LRB-3999/1

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2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Senate BILL 377

August 29, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Johnson, L. Taylor, Larson, Smith and Miller, cosponsored by Representatives Sargent, Ohnstad, Fields, Anderson, Bowen, Brostoff, Crowley, Emerson, Gruszynski, Hebl, Kolste, Pope, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Stuck, C. Taylor and Zamarripa. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

SB377,3,21 An Act to repeal 23.33 (1) (jo) 5., 23.335 (1) (zgm) 5., 30.50 (10m) (e), 340.01 (50m) (e), 350.01 (10v) (e), 885.235 (1) (d) 5., 939.22 (33) (e), 961.11 (4g), 961.14 (4) (t), 961.32 (2m), 961.38 (1n), 961.41 (1) (h), 961.41 (1m) (h), 961.41 (1q), 961.41 (3g) (e), 961.571 (1) (a) 7., 961.571 (1) (a) 11. e., 961.571 (1) (a) 11. k. and L. and 967.055 (1m) (b) 5.; to renumber 30.681 (1) (bn) and subchapter VI (title) of chapter 50 [precedes 50.90]; to renumber and amend 23.33 (4c) (a) 5., 23.335 (12) (a) 5., 23.335 (12) (b) 5., 30.681 (1) (d), 108.133 (1) (a), 115.35 (1), 346.63 (1) (d), 350.101 (1) (e), 961.01 (14) and 961.34; to amend 20.435 (6) (jm), 23.33 (1) (jo) 1., 23.33 (4c) (a) 4., 23.33 (4c) (b) 3., 23.33 (4c) (b) 4. a., 23.33 (4c) (b) 4. b., 23.33 (4p) (d), 23.33 (13) (b) 1., 23.33 (13) (b) 2., 23.33 (13) (b) 3., 23.33 (13) (b) 4., 23.33 (13) (e), 23.335 (1) (zgm) 1., 23.335 (12) (a) 4., 23.335 (12) (b) 3., 23.335 (12) (b) 4., 23.335 (12) (i), 23.335 (23) (c) 1., 23.335 (23) (c) 2., 23.335 (23) (c) 3., 23.335 (23) (c) 4., 30.50 (10m) (a), 30.681 (1) (b) (title), 30.681 (1) (bn) (title), 30.681 (1) (c), 30.681 (2) (b) (title), 30.681 (2) (c), 30.681 (2) (d) 1. a., 30.681 (2) (d) 1. b., 30.684 (4), 30.80 (6) (d), 49.148 (4) (a), 49.45 (23) (g) 5., 49.79 (1) (b), 50.56 (3), 51.49 (1) (d), 59.54 (25) (title), 59.54 (25) (a) (intro.), 66.0107 (1) (bm), 77.52 (13), 77.53 (10), 111.35 (2) (e), 114.09 (2) (bm) 1. (intro.), 114.09 (2) (bm) 4., 146.40 (1) (bo), 146.81 (1) (L), 146.997 (1) (d) 18., 157.06 (11) (i), 289.33 (3) (d), 340.01 (50m) (a), 343.06 (1) (d), 343.10 (5) (a) 1., 343.10 (5) (a) 2., 343.10 (8) (intro.), 343.12 (7) (a) 9., 343.12 (7) (a) 11., 343.16 (2) (b), 343.16 (5) (a), 343.30 (1p), 343.30 (1q) (c) 1. (intro.), 343.30 (1q) (d) 1., 343.30 (1q) (h), 343.305 (2), 343.305 (3) (a), 343.305 (3) (am), 343.305 (3) (ar) 1., 343.305 (3) (b), 343.305 (5) (b), 343.305 (5) (d), 343.305 (6) (a), 343.305 (7) (a), 343.305 (8) (b) 2. bm., 343.305 (8) (b) 2. d., 343.305 (8) (b) 4m. a., 343.305 (8) (b) 5. b., 343.305 (8) (b) 6. b., 343.305 (9) (a) 5. a., 343.305 (9) (a) 5. c., 343.305 (9) (am) 5. a., 343.305 (9) (am) 5. c., 343.305 (9) (d), 343.305 (10) (c) 1. (intro.), 343.305 (10) (d), 343.305 (10) (em), 343.307 (1) (d), 343.307 (2) (e), 343.31 (1) (am), 343.31 (2), 343.315 (2) (a) 2., 343.315 (2) (a) 5., 343.315 (2) (a) 6., 343.315 (2) (bm) 2., 343.32 (2) (bj), 343.38 (1) (d) 2., 343.44 (1) (a), 343.44 (1) (b), 344.576 (2) (b), 346.63 (1) (b), 346.63 (2) (a) 2., 346.63 (2) (b) 1., 346.63 (2) (b) 2., 346.637, 346.65 (2m) (a), 346.65 (2q), 346.93 (1), 346.935 (1), 346.935 (2), 346.935 (3), 349.02 (2) (b) 4., 349.03 (2m), 349.06 (1m), 350.01 (10v) (a), 350.101 (1) (d), 350.101 (2) (c), 350.101 (2) (d) 1., 350.101 (2) (d) 2., 350.104 (4), 350.11 (3) (a) 1., 350.11 (3) (a) 2., 350.11 (3) (a) 3., 350.11 (3) (a) 4., 350.11 (3) (d), 609.83, 767.41 (5) (am) (intro.), 767.451 (5m) (a), 885.235 (1) (d) 1., 885.235 (1g) (intro.), 885.235 (1m), 885.235 (4), 895.047 (3) (a), 905.04 (4) (f), 939.22 (33) (a), 940.09 (1m) (a), 940.09 (1m) (b), 940.09 (2) (a), 940.09 (2) (b), 940.25 (1m), 940.25 (2) (a), 940.25 (2) (b), 941.20 (1) (bm), 961.41 (1r), 961.41 (3g) (c), 961.41 (3g) (d), 961.41 (3g) (em), 961.47 (1), 961.48 (3), 961.48 (5), 961.49 (1m) (intro.), 961.571 (1) (a) 11. (intro.), 967.055 (1) (a), 967.055 (1) (b), 967.055 (1m) (b) 1., 967.055 (2) (a), 971.365 (1) (a), 971.365 (1) (b), 971.365 (1) (c) and 971.365 (2); and to create 20.115 (7) (ge), 20.435 (1) (gq), 20.435 (1) (jm), 20.566 (1) (bn), 23.33 (1) (k), 23.33 (4c) (a) 2g., 23.33 (4c) (a) 3g., 23.33 (4c) (a) 5. b., 23.33 (4c) (b) 2n., 23.33 (4c) (b) 4. c., 23.335 (1) (zLg), 23.335 (12) (a) 2g., 23.335 (12) (a) 3m., 23.335 (12) (a) 5. b., 23.335 (12) (b) 2g., 23.335 (12) (b) 5. b., 30.50 (13p), 30.50 (13t), 30.681 (1) (b) 1g., 30.681 (1) (bn) 2., 30.681 (1) (d) 2., 30.681 (2) (b) 1g., 30.681 (2) (d) 1. c., subchapter VI of chapter 50 [precedes 50.80], 66.0414, 77.54 (69), 94.56, 100.145, 108.02 (18r), 108.04 (5m), 108.133 (1) (a) 2., 111.32 (9m), 111.32 (11m), 115.35 (1) (a) 6., 121.02 (1) (L) 8., subchapter IV of chapter 139 [precedes 139.97], 146.44, 146.46, 157.06 (11) (hm), 340.01 (66m), 343.305 (5) (dm), 346.63 (1) (d) 2., 346.63 (2) (b) 3., 346.63 (2p), 350.01 (21g), 350.101 (1) (bg), 350.101 (1) (cg), 350.101 (1) (e) 2., 350.101 (2) (bg), 350.101 (2) (d) 3., 632.895 (16p), 767.41 (5) (d), 767.451 (5m) (d), 885.235 (1) (e), 885.235 (1g) (ag), 885.235 (1g) (cg), 885.235 (1L), 939.22 (39g), 940.09 (1) (bg), 940.09 (1) (dg), 940.09 (1g) (bg), 940.09 (1g) (dg), 940.09 (2) (c), 940.25 (1) (bg), 940.25 (1) (dg), 940.25 (2) (c), 941.20 (1) (bg), subchapter VIII of chapter 961 [precedes 961.70] and 973.016 of the statutes; relating to: marijuana possession, regulation of marijuana distribution and cultivation, medical marijuana, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law prohibits a person from manufacturing, distributing, or delivering marijuana; possessing marijuana with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or deliver it; possessing or attempting to possess marijuana; using drug paraphernalia; or possessing drug paraphernalia with the intent to produce, distribute, or use a controlled substance. This bill changes state law so that state law permits both recreational use of marijuana and medical use of marijuana.

