Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 227 - Administrative procedure and review.
227.14 - Preparation of proposed rules.

227.14 Preparation of proposed rules.
(1) Form and style. In preparing a proposed rule, an agency shall adhere substantially to the form and style used by the legislative reference bureau in the preparation of bill drafts and the form and style specified in the manual prepared by the legislative council staff and the legislative reference bureau under s. 227.15 (7). To the greatest extent possible, an agency shall prepare proposed rules in plain language which can be easily understood.
(1m) Exception; preparation of certain environmental rules based on federal regulations.
(a) Notwithstanding sub. (1), an agency may use the format of federal regulations published in the code of federal regulations in preparing a proposed rule for publication or distribution and in preparing a proposed rule for filing if the agency determines that all or part of a state environmental regulatory program is to be administered according to standards, requirements or methods which are identical to standards, requirements or methods specified for all or part of a federal environmental regulatory program.
(b) Notwithstanding sub. (1), an agency may use the format of federal regulations published in the code of federal regulations in preparing a proposed rule for publication or distribution and in preparing a proposed rule for filing if the agency determines that all or part of a state environmental regulatory program is to be administered according to standards, requirements or methods which are similar to standards, requirements or methods specified for all or part of a federal environmental regulatory program.
(1s) Exception; preparation of certain rules based on federal food code. Notwithstanding sub. (1), if the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection or the department of health services prepares a proposed rule based on the model food code published by the federal food and drug administration, the proposed rule may be in the format of the model food code.
(2) Analysis.
(a) An agency shall prepare in plain language an analysis of each proposed rule, which shall be printed as a preface to the text of the proposed rule when it is published or distributed. The analysis shall include all of the following:
1. A reference to each statute that the proposed rule interprets, each statute that authorizes its promulgation, each related statute or related rule, and an explanation of the agency's authority to promulgate the proposed rule under those statutes.
2. A brief summary of the proposed rule.
3. A summary of and preliminary comparison with any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the proposed rule.
3m. A summary of any public comments and feedback on the statement of scope of the proposed rule that the agency received at any preliminary public hearing and comment period held under s. 227.136 and a description of how and to what extent the agency took those comments and that feedback into account in drafting the proposed rule.
4. A comparison with similar rules in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.
5. A summary of the factual data and analytical methodologies that the agency used in support of the proposed rule and how any related findings support the regulatory approach chosen for the proposed rule.
6. Any analysis and supporting documentation that the agency used in support of the agency's determination of the rule's effect on small businesses under s. 227.114 or that was used when the agency prepared an economic impact analysis under s. 227.137 (3).
6m. A copy of any comments and opinion prepared by the board of veterans affairs under s. 45.03 (2m) for rules that are proposed by the department of veterans affairs.
7. The electronic mail address and telephone number of an agency contact person for the proposed rule.
8. The place where comments on the proposed rule should be submitted and the deadline for submitting those comments, if the deadline is known at the time the proposed rule is submitted to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 or, for a rule promulgated under s. 186.118 (2) (a) or (3) (b) 1., submitted as provided in s. 186.118 (2) (b) or (3) (b) 2.
(b) If the proposed rule is prepared in the format authorized under sub. (1m), the analysis shall include a reference to the federal regulation upon which it is based. If the proposed rule is prepared in the format authorized under sub. (1m) but differs from the federal regulation as permitted under sub. (1m) (b), the analysis shall specify each portion of the proposed rule that differs from the federal regulation upon which it is based.
(2g) Review by the small business regulatory review board. On the same day that an agency submits to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 a proposed rule that may have an economic impact on small businesses, the agency shall submit the proposed rule, the analysis required under sub. (2), and a description of its actions taken to comply with s. 227.114 (2) and (3) to the small business regulatory review board. The board may use cost-benefit analysis to determine the fiscal effect of the rule on small businesses and shall determine whether the proposed rule will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses and whether the agency has complied with subs. (2) and (2m) and s. 227.114 (2) and (3). Except as provided in subs. (1m) and (1s), each proposed rule shall include provisions detailing how the rule will be enforced. If the board determines that the rule does not include an enforcement provision or that the agency failed to comply with sub. (2) or (2m) or s. 227.114 (2) or (3), the board shall notify the agency of that determination and ask the agency to comply with any of those requirements. If the board determines that the proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses, the board shall submit a statement to that effect to the agency that sets forth the reason for the board's decision. If the board determines that the proposed rule will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses, the board may submit to the agency suggested changes in the proposed rule to minimize the economic impact of the proposed rule, or may recommend the withdrawal of the proposed rule under sub. (6). In addition, the board may submit other suggested changes in the proposed rule to the agency, including proposals to reduce the use of cross-references in the rule. The board shall send a report of any suggested changes and of any notice of failure to include enforcement provisions or to comply with sub. (2) or (2m) or s. 227.114 (2) or (3) to the legislative council staff. The notification to the agency may include a request that the agency do any of the following:
(a) Verify that the proposed rule does not conflict with, overlap, or duplicate other rules or federal regulations.
