15.253 Same; specified divisions. 15.255 Same; attached boards. 15.31 Department of military affairs; creation. 15.313 Same; specified division. 15.34 Department of natural resources; creation. 15.343 Same; specified divisions. 15.345 Same; attached boards and commissions. 15.348 Conservation congress. 15.37 Department of public instruction; creation. 15.373 Same; specified divisions. 15.375 Same; attached boards. 15.40 Department of safety and professional services; creation. 15.405 Same; attached boards and examining boards. 15.406 Same; attached affiliated credentialing boards. 15.43 Department of revenue; creation. 15.433 Same; specified divisions. 15.435 Same; attached boards. 15.44 Department of tourism. 15.445 Same; attached boards. 15.46 Department of transportation; creation. 15.465 Same; attached board. 15.49 Department of veterans affairs; creation. 15.495 Same; attached commission. SUBCHAPTER III
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
15.57 Educational communications board; creation. 15.61 Elections commission; creation. 15.62 Ethics commission; creation. 15.67 Higher educational aids board; creation. 15.675 Same; attached board. 15.70 Historical society. 15.705 Same; attached boards. 15.73 Office of commissioner of insurance; creation. 15.76 Investment board; creation. 15.78 Public defender board. 15.79 Public service commission; creation. 15.795 Same; attached office. 15.91 Board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System; creation. 15.915 Same; attached boards and commissions. 15.917 Same; attached council. 15.94 Technical college system board; creation. GENERAL PROVISIONS
15.00115.001 Declaration of policy. 15.001(1)(1) Three branches of government. The “republican form of government” guaranteed by the U.S. constitution contemplates the separation of powers within state government among the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches of the government. The legislative branch has the broad objective of determining policies and programs and review of program performance for programs previously authorized, the executive branch carries out the programs and policies and the judicial branch has the responsibility for adjudicating any conflicts which might arise from the interpretation or application of the laws. It is a traditional concept of American government that the 3 branches are to function separately, without intermingling of authority, except as specifically provided by law. 15.001(2)(2) Goals of executive branch organization. 15.001(2)(a)(a) As the chief administrative officer of the state, the governor should be provided with the administrative facilities and the authority to carry out the functions of the governor’s office efficiently and effectively within the policy limits established by the legislature. 15.001(2)(b)(b) The administrative agencies which comprise the executive branch should be consolidated into a reasonable number of departments and independent agencies consistent with executive capacity to administer effectively at all levels. 15.001(2)(c)(c) The integration of the agencies in the executive branch should be on a functional basis, so that programs can be coordinated. 15.001(2)(d)(d) Each agency in the executive branch should be assigned a name commensurate with the scope of its program responsibilities, and should be integrated into one of the departments or independent agencies of the executive branch as closely as the conflicting goals of administrative integration and responsiveness to the legislature will permit. 15.001(3)(3) Goals of continuing reorganization. Structural reorganization should be a continuing process through careful executive and legislative appraisal of the placement of proposed new programs and the coordination of existing programs in response to changing emphasis or public needs, and should be consistent with the following goals: 15.001(3)(a)(a) The organization of state government should assure its responsiveness to popular control. It is the goal of reorganization to improve legislative policy-making capability and to improve the administrative capability of the executive to carry out these policies. 15.001(3)(b)(b) The organization of state government should facilitate communication between citizens and government. It is the goal of reorganization through coordination of related programs in function-oriented departments to improve public understanding of government programs and policies and to improve the relationships between citizens and administrative agencies. 15.001(3)(c)(c) The organization of state government shall assure efficient and effective administration of the policies established by the legislature. It is the goal of reorganization to promote efficiency by improving the management and coordination of state services and by eliminating overlapping activities. 15.001 HistoryHistory: 1991 a. 316. 15.0115.01 Definitions. In this chapter: 15.01(1g)(1g) “Affiliated credentialing board” means a part-time body that meets all of the following conditions: 15.01(1g)(a)(a) Is attached to an examining board to regulate a profession that does not practice independently of the profession regulated by the examining board or that practices in collaboration with the profession regulated by the examining board. 15.01(1g)(b)(b) With the advice of the examining board to which it is attached, sets standards of professional competence and conduct for the profession under the affiliated credentialing board’s supervision, reviews the qualifications of prospective new practitioners, grants credentials, takes disciplinary action against credential holders and performs other functions assigned to it by law. 15.01(1r)(1r) “Board” means a part-time body functioning as the policy-making unit for a department or independent agency or a part-time body with policy-making or quasi-judicial powers. 15.01(2)(2) “Commission” means a 3-member governing body in charge of a department or independent agency or of a division or other subunit within a department, except for the employment relations commission which shall consist of one chairperson, the Wisconsin waterways commission which shall consist of 5 members, the elections commission which shall consist of at least 6 members, the ethics commission which shall consist of at least 6 members, and the parole commission which shall consist of 4 members. A Wisconsin group created for participation in a continuing interstate body, or the interstate body itself, shall be known as a “commission”, but is not a commission for purposes of s. 15.06. The parole commission created under s. 15.145 (1) shall be known as a “commission”, but is not a commission for purposes of s. 15.06. 