16.25 Service award program.
(1) In this section:
(am) “Emergency medical responder" means an individual certified under s. 256.15 (8) (a).
(at) “Emergency medical services practitioner” has the meaning given in s. 256.01 (5).
(b) “Internal Revenue Code" means the Internal Revenue Code, as defined for the current taxable year under s. 71.01 (6).
(c) “Municipality" means a city, county, village or town.
(d) “Program" means the service award program established under sub. (2).
(2) The department shall administer a program to provide length-of-service awards, described in 26 USC 457 (e) (11), to volunteer fire fighters in municipalities that operate volunteer fire departments or that contract with volunteer fire companies organized under ch. 181 or 213, to emergency medical responders in any municipality that authorizes emergency medical responders to provide emergency medical responder services, and to volunteer emergency medical services practitioners in any municipality that authorizes volunteer emergency medical services practitioners to provide emergency medical technical services in the municipality. To the extent permitted by federal law, the department shall administer the program so as to treat the length-of-service awards as a tax-deferred benefit under the Internal Revenue Code.
(3) The department shall administer the program so as to include all of the following features:
(a) All municipalities that operate volunteer fire departments or that contract with a volunteer fire company organized under ch. 181 or 213, all municipalities that authorize emergency medical responders to provide emergency medical responder services, and all municipalities that authorize volunteer emergency medical services practitioners to provide emergency medical technical services are eligible to participate in the program.
(b) Annual contributions in an amount determined by the municipality shall be paid by each municipality for each volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, and emergency medical services practitioner who provides services for the municipality.
(c) The municipality may select from among the plans offered by individuals or organizations under contract with the department under sub. (4) for the volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners who perform services for the municipality. The municipality shall pay the annual contributions directly to the individual or organization offering the plan selected by the municipality.
(d) The department shall provide a match equal to twice the amount of all annual municipal contributions paid for volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners up to a state match of $390 per fiscal year, other than contributions paid for the purchase of additional years of service under par. (e), to be paid from the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (4) (er). This amount shall be adjusted annually on July 1 to reflect any changes in the U.S. consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city average, as determined by the U.S. department of labor, for the 12-month period ending on the preceding December 31. The department shall pay all amounts that are matched under this paragraph to the individuals and organizations offering the plans selected by the municipalities.
(e) A municipality may purchase additional years of service for volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners. The number of additional years of service that may be purchased under this paragraph may not exceed the number of years of volunteer fire fighting, emergency medical responder service, or emergency medical technical service performed by the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner for the municipality.
(f) Except in the case of a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner or the beneficiary of a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner eligible for a lump sum under par. (i), a vesting period of 10 years of volunteer fire fighting, emergency medical responder service, or emergency medical technical service for a municipality shall be required before a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner may receive any benefits under the program.
(g) A volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner shall be paid a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, consisting of all municipal and state contributions made on behalf of the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner and all earnings on the contributions, less any expenses incurred in the investment of the contributions and earnings, after the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner attains 15 years of service for a municipality and reaches the age of 60. If a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner has satisfied all vesting requirements under the program but has at least 10 but less than 15 years of service for a municipality or has reached the age of 53 but has not reached the age of 60, the program shall provide for the payment of a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule in an amount to be determined by the department, but less than the amount paid to a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner who has attained 15 years of service for a municipality and has reached the age of 60. The department shall promulgate rules implementing this paragraph.
(i)
1. The beneficiary of a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner who is killed in the line of duty or while actively engaged in the rendering of volunteer fire fighting, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical technical service shall be paid a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, consisting of all municipal and state contributions made on behalf of the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner and all earnings on the contributions, less any expenses incurred in the investment of the contributions and earnings.
2. A volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner who becomes disabled during his or her service as a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner for the municipality shall be paid a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, in an amount to be determined by the department.
(j) The account of any volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner who has not met all of the vesting requirements under the program, who has not provided volunteer fire fighting, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical technical services for a municipality for a period of 12 months or more, who does not meet any other program requirement established by the municipality, and who has not been granted a leave of absence by his or her supervisor shall be closed.
