district created under s. 60.71 for the purposes for which the district may issue its bonds under s. 60.78.

24.61(3)(a)6. 6. A metropolitan sewerage district created under s. 200.05, as provided under s. 67.04 or otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)7. 7. A metropolitan sewerage system created under s. 200.23, as provided under s. 67.04 or otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)8. 8. A joint sewerage system created under s. 281.43 (4) for the purpose of exercising its powers under s. 281.43 (4).

24.61(3)(a)9. 9. A consortium.

24.61(3)(a)10. 10. A cooperative educational service agency representing 2 or more school districts in the area served by the agency for the purpose of conducting a distance education project by the school districts.

24.61(3)(a)11. 11. A federated public library system, as provided under s. 43.17 (9) (b) or otherwise authorized by law.

24.61(3)(a)12. 12. A drainage district created under ch. 88.

24.61(3)(a)13. 13. A local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229 for the purpose under s. 229.68 (16) (a).

24.61(3)(a)14. 14. A local exposition district created under subch. II of ch. 229 for the purpose of financing acquisition, construction, and equipment costs for sports and entertainment arena facilities, as defined in s. 229.41 (11g).

24.61(3)(b) (b) Terms; conditions. A municipality, cooperative educational service agency, drainage district created under ch. 88, local professional baseball park district created under subch. III of ch. 229, or federated public library system may obtain a state trust fund loan for the sum of money, for the time and upon the conditions as may be agreed upon between the board and the borrower, subject to the limitations, restrictions, and conditions set forth in this subchapter.

24.61(4) (4) Loan limitations to counties. Notwithstanding sub. (3), the board may not loan moneys to a county unless the governing body of the county demonstrates to the board’s satisfaction that s. 67.045 (1) (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (h) applies.

24.61(4m) (4m) Loans to pay off existing indebtedness. If the board makes a loan to a municipality to pay off existing indebtedness, the making of the loan and the payment of the existing indebtedness shall be treated as if they occur simultaneously.

24.61(5) (5) Loans to consortia or cities, villages or towns served by joint library boards. Whenever a consortium applies for a loan under sub. (3), or whenever a group of cities, villages or towns served by a joint county or municipal library board applies for a loan for an educational technology or distance education project, the board shall treat the application as a loan to each of the members of the consortium or each city, village or town served by a county or municipal library board in an amount equal to the total amount of the loan divided equally by the number of members of the consortium or the number of cities, villages and towns served by the library board, unless all members of the consortium or all cities, villages and towns served by a joint library board agree to a different arrangement specified by the members or cities, villages and towns on their applications. The procedure for application, approval and repayment of the loan by each member of a consortium or group under this subsection shall be the same as provided in this subchapter for application, approval and repayment of a loan to that member individually, except that the loan shall not be made unless all members qualify.

24.61(7) (7) Loans to cooperative educational service agencies. Whenever a cooperative educational service agency applies for a loan under sub. (3), the board shall treat the application as a loan to each of the school districts on behalf of which the loan is sought in an amount equal to the total amount of the loan divided equally by the number of school districts, unless the cooperative educational service agency specifies on its application a different arrangement that has been agreed to by all school districts for which the loan is sought. The board shall not make the loan unless each school district for which the loan is sought qualifies for a loan in the amount specified in this subsection, or a different amount if that amount is specified on the application. If the cooperative educational service agency fails to make a timely repayment of the principal or payment of the interest on the loan, each school district for which the loan is made is liable to repay the principal and pay the interest in the amount determined under this subsection.

24.61 History History: 1971 c. 154; 1973 c. 114; 1975 c. 224; 1979 c. 34 s. 2102 (22) (a); 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 169; Stats. 1981 s. 24.61; 1983 a. 196; 1983 a. 207 ss. 2, 95; 1983 a. 423; 1985 a. 49; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (3); 1987 a. 76, 197; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 16, 263, 399; 1995 a. 27, 56, 227; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 65, 83; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 167; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25, 335, 352; 2007 a. 20, 97; 2009 a. 2, 28; 2011 a. 71; 2015 a. 60; 2017 a. 314; 2019 a. 110.