13.83 Permanent council committees. The joint legislative council shall in each biennium create the committees enumerated in this section.

(1) Law revision committee.

(a) Prior to June 1 of each odd-numbered year, the joint legislative council shall appoint a law revision committee consisting of members of the senate and assembly, including at least one member of the majority party and at least one member of the minority party from each house.

(b) The committee shall be assisted by the legislative council staff. The joint legislative council may request staff assistance from other legislative service agencies where appropriate.

(c) The committee shall:

1. Consider decisions and opinions referred to it by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (2) (j) to determine whether revisions are needed in the statutes or session laws.

2. Consider bills referred to it by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (2) (L).

3. Consider bills referred to it by the legislative reference bureau under s. 13.92 (1) (bm) and (2) (i).

4. Consider minor substantive remedial measures proposed by state agencies to improve the administration of their agencies or proposed by the committee, a standing committee of the legislature or a legislative service agency to improve the language or organization of the statutes or session laws.

5. Introduce legislation prepared under this paragraph directly into the legislature. Each such proposal shall include a note or series of notes providing an explanation of the proposed changes and an analysis by the legislative reference bureau.

(d) The committee may submit to the joint legislative council recommendations for major law revision projects. In developing the recommendations, the committee shall consider changes in the law suggested by the American law institute, the council of state governments, the U.S. advisory commission on intergovernmental relations, the commission on uniform state laws created under s. 13.55, legislative committees and service agencies, state agencies, local governments and interested persons. The committee may specify in its recommendations which of the committees or agencies under par. (e) should undertake the proposed law revision project.

(e) If the joint legislative council approves a major law revision project recommended under par. (d), it shall specify which of the following should conduct the project:

1. The law revision committee or a subcommittee thereof established by the committee for this purpose.

2. A special or permanent committee appointed by the joint legislative council.

3. A legislative service agency.

4. A standing or joint survey or other statutory committee or committees of the legislature.

(f)

1. If the joint legislative council approves a project under par. (e) 1., it may appoint one or more public members to a subcommittee established for this purpose by the committee to assist in completing the revision project.

2. If the joint legislative council approves a project under par. (e) 1. or 2., it may contract for a consultant or project staff director having expertise in the subject matter of the project and it shall specify the date for the final report of the project to the joint legislative council.

3. If the joint legislative council approves a project under par. (e) 1., 2. or 3., it may introduce legislation developed as a result of the project as provided in s. 13.82 (1) (c).

4. If the joint legislative council approves a project under par. (e) 3. or 4., it may request the appropriate standing or joint survey or other statutory committee or committees of the legislature or legislative service agency to undertake the project.

5. Legislation developed as a result of a request under this paragraph to a standing or joint survey or other statutory committee or committees of the legislature may be introduced by that committee.

(g) The committee shall:

1. Serve as a repository for interstate agreements to which this state is or may become a party.

2. Compile and keep current a list of all interstate agreements having the force of law to which this state or any agency thereof is a party. The list shall cite laws or official documents of this state containing the text of any interstate agreement together with a listing of all other parties to each agreement; the date on which each party entered into the agreement with this state or any agency thereof; the status of each agreement in respect to withdrawals therefrom; and citations to any act or resolution of the congress of the United States consenting to any agreement. In addition, the list shall include the names, addresses and terms of office of the interstate agreement administrators, officials or members of the governing body who represent this state in the administration of each agreement. The list required to be kept under this paragraph also shall include any interstate agreements adopted by this state or any agency thereof but not in effect by reason of the absence of such other parties thereto as may be necessary to make the agreement effective and binding, and all other interstate agreements which are no longer in active operation due to the completion of the purpose for which they were intended but which must be retained in force as a permanent record thereof. Any amendment, supplementary agreement or administrative rule having the force of law which implements or modifies any agreement to which this state or any agency thereof is a party shall be listed in the same manner as the agreement itself.

3. Supply the legislative reference bureau with the texts of and information relating to the parties to interstate agreements to which this state is a party.

4. Review existing or proposed interstate agreements and compacts and modifications thereof and make recommendations to the legislature concerning the agreements and compacts and modifications.

(3) Special committee on state-tribal relations.

(a) The joint legislative council shall, in each biennium, create a special committee on state-tribal relations. The special committee shall study issues related to American Indians and the American Indian tribes and bands in this state and develop specific recommendations and legislative proposals relating to these issues. The special committee shall, from time to time, report its findings and its legislative and other recommendations to the joint legislative council.

(b) The special committee shall be composed of the following:

1. Not fewer than 6 nor more than 11 members appointed by the joint legislative council from names submitted by the federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands in this state or the Great Lakes inter-tribal council. The joint legislative council may not appoint more than one member under this subdivision based on the recommendation of any one American Indian tribe or band or of the Great Lakes inter-tribal council.

2. Not fewer than 6 nor more than 12 legislator members of the senate and assembly, including at least one member of the majority party and at least one member of the minority party from each house, appointed by the joint legislative council.

(c) The actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the special committee shall be paid as follows:

1. The joint legislative council shall pay the expenses incurred by the members appointed under par. (b) 1., in performing their functions on the special committee, from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (3) (e).

2. The state departments shall pay the expenses of their representatives in connection with the work of the technical advisory committee under par. (f).

(f) The special committee shall be assisted by a technical advisory committee composed of 8 members representing the following:

1. The department of health services.

2. The department of workforce development.

2m. The department of children and families.

3. The department of justice.

4. The department of natural resources.

5. The department of public instruction.

6. The department of revenue.

7. The department of transportation.

History: 1971 c. 211; 1973 c. 333; 1975 c. 39; 1977 c. 31, 187, 325, 418; Sup. Ct. Order, 88 Wis. 2d xiii (1979); 1979 c. 8; 1979 c. 34 ss. 6r, 2100; 1979 c. 204, 221; 1981 c. 86 s. 71; 1981 c. 173; 1983 a. 27 ss. 14p, 2202 (45); 1983 a. 308; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 52, 490; 1995 a. 27 ss. 9126 (19), 9130 (4), 9145 (1); 1995 a. 417; 1997 a. 3, 27; 1999 a. 60; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25, 467; 2007 a. 20 ss. 14d to 17a, 9121 (6) (a); 2009 a. 185.

NOTE: 1979 Assembly Bill 657 contains a prefatory note explaining the duties of the law revision committee.