(k) The department shall equitably allocate all moneys in accounts of volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners that have been closed to the accounts of volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical responders, and emergency medical services practitioners that have not been forfeited or closed.
(4)
(a) The department shall establish by rule the requirements for, and the qualifications of, the individuals and organizations in the private sector that are eligible to provide administrative services and investment plans under the program, other than services funded from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (ec). In establishing the requirements and qualifications, the department shall develop criteria of financial stability that each individual and organization must meet in order to offer the services and plans under the program.
(b) The department may contract with any individual or organization in the private sector that seeks to provide administrative services and investment plans required for the program, other than services funded from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (ec), if the individual or organization fulfills the requirements and has the qualifications established by the department under par. (a). Section 16.72 (2) (b) does not apply to any such contract.
(5) The department shall establish by rule a process by which a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner may appeal to the secretary any decision made by the department or by an individual or organization under contract with the department under sub. (4) that affects a substantial interest of the volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical responder, or emergency medical services practitioner under the program.
(6) Annually, on or before December 31, the department shall submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) describing the activities of the department under this section.
History: 1999 a. 105; 2005 a. 142; 2007 a. 97, 130; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 12, 59; 2021 a. 58.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 16 - Department of administration.
16.001 - Organization of department.
16.003 - Department of administration.
16.004 - Secretary, powers and duties.
16.005 - Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation.
16.006 - Treatment of classified employees.
16.008 - Payment of special charges for extraordinary police service to state facilities.
16.009 - Board on aging and long-term care.
16.03 - Interagency council on homelessness.
16.04 - Fleet management and maintenance.
16.045 - Gasohol, alternative fuels,
16.047 - Volkswagen settlement funds.
16.05 - Interstate agreements.
16.06 - American Indian assistance.
16.10 - Ratification of the midwest interstate low-level radioactive waste compact.
16.11 - Midwest interstate low-level radioactive waste compact.
16.12 - Violation of midwest interstate low-level radioactive waste compact.
16.15 - Resource recovery and recycling program.
16.18 - Management assistance grants to certain counties.
16.22 - National and community service.
16.25 - Service award program.
16.26 - Weatherization assistance.
16.27 - Low-income energy assistance.
16.28 - Office of business development.
16.283 - Disabled veteran-owned businesses.
16.285 - Woman-owned businesses; certification; database.
16.295 - Fund of funds investment program.
16.297 - Grants for local government expenditures; moral obligation pledge.
16.298 - Pay for success contracting.
16.302 - State housing strategy plan.
16.303 - Housing cost grants and loans.
16.305 - Grants to local housing organizations.
16.307 - Grants to alleviate homelessness.
16.308 - Grants for the provision of shelter for homeless individuals and families.
16.3085 - Homeless case management services grants.
16.309 - Community development block grant programs.
16.310 - Use of surplus state-owned real property.
16.314 - Employability plans for public housing residents.
16.315 - Federal housing assistance programs.
16.40 - Department of administration, duties, powers.
16.405 - Requests for issuance of operating notes.
16.41 - Agency and authority accounting; information; aid.
16.415 - Certification of payrolls.
16.417 - Dual employment or retention.
16.423 - Base budget review reports.
16.425 - Summary of tax exemption devices.
16.45 - Budget message to legislature.
16.46 - Biennial budget, contents.
16.461 - Biennial budget, summary of funds.
16.465 - Budget stabilization fund reallocations.
16.48 - Unemployment reserve financial statement.
16.50 - Departmental estimates.
16.505 - Position authorization.
16.51 - Department of administration; preauditing and accounting; additional duties and powers.
16.513 - Program and segregated revenue sufficiency.
16.515 - Supplementation of program revenue and program revenue-service appropriations.
16.517 - Adjustments of program revenue positions and funding levels.
16.518 - Transfers to the budget stabilization fund.
16.5185 - Transfers to the transportation fund.
16.519 - Fund transfers relating to tobacco settlement agreement.
16.525 - State aid recipients' accounting.
16.527 - Appropriation obligations.
