Governor Walker Signs Ten Bills into Law

MADISON, Wis., June 21 -- Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., issued the following news release:

Governor Scott Walker signed ten bills into law today at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Assembly Bill 25 - eliminates the requirement that minors ages 16-17 obtain a work or street trade permit. Under current law, minors are required to obtain a work permit issued by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Division of Equal Rights to be employed in permitted work, as set by state and federal laws. This bill replaces the term "child labor" in statute with "the employment of minors," repeals an obsolete provision related to licensing of theatrical exhibitions of minors under the age of 15 and expands current law to allow DWD to issue certificates of age for both minors and adults. Authored by Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R - Clinton) and Senator Chris Kapenga (R - Delafield), the bill passed Assembly with a vote of 64-34 and was concurred in the Senate with a vote of 20-12. It is Act 11.

Assembly Bill 59 - is a technical fix to change several titles in both state statute and administrative rule. The bill changes the title "First Responder" to "Emergency Medical Responder;" "EMT Basic" to "Emergency Medical Technician;" "EMT Intermediate Technician" to "Advanced Emergency Medical Technician;" "EMT Paramedic" to "Paramedic;" and the umbrella term "Emergency Medical Technician" to "Emergency Medical Services Practitioner." Authored by Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R - Clinton) and Senator Terry Moulton (R - Chippewa Falls), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred in the Senate on a voice vote. It is Act 12.

Senate Bill 148 - defines and creates a basic regulatory framework for the operation of a personal delivery device (PPD). The bill generally excludes PPDs from the definitions of "vehicle" and "motor vehicle," and authorizes their use on sidewalks and crosswalks unless prohibited by a Department of Transportation rule or by a local government ordinance. The bill requires PPDs to comply with the rules of the road associated with pedestrians and further requires them to be equipped with the following: a braking system that allows the device to come to a controlled stop and a clearly visible plate or marker that identifies the name and contact information of the PPD operator. Authored by Senator Chris Kapenga (R - Delafield) and Representative Mike Kuglitsch (R - New Berlin), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred in the Assembly with a vote of 97-0. It is Act 13.

Senate Bill 46 - extends the active duty military benefit to resident disabled veterans and qualified recipients of the Purple Heart medal to receive a turkey tag without the tag being issued via the cumulative preference system. Under current law, if the number of applicants for wild turkey hunting tags for a given wild turkey hunting zone or a given wild turkey hunting time period exceeds the number of wild turkey hunting tags allocated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for that period or time period, DNR must issue wild turkey hunting licenses and tags for that zone or time period according to a cumulative preference system. This bill guarantees Purple Heart medal recipients and certain disabled veterans can annually purchase a turkey tag for any turkey management zone during any period even if the tags for that time zone and period were all issued through the cumulative preference system or if any remaining tags sell out when offered for sale over the counter. Authored by Senator Patrick Testin (R - Stevens Point) and Representative Dianne Hesselbein (D - Middleton), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred in the Assembly on a voice vote. It is Act 14.

Senate Bill 51 - makes several technical changes to statutes dealing with tax incremental financing. It corrects errors and oversights in current Tax Incremental Districting (TID) law, creates defined expectations relating to filing annual reports, and provides greater administrative streamlining of TID law that benefits municipalities and the Department of Revenue (DOR). Authored by Senator Duey Stroebel (R - Saukville) and Representative David Steffen (R - Green Bay), the bill passed the Senate with a vote of 33-0 and was concurred in the Assembly with a vote of 97-0. It is Act 15.

Senate Bill 77 - allows Wisconsin domiciled surplus lines insurers to sell directly to Wisconsin consumers to keep them competitive with other states while preserving all the consumer and market protections. An insurer domiciled in Wisconsin may apply to the Commissioner of Insurance for a certificate allowing them to provide surplus lines insurance in Wisconsin as a domestic surplus lines insurer. Authored by Senator Frank Lasee (R - De Pere) and Representative David Steffen (R - Green Bay), the bill passed the Senate as amended on a voice vote and was concurred in the Assembly with a vote of 97-0. It is Act 16.

Senate Bill 89 - makes several technical changes to tax administration statutes. It streamlines processes for taxpayers and state government by codifying existing tax law and administration. It also makes a necessary change regarding the definition of the word "restaurant." The new definition required a restaurant's predominant activity be the preparation, service, or sale of meals. However, this change had an inadvertent effect on brewpubs, movie theaters, concessionaires, and painting studios, preventing them from obtaining or renewing a retail alcohol beverage license because they do not meet the new requirement. Authored by Senator Howard Marklein (R - Spring Green) and Representative Todd Novak (R - Dodgeville), the bill passed the Senate with a vote of 24-8 and was concurred in the Assembly with a vote of 62-34. It is Act 17.

Senate Bill 126 - makes various changes to Wisconsin's pharmacy practice law and administrative rules promulgated by the Pharmacy Examining Board, including: repealing a requirement that a license issued by the Board be displayed in the place of practice; providing that a prescription order entered on the chart or medical record, of an inpatient or resident of a health care facility, is not required to include the address of the practitioner; modifying the definition of "long-term care facility" to conform to a definition used in similar regulations adopted by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); repealing a requirement that every pharmacy be equipped with proper pharmaceutical utensils for compounding and dispensing prescriptions; repealing a requirement that the Board prescribe, by rule, minimum standards of professional and technical equipment; and repealing the rules promulgated by the Board relating to minimum equipment for pharmacies. Authored by Senator David Craig (R - Vernon) and Representative Chuck Wichgers (R - Muskego), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred in the Assembly on a voice vote. It is Act 18.

Assembly Bill 125 - allows a pharmacist to extend an existing prescription order and dispense the drug to the patient in the event a pharmacist receives a request for a prescription to be refilled and the prescription cannot otherwise be refilled as provided under the law if the following conditions are met: the pharmacist has been unsuccessful in attempting to procure a new prescription order or refill authorization from the prescribing practitioner after attempting to contact the prescribing practitioner or their office; the patient is on a consistent drug therapy program and has previously refilled the prescription at that pharmacy or through another pharmacy in the same pharmacy chain; the drug is essential to the life of the patient, or that the interruption of the drug therapy could result in undesirable consequences for the patient's health; and the pharmacist has not received and is not otherwise aware of instructions from the prescribing practitioner prohibiting further dispensing pursuant to or extension of the prescription order. Authored by Representative Debra Kolste (D - Janesville) and Senator Leah Vukmir (R - Brookfield), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred in the Senate on a voice vote. It is Act 19.

Assembly Bill 146 - increases the settings in which dental hygienists are authorized to practice dental hygiene without the authorization and presence of a licensed dentist, including federal, state, county, or municipal correctional or detention facilities; facilities established to provide care for terminally ill patients; charitable institutions open to the public or members of a religious sect or order; non-profit home health care agencies; non-profit dental programs serving primarily indigent, economically disadvantaged, or migrant worker populations; nursing homes, community-based residential facilities, and hospitals; facilities that are primarily operated to provide outpatient medical services; adult family homes; adult care centers; and community rehabilitations programs. Authored by Representative Kathy Bernier (R - Lake Hallie) and Senator Sheila Harsdorf (R - River Falls), the bill passed the Assembly, as amended, on a voice vote and was concurred in the Senate on a voice vote. It is Act 20.