Section 227.116. Rules to include time period.

 

(1g)  In this section, “permit" means any approval of an agency required as a condition of operating a business in this state.

(1r)  Each proposed rule submitted to the legislative council under s. 227.15 that includes a requirement for a business to obtain a permit shall specify the number of business days, calculated beginning on the day a permit application is received, within which the agency will review and make a determination on a permit application.

(2)  If any existing rule does not comply with sub. (1r) , the agency that promulgated the rule shall submit to the legislative council a proposed revision of the rule that will bring the rule into compliance with sub. (1r) . The legislative council staff's review of the proposed revision is limited to determining whether or not the agency has complied with this subsection.

(3)   Subsections (1r) and (2) do not apply to a rule if the rule, or a law under which the rule was promulgated, effective prior to November 17, 1983, contains a specification of a time period for review and determination on a permit application.

(4)  If an agency fails to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law, for each such failure the agency shall prepare a report and submit it to the department of safety and professional services within 5 business days of the last day of the time period specified, setting forth all of the following:

(a) The name of the person who submitted the permit application and the business activity for which the permit is required.

(b) Why the review and determination were not completed within the specified time period and a specification of the revised time period within which the review and determination will be completed.

(c) How the agency intends to avoid such failures in the future.

(5)  If an agency fails to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law, upon completion of the review and determination for that application, the agency shall notify the department of safety and professional services.

(6)  

(a) An agency's failure to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law does not relieve any person from the obligation to secure a required permit nor affect in any way the agency's authority to interpret the requirements of or grant or deny permits.

(b) If a court finds that an agency failed to review and make a determination on a permit application within the time period specified in a rule or law, that finding shall not constitute grounds for declaring the agency's determination invalid.

1985 a. 182 , 332 ; 1993 a. 52 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1997 a. 27 ; 2005 a. 249 ; 2011 a. 32 .