recreational use of marijuana

With respect to recreational use of marijuana, the bill changes state law to permit a Wisconsin resident who is at least 21 years of age to possess no more than two ounces of marijuana and to permit a nonresident of Wisconsin who is at least 21 years of age to possess no more than one-quarter ounce of marijuana. Generally, under the bill, a person who possesses more than the maximum amount he or she is allowed to possess, but not more than 28 grams of marijuana, is subject to a civil forfeiture not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 90 days or both. A person who possesses more than 28 grams of marijuana is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, except that, if the person takes action to hide the amount of marijuana he or she has and the person has in place a security system to alert him or her to the presence of law enforcement, a method of intimidation, or a trap that could injure or kill a person approaching the area containing the marijuana, the person is guilty of a Class I felony. The bill also eliminates the prohibition on possessing or using drug paraphernalia that relates to marijuana consumption.

The bill creates a process by which a person may obtain a permit to produce, process, or sell marijuana for recreational use and pay an excise tax for the privilege of doing business in this state. The bill requires a person to obtain separate permits from the Department of Revenue to produce, process, distribute, or sell marijuana, and requires marijuana producers and processors to obtain additional permits from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The requirements for obtaining these permits differ based on whether the permit is issued by DOR or DATCP but, in general, a person may not obtain such a permit if he or she is not a state resident, is under the age of 21, or has been convicted of certain crimes; in addition, a person may not operate under a DOR permit within 500 feet of a school, playground, recreation facility, child care facility, public park, public transit facility, or library and may not operate as a marijuana producer under a DATCP permit within 500 feet of a school. A person who holds a permit from DOR must also comply with certain operational requirements.

Under the bill, a permit applicant with 20 or more employees may not receive a permit from DATCP or DOR unless the the applicant certifies that the applicant has entered into a labor peace agreement with a labor organization. The labor peace agreement prohibits the labor organization and its members from engaging in any economic interference with persons doing business in this state, prohibits the applicant from disrupting the efforts of the labor organization to communicate with and to organize and represent the applicant's employees, and provides the labor organization access to areas in which the employees work to discuss employment rights and the terms and conditions of employment. Current law prohibits the state and any local unit of government from requiring a labor peace agreement as a condition for any regulatory approval. The permit requirements under the bill are not subject to that prohibition.

The bill also requires DATCP and DOR to use a competitive scoring system to determine which applicants are eligible to receive permits. Each department must issue permits to the highest scoring applicants that it determines will best protect the environment; provide stable, family-supporting jobs to local residents; ensure worker and consumer safety; operate secure facilities; and uphold the laws of the jurisdictions in which they operate. Each department may deny a permit to an applicant with a low score.