Section 227.16. When hearings required.

 

(1)  Except as provided under sub. (2) , all rule making by an agency shall be preceded by notice and public hearing as provided in ss. 227.17 and 227.18 .

(2)   Subsection (1) does not apply if any of the following conditions exist:

(b) The proposed rule brings an existing rule into conformity with a statute that has been changed or enacted or with a controlling judicial decision.

(c) The proposed rule is promulgated under s. 227.24 , in which case the agency shall hold a hearing under s. 227.24 (4) .

(d) The proposed rule is being promulgated at the direction of the joint committee for review of administrative rules under s. 227.26 (2) (b) .

(e) The proposed rule, as submitted to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 (1) , is sent to the legislative reference bureau in an electronic format approved by the legislative reference bureau and published in the notice section of the register with a statement that the proposed rule will be promulgated without public hearing unless a petition is received by the agency within 30 days after publication of the notice, signed by any of the following:

1. Twenty-five natural persons who will be affected by the proposed rule.

2. A municipality that will be affected by the proposed rule.

3. An association which is representative of a farm, labor, business or professional group that will be affected by the proposed rule.

(3)  If the agency receives a petition under sub. (2) (e) , it may not proceed with the proposed rule until after it has given notice and held a public hearing under ss. 227.17 and 227.18 .

(4)  The exemptions in sub. (2) do not apply if another statute specifically requires the agency to hold a hearing prior to promulgating the proposed rule under consideration.

(5)  If a hearing is not required because of an exemption under sub. (2) , the agency may hold a hearing on the proposed rule under ss. 227.17 and 227.18 .

(6)  For the purpose of soliciting public comment, an agency may hold a hearing on the general subject matter of possible or anticipated rules before preparing a proposed rule in draft form. A hearing held under this subsection does not satisfy the requirement of sub. (1) with respect to the promulgation of a specific proposed rule.

1985 a. 182 ; 1995 a. 106 ; 2013 a. 20 . The purpose of a public hearing is to give interested parties not only a chance to be heard, but to have an influence in the final form of the regulations involved. That purpose would not be served if the adopted rules were required to be identical in form to those proposed before the hearing. HM Distributors of Milwaukee, Inc. v. Department of Agriculture, 55 Wis. 2d 261 , 198 N.W.2d 598 (1972).