Chapter 66

66.0135(3)(a) (a) Except as provided in sub. (4) (e) or as otherwise specifically provided, principal contractors that engage subcontractors to perform part of the work on an order or contract from an agency shall pay subcontractors for satisfactory work in a timely fashion. A payment is timely if it is mailed, delivered or transferred to the subcontractor no later than 7 days after the principal contractor’s receipt of any payment from the agency.

66.0135(3)(b) (b) If a subcontractor is not paid in a timely fashion, the principal contractor shall pay interest on the balance due from the 8th day after the principal contractor’s receipt of any payment from the agency, at the rate specified in s. 71.82 (1) (a) compounded monthly.

66.0135(3)(c) (c) Subcontractors receiving payment under this subsection shall pay lower-tier subcontractors, and be liable for interest on late payments, in the same manner as principal contractors are required to pay subcontractors in pars. (a) and (b).

66.0135(4) (4) Exceptions. Subsection (2) does not apply to any of the following:

66.0135(4)(a) (a) Any portion of an order or contract for which the payment, from federal moneys, has not been received.

66.0135(4)(b) (b) An order or contract that is subject to late payment interest or another late payment charge required by another law or rule specifically authorized by law.

66.0135(4)(c) (c) An order or contract between 2 or more agencies of the same local governmental unit.

66.0135(4)(d) (d) An order or contract which provides for the time of payment and the consequences of nontimely payment, if any deviation from the deadlines established in sub. (2) appears in the original bid or proposal.

66.0135(4)(e) (e) An order or contract under which the amount due is subject to a good faith dispute if, before the date on which payment is not timely, notice of the dispute is sent by 1st class mail, personally delivered or sent in accordance with the procedure specified in the order or contract.

66.0135(5) (5) Appropriation from which paid. An agency that pays interest under this section shall pay the interest only from the appropriation for administration of the program under which the order or contract was made or entered into, unless otherwise directed by the governing body of the local governmental unit.

66.0135(6) (6) Attorney fees. Notwithstanding s. 814.04 (1), in an action to recover interest due under this section, the court shall award the prevailing party reasonable attorney fees.

66.0135(7) (7) Improper invoices. If an agency receives an improperly completed invoice, the agency shall notify the sender of the invoice within 10 working days after it receives the invoice of the reason that it is improperly completed.

66.0135 History History: 1989 a. 233; 1999 a. 150 ss. 326, 327; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0135.

66.0137 66.0137 Provision of insurance.

66.0137(1) (1) Definition. In this section:

66.0137(1)(ac) (ac) “Board of Regents” means the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

66.0137(1)(af) (af) “Dies in the line of duty” means a death that occurs, or occurred, as a direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained by, or a single exposure to a hazardous material or condition experienced by, a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services practitioner while he or she was engaged in a line of duty activity or that arose out of and as a result of such an individual’s performance of a line of duty activity.

66.0137(1)(ah) (ah) “Emergency medical services practitioner” has the meaning given in s. 256.01 (5), except that in this section it applies only to an individual who is employed directly by a political subdivision or by a joint emergency medical services department operated jointly by 2 or more political subdivisions.

66.0137(1)(am) (am) “Law enforcement officer” means all of the following:

66.0137(1)(am)1. 1. Any person employed by a political subdivision for the purpose of detecting and preventing crime and enforcing laws or ordinances and who is authorized to make arrests for violations of the laws or ordinances that the person is employed to enforce.

66.0137(1)(am)2. 2. Any jailer who, under the direction of a sheriff under s. 59.27 (1), keeps persons in a county jail.

66.0137(1)(am)3. 3. A Marquette University police officer, as defined in s. 175.42 (1) (b).

66.0137(1)(am)4. 4. A state patrol officer, as that term is defined in s. 252.01 (7).

66.0137(1)(am)5. 5. A state capitol police officer.

66.0137(1)(am)6. 6. A University of Wisconsin System police officer.

66.0137(1)(am)7. 7. An officer of the division of criminal investigation.

66.0137(1)(am)8. 8. A department of natural resources conservation warden.

66.0137(1)(am)9. 9. A county sheriff, undersheriff, or deputy sheriff.

66.0137(1)(am)10. 10. A chief of police.

