Section 19.48. Duties of the ethics commission.

  The commission shall:

(1)  Promulgate rules necessary to carry out ch. 11 , subch. III of ch. 13 , and this subchapter. The commission shall give prompt notice of the contents of its rules to state public officials who will be affected thereby.

(2)  Prescribe and make available forms for use under ch. 11 , subch. III of ch. 13 , and this subchapter, including the forms specified in s. 13.685 (1) .

(3)  Accept and file any information related to the purposes of ch. 11 , subch. III of ch. 13 , and this subchapter which is voluntarily supplied by any person in addition to the information required by this subchapter.

(4)  Preserve the statements of economic interests filed with it for a period of 6 years from the date of receipt in such form, including microfilming, optical imaging or electronic formatting, as will facilitate document retention, except that:

(a) Upon the expiration of 3 years after an individual ceases to be a state public official the commission shall, unless the former state public official otherwise requests, destroy any statement of economic interests filed by him or her and any copies thereof in its possession.

(b) Upon the expiration of 3 years after any election at which a candidate for state public office was not elected, the commission shall destroy any statements of economic interests filed by him or her as a candidate for state public office and any copies thereof in the commission's possession, unless the individual continues to hold another position for which he or she is required to file a statement, or unless the individual otherwise requests.

(c) Upon the expiration of 3 years from the action of the senate upon a nomination for state public office at which the senate refused to consent to the appointment of the nominee, the commission shall destroy any statements of economic interests filed by him or her as a nominee and any copies thereof in the commission's possession, unless the individual continues to hold another position for which he or she is required to file a statement, or unless the nominee otherwise requests. This paragraph does not apply to any individual who is appointed to state public office under s. 17.20 (2) .

(5)  Except as provided in s. 19.55 (2) (c) , make statements of economic interests filed with the commission available for public inspection and copying during regular office hours and make copying facilities available at a charge not to exceed actual cost.

(6)  Compile and maintain an index to all the statements of economic interests currently on file with the commission to facilitate public access to such statements of economic interests.

(7)  Prepare and publish special reports and technical studies to further the purposes of ch. 11 , subch. III of ch. 13 , and this subchapter.

(8)  Report the full name and address of any individual and the full name and address of any person represented by an individual seeking to copy or obtain information from a statement of economic interests in writing to the individual who filed it, as soon as possible.

(9)  Administer programs to explain and interpret ch. 11 , subch. III of ch. 13 , and this subchapter for state public officials, and for elective state officials, candidates for state public office, legislative officials, agency officials, lobbyists, as defined in s. 13.62 , local public officials, corporation counsels and attorneys for local governmental units. The programs shall provide advice regarding appropriate ethical and lobbying practices, with special emphasis on public interest lobbying. The commission may delegate creation and implementation of any such program to a group representing the public interest. The commission may charge a fee to participants in any such program.

(10)  Compile and make available information filed with the commission in ways designed to facilitate access to the information. The commission may charge a fee to a person requesting information for compiling, disseminating or making available such information, except that the commission shall not charge a fee for inspection at the commission's office of any record otherwise open to public inspection under s. 19.35 (1) .

(11)  Maintain an Internet site on which the information required to be posted by agencies under s. 16.753 (4) can be posted and accessed. The information on the site shall be accessible directly or by linkage from a single page on the Internet.

1973 c. 90 ; Stats. 1973 s. 11.08; 1973 c. 333 ; 1973 c. 334 ss. 33 , 57 ; Stats. 1973 s. 19.48; 1975 c. 41 ; 1977 c. 223 , 277 ; 1977 c. 447 ss. 37 , 209 ; 1983 a. 166 ss. 10 , 16 ; 1985 a. 164 ; 1989 a. 338 , 359 ; 1991 a. 39 , 269 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1997 a. 186 ; 2005 a. 410 ; 2015 a. 118 ss. 189 to 194 , 266 (10) . Cross-reference: See also ETH , Wis. adm. code.