16.528 - Interest on late payments.
16.5285 - Health insurer fee savings.
16.529 - Lapses and fund transfers relating to unfunded retirement liability debt service.
16.531 - Cash flow plan; report.
16.54 - Acceptance of federal funds.
16.544 - Federal aid disallowances.
16.545 - Federal aid management service.
16.548 - Federal-state relations office; report.
16.55 - Frauds and uncollectible shortages.
16.56 - Grain inspection funding.
16.58 - Services to units of local government.
16.60 - Services to nonprofit corporations.
16.61 - Records of state offices and other public records.
16.611 - State public records; optical disc and electronic storage.
16.612 - Local government records; optical disc and electronic storage standards.
16.62 - Records management service.
16.63 - Sale of state's rights to tobacco settlement agreement payments.
16.643 - Support accounts for persons with disabilities.
16.70 - Purchasing; definitions.
16.701 - Subscription service and procurement system.
16.705 - Contractual services.
16.73 - Cooperative purchasing.
16.74 - Legislative and judicial branch purchasing.
16.75 - Buy on low bid, exceptions.
16.751 - Information technology purchases by investment board.
16.752 - Procurement from work centers for severely handicapped individuals.
16.754 - Preference for American-made materials.
16.755 - Council on small business, veteran-owned business and minority business opportunities.
16.76 - Form of contracts; continuing contracts.
16.765 - Nondiscriminatory contracts.
16.77 - Audit of bills; illegal contracts; actions to recover.
16.78 - Purchases from department relating to information technology or telecommunications.
16.79 - Duties of department of administration.
16.82 - Powers of department of administration.
16.83 - State capitol and executive residence board.
16.835 - Offices and rooms in capitol.
16.838 - Historically significant furnishings.
16.839 - State facilities named.
16.84 - Real estate and physical plant management; protection of persons.
16.842 - State capitol view preservation.
16.843 - Capitol and state office buildings parking regulations.
16.844 - Burning bituminous coal near capitol.
16.845 - Use of state facilities.
16.846 - Rules relating to use, care and preservation of property under department control.
16.847 - Energy efficiency program.
16.848 - Sale or lease of state property or facilities.
16.849 - Facility design services for state agencies.
16.85 - Department of administration; powers, duties.
16.851 - Plans for state buildings, structures or facilities.
16.8511 - Secretary of administration; powers, duties.
16.854 - Services provided to professional baseball park districts.
16.855 - Construction project contracts.
16.858 - Energy conservation audits and construction projects.
16.865 - Department of administration; statewide risk management coordination.
16.867 - Selection of architects and engineers.
16.87 - Approval of contracts by secretary and governor; audit.
16.88 - Charges against projects.
16.89 - Construction and services controlled by this chapter.
16.891 - Reports on cost of occupancy of state facilities.
16.895 - State-owned or operated heating, cooling or power plants.
16.897 - Space and water heating systems.
16.90 - Fuel for state heating, cooling or power plants.
16.92 - Purchase of fuel, electricity, heat and chilled water.
16.93 - Sale of fuel or utility service.
16.953 - Energy cost reduction plans.
16.956 - Diesel truck idling reduction grants.
16.957 - Low-income assistance.
16.958 - Air quality improvement program.
16.965 - Planning grants to local governmental units.
16.9651 - Transportation planning grants to local governmental units.
16.966 - Geographic information systems.
16.967 - Land information program.
16.968 - Groundwater survey and analysis.
16.9685 - Clean water clearinghouse.
16.969 - Fees for certain high-voltage transmission lines.
16.971 - Responsibilities of department.
16.972 - Powers of the department.
16.973 - Duties of the department.
16.974 - Powers of the department.
16.975 - Access to information.
16.976 - Strategic plans for executive branch agencies.
16.977 - Information technology portfolio management.
16.979 - Telecommunications operations and planning.
16.98 - Federal resource acquisition.
16.981 - Transfer of appropriations.
16.993 - Technology for educational achievement in Wisconsin; departmental duties.
16.9945 - Information technology block grants.
16.995 - Educational technology infrastructure financial assistance.