66.0137(1)(am)11. 11. A special agent employed by the department of revenue who is authorized to act under s. 73.031.

66.0137(1)(am)12. 12. A state fair park police officer duly appointed under s. 42.01 (2).

66.0137(1)(ap) (ap) “Line of duty activity” means any employment-related action taken by a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services practitioner that is required or authorized by law, rule, regulation, or condition of employment and for which compensation is provided by his or her employing agency or would have been eligible to have been provided by the employing agency if the law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or emergency medical services practitioner had been on duty when he or she took the action in question.

66.0137(1)(as) (as) “Local governmental unit” means a political subdivision, school district (as enumerated in s. 67.01 (5)), sewerage district, drainage district, and, without limitation because of enumeration, any other political subdivision of the state.

66.0137(1)(b) (b) “Municipality” means any city, village, or town.

66.0137(1)(c) (c) “Political subdivision” means any municipality or county.

66.0137(2) (2) Liability and worker’s compensation insurance. The state or a local governmental unit may procure risk management services and liability insurance covering the state or local governmental unit and its officers, agents and employees and worker’s compensation insurance covering officers and employees of the state or local governmental unit. A local governmental unit may participate in and pay the cost of risk management services and liability and worker’s compensation insurance through a municipal insurance mutual organized under s. 611.23.

66.0137(3) (3) Health insurance for unemployed persons. Any political subdivision may purchase health or dental insurance for unemployed persons residing in the political subdivision who are not eligible for medical assistance under s. 49.46, 49.468, 49.47, or 49.471 (4) (a).

66.0137(4) (4) Self-insured health plans. If a city, including a 1st class city, or a village provides health care benefits under its home rule power, or if a town provides health care benefits, to its officers and employees on a self-insured basis, the self-insured plan shall comply with ss. 49.493 (3) (d), 631.89, 631.90, 631.93 (2), 632.722, 632.729, 632.746 (10) (a) 2. and (b) 2., 632.747 (3), 632.798, 632.85, 632.853, 632.855, 632.861, 632.867, 632.87 (4) to (6), 632.885, 632.89, 632.895 (9) to (17), 632.896, and 767.513 (4).

66.0137(4m) (4m) Joint self-insured plans and stop loss insurance.

66.0137(4m)(a) (a) Notwithstanding sub. (1) (as), in this subsection, “local governmental unit” means a city, village, town, county, or school district.

66.0137(4m)(b) (b) A local governmental unit and one or more other local governmental units, that together have at least 100 employees, may jointly provide health care benefits to their officers and employees on a self insured basis.

66.0137(4m)(bm) (bm) A technical college district and one or more other technical college districts, that together have at least 100 employees, may jointly do any of the following:

66.0137(4m)(bm)1. 1. Provide health care benefits to their officers and employees on a self-insured basis.

66.0137(4m)(bm)2. 2. Procure stop loss insurance.

66.0137(4m)(bm)3. 3. Self-insure stop loss risk.

66.0137(4m)(c) (c) Any plan under par. (b) or (bm) 1. shall comply with the provisions listed in sub. (4).

66.0137(4t) (4t) Health insurance for protective services employees. If a 1st class city offers health care insurance to employees who are police officers, fire fighters, or emergency medical services practitioners, as defined in s. 256.01 (5), the 1st class city shall also offer to the employees who are police officers, fire fighters, or emergency medical services practitioners a high-deductible health plan.

66.0137(5) (5) Hospital, accident and life insurance.

66.0137(5)(a) (a) In this subsection, “local governmental unit” includes the school district operating under ch. 119.

66.0137(5)(b) (b) The state or a local governmental unit may provide for the payment of premiums or cost sharing for hospital, surgical and other health and accident insurance and life insurance for employees and officers, their spouses, and dependent children. A local governmental unit may also provide for the payment of premiums or cost sharing for hospital and surgical care for its retired employees. In addition, a local governmental unit may, by ordinance or resolution, elect to offer to all of its employees a health care coverage plan through a program offered by the group insurance board under ch. 40. A local governmental unit that elects to participate under s. 40.51 (7) is subject to the applicable sections of ch. 40 instead of this subsection.

