Hearing scheduled April 1 on scope statements

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will conduct a preliminary public hearing from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. April 1 on two statements of scope related to updating DPI administrative rules to remove rules that are obsolete, unnecessary, duplicative, or superseded by state statutes.

The hearing will be held at the DPI’s headquarters, GEF 3, Room P41, 125 South Webster Street, Madison. The hearing site is fully accessible to people with disabilities. Those intending to testify at the rules hearing will be required to present photo identification at the security desk near the Webster Street public entrance. For those who cannot attend the hearing, written comments sent to the department will be given the same consideration as public testimony. Written comments received no later than April 4 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.

The changes result from the department’s review of administrative rules as required in 2017 Wisconsin Act 108. The two statements of scope that will be considered during the preliminary hearing will guide rules that will make technical updates to the administrative code. One rule would amend Chapters PI 1, 6, 8, 11, 13, 19, 27, 37, and 43. The other would amend Chapter PI 7.

A statement of scope is prepared in advance of any rule that an agency plans to promulgate. It includes a description of the objective of the rule, a description of existing policies relevant to the rule and an analysis of policy alternatives, the statutory authority for the rule, estimates of the amount of time that is expected to develop the rule, a description of entities affected by the rule, and a summary of any federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule. As the rules are promulgated, the department will conduct additional public hearings and comment periods for the emergency and proposed permanent administrative rules.

A copy of each scope statement is available on the department’s Administrative Rules webpage or the Wisconsin Legislature Rules site. Written comments on the statements of scope may be made via the department's form for submitting public comment, https://goo.gl/forms/bZjak2hakHYCymW63, or emailed to the department’s administrative rules coordinator, adminrules@dpi.wi.gov, or by U.S. mail to Carl Bryan, 125 South Webster Street, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI 53707-7841.