Chapter 35

35.001(2m) (2m) “Printing” includes all public printing by means of graphic reproduction by whatever process and the necessary materials and binding. The term also includes reproduction of a document in optical disc format whenever the publishing state agency is authorized to reproduce and determines to reproduce copies of a document in optical disc format in lieu of printed format.

35.001(4) (4) “State agencies” includes departments, boards, commissions, bureaus, and institutions, except that “state agencies” does not include the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

35.001 History History: 1977 c. 26; 1983 a. 189; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 20; 2015 a. 55, 196; 2017 a. 364.

GENERAL

35.01 35.01 Public printing; definition and classification. Public printing is divided into 7 classes:

35.01(1) (1) Class 1 — All legislative printing and the Laws of Wisconsin.

35.01(2) (2) Class 2 — Wisconsin statutes and Blue Book.

35.01(3) (3) Class 3 — All book printing required for state agencies, not otherwise classified, except the Wisconsin Magazine of History and books of the historical society.

35.01(4) (4) Class 4 — All job printing and all printing not otherwise classified.

35.01(5) (5) Class 5 — Legal notices.

35.01(7) (7) Class 7 — Printing for state agencies located outside the city of Madison.

35.01(8) (8) Class 8 — Specialty printing as defined in s. 35.64 (2), yearbooks, and similar student publications not funded by student fees or student organization income and book printing excluded from class 3 under sub. (3).

35.01 History History: 1975 c. 39, 198; 1979 c. 34, 175; 1983 a. 192; 1991 a. 39; 2005 a. 25; 2009 a. 143; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55.

35.012 35.012 State printing; exception. All printing contracted for under this chapter, except statutes of the 2nd class, yearbooks, and other similar student publications not funded by student fees or student organization income, printing of the 5th and 7th classes, and such copyrighted or patented or printing specialties not available for production within this state, shall be printed in this state. Printing contracted for under this chapter which is required under this section to be printed in this state may be done in another state if the laws of that state allow printing contracted for under its laws to be done in this state.

35.012 History History: 1975 c. 39; 1979 c. 34; 1985 a. 29; 2013 a. 20.

35.015 35.015 Exempt printing.

35.015(2) (2) Any printing for a single job which the department determines may be printed at a cost less than $50, other than stationery required for the use of the state, printing authorized and required by the legislature to be done for its use, or printing authorized and required by law to be done for the state, is not subject to this chapter.

35.015(3) (3) Printing is exempt from this chapter when the department exercises the discretion vested in s. 16.82 (4) to determine what printing shall be done by the state itself and what shall be contracted and when printing of forms is done by prison industries, as created under s. 303.01 (1).

35.015 History History: 1975 c. 39, 200; 1981 c. 350; 1989 a. 31; 2015 a. 55.

35.03 35.03 Powers of department. The department shall:

35.03(1) (1) Let contracts for public printing and for the purchase of paper in the manner provided in this chapter.

35.03(2) (2) Receive printer’s copy and requisitions for public printing from parties authorized by law to present them.

35.03(3) (3) Deliver such copy to the contract printer with written orders that the copy be printed.

35.03(4) (4) Direct the manner, form, style, quantity and method, when these are not expressly prescribed by law, of printing for state agencies except printing of the first class; and provide editorial services to state agencies in the preparation of copy for the printer.

35.03(5) (5) Promulgate rules for the conduct of business.

35.03(6) (6) Make reports to the joint committee on finance setting forth the cost of the public printing during the preceding fiscal term, with recommendations of any retrenchments that can be made therein.

35.03(7) (7) Order such further editions as may be necessary to supply demands whenever any original edition of the Laws of Wisconsin, or Wisconsin statutes, proves inadequate to meet the estimated future demands therefor, but no reprinting shall occur after the original type or plates have been distributed or rearranged. Such reprints shall be charged to the same appropriation as the original editions.

35.03(8) (8) In solicitation of bids, subdivide classes of printing, creating additional classes, or change printing from one class to another in establishing contracts, whenever the department determines that further or different classification will benefit the state.

35.03(9) (9) Furnish the paper to be used by contract printers or, when it is more economical, purchase paper from contract printers.

35.03 History History: 1971 c. 125; 1989 a. 359; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27.

35.035 35.035 Printing costs and charges.

35.035(1) (1) Unless otherwise provided, the department shall charge the cost of printing, including related materials and printing services, of all publications authorized or directed by law to be published to the state agencies responsible for submitting the publications.

35.035(2) (2) The department may contract with state agencies for the printing of agency publications, for which publication is not required by law, on the basis of the cost of such printing.

35.035(3) (3) The department shall receive full payment for the cost of printing publications of state agencies from the appropriate agencies.