66.0137(5)(c) (c)

66.0137(5)(c)1. 1. Except as provided in subds. 2. and 3., if a municipality provides for the payment of premiums for hospital, surgical, and other health insurance for its fire fighters, it shall continue to pay such premiums for the surviving spouse and dependent children of the fire fighter who dies in the line of duty.

66.0137(5)(c)1m. 1m. Except as provided in subds. 2. and 3., if a political subdivision, the state, the Board of Regents, or Marquette University provides for the payment of premiums for hospital, surgical, and other health insurance for its law enforcement officers or emergency medical services practitioners, it shall continue to pay such premiums for the surviving spouse and dependent children of the law enforcement officer or emergency medical services practitioner who dies in the line of duty.

66.0137(5)(c)2. 2. A political subdivision, the state, the Board of Regents, or Marquette University may not be required to pay the premiums described in subd. 1. or 1m. for a surviving spouse upon the remarriage of the surviving spouse or upon the surviving spouse reaching the age of 65.

66.0137(5)(c)3. 3. An individual is not a dependent child for the purposes of subd. 1. or 1m. after the individual reaches the age of 26.

66.0137(5)(c)4. 4. Except as needed to administer this paragraph, a political subdivision, the state, the Board of Regents, and Marquette University shall keep confidential any personally identifiable information, as defined in s. 19.62 (5), of a surviving spouse and dependent children for whom the political subdivision, the state, the Board of Regents, or university makes a payment under this paragraph.

66.0137(5)(d) (d) If a political subdivision pays the premiums described in par. (c) 1. or 1m., annually, in order to receive reimbursement, the political subdivision shall report to the department of revenue by March 15 of each year the amounts paid in the previous calendar year.

66.0137 History History: 1999 a. 9, 115; 1999 a. 150 ss. 34, 303 to 306; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0137; 1999 a. 186 s. 63; 2001 a. 16, 30; 2005 a. 194; 2005 a. 443 s. 265; 2007 a. 20, 36; 2009 a. 14, 28, 146, 180, 218, 276, 285; 2011 a. 260; 2013 a. 20; 2013 a. 116 s. 29; 2013 a. 117 s. 2, 3; 2013 a. 186; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 12, 30, 59; 2019 a. 19, 185; 2021 a. 9, 239; 2023 a. 91.

66.0137 Annotation Section 66.185 [now sub. (5)] does not prohibit providing health insurance benefits to persons not listed in the statute if authority is granted by other statutes. Sections 120.12, 120.13, and 120.44, broadly construed as required by s. 118.001, grant broad powers, including that of providing insurance to persons not listed in this section. Pritchard v. Madison Metropolitan School District, 2001 WI App 62, 242 Wis. 2d 301, 625 N.W.2d 613, 00-0848.

66.0137 Annotation This section authorizes the purchase of liability insurance for state officers, agents, and employees for errors or omissions in carrying out the responsibility of their governmental positions. 58 Atty. Gen. 150.

66.0139 66.0139 Disposal of abandoned property.

66.0139(1) (1) In this section, “political subdivision” means a city, village, town or county.

66.0139(2) (2) A political subdivision may dispose of any personal property which has been abandoned, or remained unclaimed for a period of 30 days, after the taking of possession of the property by an officer of the political subdivision by any means determined to be in the best interest of the political subdivision. If the property is not disposed of in a sale open to the public, the political subdivision shall maintain an inventory of the property, a record of the date and method of disposal, including the consideration received for the property, if any, and the name and address of the person taking possession of the property. The inventory shall be kept as a public record for a period of not less than 2 years from the date of disposal of the property. Any means of disposal other than public auction shall be specified by ordinance. If the disposal is in the form of a sale, all receipts from the sale, after deducting the necessary expenses of keeping the property and conducting the sale, shall be paid into the treasury of the political subdivision.

66.0139(3) (3) A political subdivision may safely dispose of abandoned or unclaimed flammable, explosive, or incendiary substances, materials, or devices that pose a danger to life or property in their storage, transportation, or use immediately after taking possession of the substances, materials, or devices without a public auction. The political subdivision, by ordinance or resolution, may establish disposal procedures. Procedures may include provisions authorizing an attempt to return to the rightful owner substances, materials, or devices that have a commercial value in normal business usage and do not pose an immediate threat to life or property. If enacted, a disposal procedure shall include a presumption that if the substance, material, or device appears to be or is reported stolen, an attempt will be made to return the substance, material, or device to the rightful owner.