(b) Require the inclusion of fee information and fee schedules in the analysis under sub. (2), including why fees are necessary and for what purpose the fees will be used.
(2m) Quality of agency data and reduction of cross references. Each agency shall, in cooperation with the department of administration, ensure the accuracy, integrity, objectivity, and consistency of the data that is used when preparing a proposed rule and when completing an analysis of the proposed rule under sub. (2). Each agency shall reduce the amount of cross-references to the statutes in proposed and final rules. A person affected by a proposed rule may submit comments to the agency regarding the accuracy, integrity, or consistency of that data.
(3) Reference to applicable forms. If a proposed rule requires a new or revised form, an agency shall include a reference to the form in a note to the proposed rule and shall attach to the proposed rule a copy of the form or a description of how a copy may be obtained. The legislative reference bureau shall insert the reference in the code as a note to the rule.
(4) Fiscal estimates.
(a) An agency shall prepare a fiscal estimate for each proposed rule before it is submitted to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15.
(b) The fiscal estimate shall include the major assumptions used in its preparation and a reliable estimate of the fiscal impact of the proposed rule, including:
1. The anticipated effect on county, city, village, town, school district, technical college district and sewerage district fiscal liabilities and revenues.
2. A projection of the anticipated state fiscal effect during the current biennium and a projection of the net annualized fiscal impact on state funds.
3. For rules that the agency determines may have a significant fiscal effect on the private sector, the anticipated costs that will be incurred by the private sector in complying with the rule.
(c) If a proposed rule interpreting or implementing a statute has no independent fiscal effect, the fiscal estimate prepared under this subsection shall be based on the fiscal effect of the statute.
(d) If a proposed rule is revised so that its fiscal effect is significantly changed prior to its issuance, an agency shall prepare a revised fiscal estimate before promulgating the rule. The agency shall give notice of a revised fiscal estimate in the same manner that notice of the original estimate is given.
(4m) Notice of submittal to legislative council staff. On the same day that an agency submits a proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15, the agency shall prepare a written notice of the agency's submittal to the legislative council staff. The notice shall include a statement of the date on which the proposed rule has been submitted to the legislative council staff for review, of the subject matter of the proposed rule, and of whether a public hearing on the proposed rule is required under s. 227.16, and shall identify the organizational unit within the agency that is primarily responsible for the promulgation of the rule. The notice shall also include a statement containing the identifying number of the statement of scope for the proposed rule assigned under s. 227.135 (3), the date of publication and issue number of the register in which the statement of scope is published, and the date of approval of the statement of scope by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule under s. 227.135 (2). The notice shall be approved by the individual or body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule. The agency shall send an electronic copy of the notice to the legislative reference bureau, in a format approved by the legislative reference bureau, for publication in the register. On the same day that the agency sends the notice to the legislative reference bureau, the agency shall send a copy of the notice to the secretary of administration.
(5) Copies available to the public at no cost. An agency, upon request, shall make available to the public at no cost a copy of any proposed rule, including the analysis, fiscal estimate and any related form.
(6) Withdrawal of a rule.
(a) Notwithstanding s. 227.01 (10), in this subsection, “proposed rule" means all of the agency's proposal to promulgate a rule.
(b) An agency may withdraw a proposed rule at any time prior to filing under s. 227.20 by notifying the presiding officer of each house of the legislature and the legislative council staff of its intention not to promulgate the proposed rule.
(c)
1. A proposed rule shall be considered withdrawn on whichever of the following dates occurs first, unless it is withdrawn sooner by the agency under par. (b):
a. If the proposed rule is not submitted to the legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2) before the statement of the scope of the proposed rule expires as provided in s. 227.135 (5), on the date that statement of scope expires.
b. On December 31 of the 4th year after the year in which it is submitted to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 (1), unless it has been filed with the legislative reference bureau under s. 227.20 (1) before that date.
2. No action by a legislative committee or by either house of the legislature under s. 227.19 delays the date of withdrawal of a proposed rule under this paragraph.
(d) If a proposed rule is withdrawn, the proposed rule may be promulgated only by commencing the rule-making procedure again with the preparation, under s. 227.135, of a statement of the scope of the proposed rule that the agency plans to promulgate.
History: 1985 a. 182; 1987 a. 22, 253; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 106; 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 118, 145; 2005 a. 249; 2007 a. 20 ss. 2997de to 2997fr, 9121 (6) (a); 2011 a. 21, 36, 46; 2013 a. 20, 277; 2017 a. 39, 57.
The 2003 Jobs Creation Act: Changing Wisconsin's Regulatory Climate. Fassbender & Kent. Wis. Law. Sept. 2004.

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