35.035(4) (4) In this section, “state agencies” includes all departments as defined in s. 16.002 (2), the legislature, the courts, and the legislative and judicial branch agencies. In this section, “state agencies” does not include the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

35.035 History History: 1979 c. 34; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (27); 2015 a. 55.

35.04 35.04 Employees. The department shall employ such staff, under the classified service as are necessary to perform the duties imposed by this chapter.

LEGISLATIVE; CLASS 1 PRINTING

35.05 35.05 Printing in general, how ordered and executed.

35.05(1) (1) All printing for the legislature shall be in such form and printed in such manner and amount as may be determined by the joint rules of the legislature, or in the case of printing of a nature that is the concern of one house only, then as determined by that house except as provided for the Wisconsin statutes and the Laws of Wisconsin under s. 35.50 (2).

35.05(2) (2) 

35.05(2)(a) (a) When the senate or the assembly determines the form or amount of printing for its own use, such determination or such regulations as may be considered appropriate governing such printing, may be made by the rules of the house or by resolution or by the senate committee on organization for the senate or the assembly committee on organization for the assembly, subject to final decision by their respective houses.

35.05(2)(b) (b) When printing concerns both houses the form or amount of such printing may be determined by the joint rules or by joint resolution or by the joint committee on legislative organization, subject to any provisions of the joint rules or joint resolutions, except as provided for the Wisconsin statutes and the Laws of Wisconsin under s. 35.50 (2).

35.05(3) (3) All printing that has a customary form, number of copies, or other features shall continue to conform to such form or other requirements until changed by or under authority of statute, joint rule, or rule of either house, except as provided for the Wisconsin statutes and the Laws of Wisconsin under s. 35.50 (2).

35.05(4) (4) When legislative proposals, legislative publications or other printing is required for the legislature, including revision or correction bills for the legislative reference bureau, bills or reports for the joint legislative council or legislative proposals of members intended for introduction by them, such printing may be ordered by the chief clerk of either house or by other authorized persons during any session of the legislature or recess thereof, pursuant to such regulations as either house shall establish.

35.05(5) (5) 

35.05(5)(a) (a) Whenever either house requires any printing for its exclusive use and whenever any joint action of both houses is taken requiring any printing to be done, the chief clerk of the house where such action originates shall issue a printing requisition to the department, and the department shall procure the printing from the contract printer selected for the printing under article IV, section 25, of the constitution.

35.05(5)(b) (b) If there is no contract in force for class 1 public printing, the chief clerks shall deliver copy to the department which shall have it printed in accordance with the statutes.

35.05(5)(c) (c) Any member or officer of the legislature entitled to stationery or other personalized printing may elect to have the printing performed by a printer other than the contract printer under par. (a) if par. (a) is otherwise complied with, but no voucher for printing to be performed other than by the contract printer selected through the department of administration shall be approved unless the cost of the printing will be the same as, or less than, the cost of obtaining the printing from the contract printer.

35.05(5)(d) (d) Any member or officer of the legislature entitled to personalized printing may specify that his or her personalized printing shall be produced using paper with best-available recycled content.

35.05(5)(e) (e) The design of the letterhead and envelope for each member or officer of the legislature shall be approved as provided by the house in which the member or officer serves; provided, that for personalized printing nothing on the finished product may indicate the printer who performed the work.

35.05(6) (6) Any provision in the rules of the senate or the assembly or of the joint rules relating to printing shall continue in effect during any recess or adjournment of the legislature as though the legislature had continued in session and shall likewise continue in effect following the convening and during any other special or regular session until such provision is modified or repealed.

35.05 History History: 1977 c. 279; 1983 a. 192; 1991 a. 215; 1993 a. 52; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 20.

35.07 35.07 Proposed constitutional amendments. No later than the August 1 preceding a general election, the legislative reference bureau shall publish on the Internet in one or more electronic file formats each proposed constitutional amendment that was approved for the first time by the legislature preceding the election. Each such proposed constitutional amendment shall remain so published on the Internet until the conclusion of the general election.

35.07 History History: 2015 a. 55.

35.095 35.095 Acts.

35.095(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

35.095(1)(a) (a) “Date of enactment” means the day on which a bill becomes an act through approval by the governor, passage over the governor’s veto or failure of the governor to act on it or the day on which a portion of a bill which has been vetoed in part is enacted over the governor’s partial veto.

35.095(1)(b) (b) “Date of publication” means the day after the date of enactment.

35.095(1)(c) (c) “Working day” means each day except Saturdays, Sundays, and federal and statewide legal holidays designated in s. 995.20.

35.095(2) (2) Numbering.

35.095(2)(a) (a) Each act of a session shall be numbered consecutively commencing with one. An act enacted by the governor’s approval shall be numbered by the governor at the time of approval. An act enacted either by passage over the governor’s veto or by the governor’s failure to act upon it within the time limit shall be numbered immediately by the chief clerk of the house of origin.