66.0139(4) (4) Except as provided in s. 968.20 (3), a 1st class city shall dispose of abandoned or unclaimed dangerous weapons or ammunition without a public auction 12 months after taking possession of them if the owner has not requested their return. Disposal procedures shall be established by ordinance or resolution and may include provisions authorizing an attempt to return to the rightful owner any dangerous weapons or ammunition which appear to be stolen or are reported stolen. If enacted, a disposal procedure shall include a presumption that if the dangerous weapons or ammunition appear to be or are reported stolen an attempt will be made to return the dangerous weapons or ammunition to the rightful owner. The dangerous weapons or ammunition are subject to sub. (5).

66.0139(5) (5) A political subdivision may retain or dispose of any abandoned, unclaimed or seized dangerous weapon or ammunition only under s. 968.20.

66.0139 History History: 1979 c. 221, 222, 355; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 203; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 90; 1995 a. 157; 1999 a. 150 ss. 35, 324, 325; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0139; 2001 a. 103.

66.0141 66.0141 Accident record systems. Every city, village and town having a population of 5,000 or more shall maintain a traffic accident record system whereby traffic accidents occurring within the city, village or town may be located within 100 feet of the occurrence and shall provide a copy of the record quarterly to the county traffic safety commission under s. 83.013 (1) (a).

66.0141 History History: 1975 c. 381; 1983 a. 291; 1993 a. 246; 1999 a. 150 s. 118; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0141.

66.0143 66.0143 Local appeals for exemption from state mandates.

66.0143(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

66.0143(1)(a) (a) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.

66.0143(1)(b) (b) “State mandate” means a state law that requires a political subdivision to engage in an activity or provide a service, or to increase the level of its activities or services.

66.0143(2) (2) Appeals for exemptions.

66.0143(2)(a) (a) A political subdivision may file a request with the department of revenue for a waiver from a state mandate, except for a state mandate that is related to any of the following:

66.0143(2)(a)1. 1. Health.

66.0143(2)(a)2. 2. Safety.

66.0143(2)(b) (b) An administrative agency, or the department of revenue, may grant a political subdivision a waiver from a state mandate as provided in par. (c).

66.0143(2)(c) (c) The political subdivision shall specify in its request for a waiver its reason for requesting the waiver. Upon receipt of a request for a waiver, the department of revenue shall forward the request to the administrative agency that is responsible for administrating the state mandate. The agency shall determine whether to grant the waiver and shall notify the political subdivision and the department of revenue of its decision in writing. If no agency is responsible for administrating the state mandate, the department of revenue shall determine whether to grant the waiver and shall notify the political subdivision of its decision in writing.

66.0143(3) (3) Duration of waivers. A waiver is effective for 4 years. The administrative agency may renew the waiver for additional 4-year periods. If a waiver is granted by the department of revenue, the department may renew the waiver under this subsection.

66.0143(4) (4) Evaluation. By July 1, 2004, the department of revenue shall submit a report to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3). The report shall specify the number of waivers requested under this section, a description of each waiver request, the reason given for each waiver request, and the financial effects on the political subdivision of each waiver that was granted.

66.0143 History History: 2001 a. 109; 2003 a. 321.

66.0144 66.0144 Advisory referenda. No city, village, or town may conduct a referendum for advisory purposes, except as provided under s. 66.0305 (6), 66.0307 (4) (e), 66.0420 (12) (b) 2., 66.0422 (3) (b), or 196.204 (2m) (b) 2. or for an advisory referendum regarding capital expenditures proposed to be funded by the property tax levy of the city, village, or town.

66.0144 History History: 2023 a. 12.

66.0145 66.0145 No preferences in hiring or contracting.

66.0145(1) (1) In this section, “political subdivision” means a county, city, village, or town.

66.0145(2) (2) Unless required to secure federal aid, no political subdivision may discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment on the basis of, race, color, ancestry, national origin, or sexual orientation in making employment decisions regarding employees of a political subdivision or contracting for public works.

66.0145 History History: 2023 a. 12.

subch. II of ch. 66 SUBCHAPTER II