15.01(3)(3) “Committee” means a part-time body appointed to study a specific problem and to recommend a solution or policy alternative with respect to that problem, and intended to terminate on the completion of its assignment. Because of their temporary nature, committees shall be created by session law rather than by statute. 15.01(4)(4) “Council” means a part-time body appointed to function on a continuing basis for the study, and recommendation of solutions and policy alternatives, of the problems arising in a specified functional area of state government, except the council on physical disabilities has the powers and duties specified in s. 46.29 (1) and (2), the state council on alcohol and other drug abuse has the powers and duties specified in s. 14.24, the electronic recording council has the powers and duties specified in s. 706.25 (4), and the remote notary council has the powers and duties specified in s. 140.145 (11). 15.01(5)(5) “Department” means the principal administrative agency within the executive branch of Wisconsin state government, but does not include the independent agencies under subch. III. 15.01(6)(6) “Division,” “bureau,” “section,” and “unit” means the subunits of a department or an independent agency, whether specifically created by law or created by the head of the department or the independent agency for the more economic and efficient administration and operation of the programs assigned to the department or independent agency. The office of credit unions in the department of financial institutions, the office of the inspector general in the department of children and families, the office of the inspector general in the department of health services, and the office of children’s mental health in the department of health services have the meaning of “division” under this subsection. The office of the long-term care ombudsman under the board on aging and long-term care and the office of educational accountability and the office of literacy in the department of public instruction have the meaning of “bureau” under this subsection. 15.01(7)(7) “Examining board” means a part-time body which sets standards of professional competence and conduct for the profession under its supervision, prepares, conducts and grades the examinations of prospective new practitioners, grants licenses, investigates complaints of alleged unprofessional conduct and performs other functions assigned to it by law. “Examining board” includes the board of nursing. 15.01(8)(8) “Head”, in relation to a department, means the constitutional officer, commission, secretary or board in charge of the department. “Head”, in relation to an independent agency, means the commission, commissioner or board in charge of the independent agency. 15.01(9)(9) “Independent agency” means an administrative agency within the executive branch created under subch. III. 15.01 HistoryHistory: 1977 c. 29, 274; 1979 c. 34; 1983 a. 27, 189, 371, 410, 538; 1985 a. 29, 120, 180; 1987 s. 27, 342, 399; 1989 a. 31, 107, 202; 1991 a. 39, 269, 315; 1993 a. 16, 107, 210, 215; 1995 a. 27 ss. 74 and 9145 (1); 1995 a. 442, 462; 1997 a. 27, 237; 2001 a. 16, 105, 109; 2005 a. 25, 421; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 38; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55, 118; 2017 a. 59; 2019 a. 125; 2023 a. 20. 15.0215.02 Offices, departments and independent agencies. The constitutional offices, administrative departments and independent agencies which comprise the executive branch of Wisconsin state government are structured as follows: 15.02(1)(1) Separate constitutional offices. The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state treasurer each head a staff to be termed the “office” of the respective constitutional officer. 15.02(2)(2) Principal administrative units. The principal administrative unit of the executive branch is a “department” or an “independent agency”. Each such unit shall bear a title beginning with the words “State of Wisconsin” and continuing with “department of....” or with the name of the independent agency. A department may be headed by a constitutional officer, a secretary, a commission or a board. An independent agency may be headed by a commission, a commissioner or a board. 15.02(3)(a)(a) The secretary of each department may, subject to sub. (4), establish the internal structure within the office of secretary so as to best suit the purposes of his or her department. No secretary may authorize the designation of “assistant secretary” as the official position title of any employee of his or her department. 15.02(3)(b)(b) For field operations, departments may establish district or area offices which may cut across divisional lines of responsibility. 15.02(3)(c)(c) For their internal structure, all departments shall adhere to the following standard terms, and independent agencies are encouraged to review their internal structure and to adhere as much as possible to the following standard terms: 15.02(3)(c)1.1. The principal subunit of the department is the “division”. Each division shall be headed by an “administrator”. The office of credit unions in the department of financial institutions and the office of children’s mental health in the department of health services have the meaning of “division” and the director of credit unions in the department of financial institutions and the director of the office of children’s mental health in the department of health services have the meaning of “administrator” under this subdivision. 15.02(3)(c)2.2. The principal subunit of the division is the “bureau”. Each bureau shall be headed by a “director”. The office of the long-term care ombudsman under the board on aging and long-term care and the office of educational accountability in the department of public instruction have the meaning of “bureau” under this subdivision.
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