Public utilities
Loans to assist municipal utilities in maintaining liquidity
Under current law, the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands manages the
common school fund, the normal school fund, the university fund, and the
agricultural college fund (trust funds). Current law authorizes BCPL to 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.
This bill authorizes BCPL to loan moneys belonging to the trust funds to cities,
villages, and towns to ensure that a municipal utility under the control of the city,
village, or town is able to maintain liquidity. A municipal utility is a public utility
that is a city, village, or town, or that is wholly owned or operated by a city, village,
or town. Each trust fund loan BCPL awards to a city, village, or town under the bill
is secured in the same manner as other trust fund loans BCPL awards to cities,
villages, and towns under current law. BCPL may not award a loan under the bill
after April 15, 2021.
retirement and group insurance
WRS annuities for certain annuitants returning to work during national
emergency
The bill allows an annuitant who is hired during the period of a national
emergency declared by the U.S. president in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus
and ending when the national emergency is no longer in effect or 60 days after the
effective date of the bill, whichever is earlier, by a public employer as an employee
or to provide employee services to elect to not suspend his or her annuity for the
duration of the declared national emergency or until 60 days after the effective date
of the bill, whichever is earlier, if the position for which the annuitant is hired is a
critical position. Under current law, if a Wisconsin Retirement System annuitant,
or a disability annuitant who has attained his or her normal retirement date, is
appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer, or provides employee
services to a WRS-participating employer in which he or she is expected to work at
least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of
Employee Trust Funds, the annuity must be suspended and no annuity payment is
payable until after the participant again terminates covered employment.
Also under current law, a WRS participant who has applied to receive a
retirement annuity must wait at least 75 days between terminating covered
employment with a WRS employer and returning to covered employment again as
a participating employee. The bill reduces that period to 15 days for individuals who
are hired to a critical position during the period of a national emergency declared by
the U.S. president in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus and ending when the
national emergency is no longer in effect or 60 days after the effective date of the bill,
whichever is earlier.

safety and professional services
Occupancy permit when dwelling occupied before inspection
The bill specifies that a dwelling that is occupied before undergoing all
inspections for compliance with the uniform dwelling code may be granted an
occupancy permit if the dwelling later passes a uniform dwelling code final
inspection. Also, if an occupancy permit for a dwelling is granted after it is occupied,
any missed inspection of the dwelling may not be listed as a finding on the occupancy
permit.
Current rules promulgated by the Department of Safety and Professional
Services generally allow a dwelling to be occupied without a uniform dwelling code
final inspection if the inspection is not completed by DSPS or a municipality within
five business days of an applicant's notification.
Practice by health care providers from other states
The bill authorizes, in certain situations, health care providers licensed in
another state or territory to provide services for which they are licensed or certified.
Under the bill, a person who satisfies certain requirements and holds a valid,
unexpired credential in another state or territory as any of the following may provide
services in this state: 1) a physician, physician assistant, or perfusionist; 2) a nurse;
3) a dentist; 4) a pharmacist; 5) a psychologist; 6) a social worker, marriage and
family therapist, professional counselor, or clinical substance abuse counselor; 7) a
chiropractor; 8) a physical therapist; 9) a podiatrist; 10) a dietitian; 11) an athletic
trainer; 12) an occupational therapist; 13) an optometrist; 14) an acupuncturist; 15)
a speech-language pathologist or audiologist; or 16) a massage or bodywork
therapist. Generally, these practitioners may practice in this state and DSPS must
grant them a temporary credential if they apply for a temporary credential within
30 days of beginning to practice for a health care employer.
The bill also specifies that a health care provider granted a temporary
credential under the bill may provide services through telehealth to a patient located
in this state.
Current law generally prohibits a person from engaging in certain health
care-related practices without holding a required credential.
Authorizing first- and second-year pharmacy students to administer
vaccines
Current law authorizes pharmacy students who have completed two years of
pharmacy school to administer vaccines under the supervision of a pharmacist. The
bill authorizes pharmacy students in their first or second year of pharmacy school
to administer vaccines under the supervision of a pharmacist. A first- or
second-year pharmacy student must complete 12 hours of training in vaccine
storage, protocols, administration technique, emergency procedures, and record
keeping to administer vaccines under the bill.
Authorizing dentists to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines
The bill authorizes dentists to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Under
current law, generally, vaccines may be administered only by physicians, physician
assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and certain pharmacy students.

To administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines under the bill, a dentist must
complete 12 hours of training on vaccine storage, protocols, administration
technique, emergency procedures, and record keeping and must have in effect
liability insurance meeting certain requirements. A dentist may not administer a
COVID-19 or flu vaccine to a child under the age of six unless the vaccine is
administered pursuant to a prescription order and the dentist completes training
that includes administering vaccines to children under the age of six. The bill also
requires a dentist who administers a COVID-19 or flu vaccine to update the
Wisconsin Immunization Registry established by DHS within seven days of
administering the vaccine.
Optional registration of third-party logistics providers
The bill creates an optional license for third-party logistics providers that are
located in the state or are located outside the state but provide third-party logistics
provider services in the state. A third-party logistics provider is defined under
current law as a person that contracts with a prescription drug manufacturer to
provide or coordinate warehousing, distribution, or other services on behalf of the
manufacturer but that does not take title to the manufacturer's prescription drug or
have general responsibility to direct the prescription drug's sale or disposition.
The bill requires an applicant for a third-party logistics provider license to
submit certain information prior to licensure, including proof of a recent facility
inspection, and a personal statement relating to a designated representative of the
facility. The license created by this bill will no longer apply if the federal Food and
Drug Administration establishes a licensing program for third-party logistics
providers under federal law and the Pharmacy Examining Board determines that
state licensure is not required for a resident third-party logistics provider to provide
third-party logistics services in another state.
The bill also directs the Pharmacy Examining Board to promulgate rules that
regulate third-party logistics providers and out-of-state third-party logistics
providers consistent with federal law. The authority of the Pharmacy Examining
Board to promulgate rules is restricted to only rules that are equivalent to
requirements under federal law, and only rules that do not mandate licensing under
state law.
The bill requires the Pharmacy Examining Board to issue interim licenses for
third-party logistics providers and out-of-state third-party logistics providers
between the date of enactment until permanent or emergency rules take effect,
whichever is sooner, if, in the opinion of the board, the applicant is currently in
compliance with federal law relating to third-party logistics providers. An interim
license to act as a third-party logistics provider or out-of-state third-party logistics
provider expires 90 days after the date that emergency rules take effect, or 90 days
after the date that permanent rules take effect, whichever is sooner. No fee is
required for an interim license to act as a third-party logistics provider or an
out-of-state third-party logistics provider.
Finally, the bill requires third-party logistics providers, whether or not
licensed under the bill, to cooperate with inspections of their facilities and delivery
vehicles.

state and local government
Extension of term or duration of certain approvals