35.095(2)(b) (b) The person numbering an act under par. (a) shall note on it the date of enactment, shall immediately provide electronic notice to the legislative reference bureau of the act number and date of enactment, and shall deposit it in the secretary of state’s office no later than the next working day following its enactment.

35.095(3) (3) Publication.

35.095(3)(a) (a) The legislative reference bureau shall publish every act and every portion of an act that is enacted by the legislature over the governor’s partial veto on its date of publication on the Internet in one or more electronic file formats. The legislative reference bureau may electronically publish every act and every portion of an act that is enacted by the legislature over the governor’s partial veto on other electronic media in one or more electronic file formats, as the legislative reference bureau determines.

35.095(3)(c) (c) Copies of each act or portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor’s partial veto shall be available electronically on or before the date of publication of the act to subscribers under s. 35.87. At appropriate intervals, the officer designated under s. 35.87 shall certify to the secretary of state that each act or portion of an act was available electronically to subscribers on or before its date of publication.

35.095 History History: 1981 c. 372 ss. 5, 13; 1983 a. 36; 1983 a. 192 s. 304; 1991 a. 39; 2005 a. 155; 2013 a. 5, 20.

35.095 Cross-reference Cross Reference: See s. 889.01 for the acts as prima facie evidence.

35.095 Cross-reference Cross Reference: See s. 991.11 for effective dates of acts.

35.095 Annotation Article IV, Section 17 of the Wisconsin Constitution vests the legislature with the constitutional power to “provide by law” for publication. The legislature has set the requirements for publication. If a court can intervene and prohibit the publication of an act, the court determines what shall be law and not the legislature. If the court does that, it does not in terms legislate but it invades the constitutional power of the legislature to declare what shall become law. This a court may not do. Ozanne v. Fitzgerald, 2011 WI 43, 334 Wis. 2d 70, 798 N.W.2d 436, 11-0613.

35.15 35.15 Laws of Wisconsin.

35.15(1) (1) 

35.15(1)(a) (a) No later than the end of each session of the legislature, the legislative reference bureau shall prepare camera-ready copy for one or more volumes denominated “Laws of Wisconsin”, and identified by the year in which that session began.

35.15(1)(b) (b) The volume shall contain all acts enacted during such session, all important joint resolutions of the session, and an alphabetical index to the volume prepared by the legislative reference bureau.

35.15(1)(c) (c) The copy shall show the date of enactment of each act, the date of publication of each act and published joint resolution, the number of the proposal from which the act or joint resolution originated and the house in which it originated and shall be in the form prescribed by the joint rules. The copy shall omit the signature of the officers affixed to the enrolled act or joint resolution.

35.15(1)(d) (d) The department shall determine the number of copies to be printed.

35.15(1)(e) (e) After making the necessary comparison, the chief of the legislative reference bureau shall issue a certificate, to be filed in the office of the secretary of state as a public record, that he or she has compared the printed acts with the original acts on file in the office of the secretary of state, and that they appear to be correctly printed. Each volume of the Laws of Wisconsin shall contain a printed copy of such certificate.

35.15(2) (2) The legislative reference bureau shall publish the Laws of Wisconsin as expeditiously as possible in such number of volumes and at such times as the bureau determines to be appropriate. If acts are enacted or joint resolutions are adopted while a volume is in production, the bureau may elect to publish them as a pocket part to the bound volume.

35.15 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (3); 1981 c. 372; 1991 a. 39; 2007 a. 20.

35.17 35.17 Correcting obvious errors in enrolling and publishing.

35.17(1) (1) In enrolling under s. 13.92 (1) (b) 3. and for publishing under ss. 35.095, 35.15, and 35.35 (1) (a), the legislative reference bureau shall correct minor clerical errors. No such correction shall be deemed an alteration of the enrolled copy.

35.17(2) (2) The legislative reference bureau shall correct obvious nonsubstantive errors when publishing the Wisconsin statutes under s. 35.18 (1) (a) and (b) and the administrative code under s. 35.93 (3).

35.17(3) (3) On questions of orthography the current edition of Webster’s new international dictionary shall be taken as the standard.

35.17 History History: 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 372; 2007 a. 20; 2013 a. 20.

STATUTES AND TOWN LAW FORMS;
CLASS 2 PRINTING

35.18 35.18 Wisconsin statutes.

35.18(1) (1) Publication.

35.18(1)(a) (a) Biennially the legislative reference bureau shall prepare and deliver to the department printer’s copy for the Wisconsin statutes, which shall contain all the general statutes in force, all important joint resolutions adopted since the last preceding general session, an alphabetical index, and such other matter as the bureau deems desirable and practicable. The department shall determine how many copies shall be printed.

35.18(1)(b) (b)