Wis. Stat. § 13.63 — WI Code / Chapter 13 / Section 13.63
Licenses for lobbyists; suspension or revocation.
Status: in_force

(1) Licenses.

(a) An applicant for a license to act as a lobbyist may obtain an application from and file the application with the commission. Except as authorized under par. (am) , an applicant shall include his or her social security number and may include the address of his or her primary residence on the application. The applicant shall, under the penalty for making false statements under s. 13.69 (6m) , sign the application. The applicant shall submit with the application the applicable fee under s. 13.75 (1g) (a) or (am) . Upon approval of the application by the commission, the commission shall issue a license to the applicant. A license issued under this paragraph entitles the licensee to practice lobbying on behalf of each registered principal for whom or which an authorization for that lobbyist, as required under s. 13.65 , has been filed and for whom or which the authorization fee under s. 13.75 (1g) (d) has been paid. A license issued under this paragraph shall expire on December 31 of each even-numbered year.

(am) If an individual who applies for a license under this section does not have a social security number, the individual, as a condition of obtaining that license, shall submit a statement made or subscribed under oath or affirmation to the commission that the individual does not have a social security number. The form of the statement shall be prescribed by the department of children and families. A license issued in reliance upon a false statement submitted under this paragraph is invalid.

(b) Except as provided under par. (am) , the commission shall not issue a license to an applicant who does not provide his or her social security number. The commission shall not issue a license to an applicant or shall revoke any license issued to a lobbyist if the department of revenue certifies to the commission that the applicant or lobbyist is liable for delinquent taxes under s. 73.0301 or if the department of workforce development certifies to the commission that the applicant or lobbyist is liable for delinquent unemployment insurance contributions under s. 108.227 . The commission shall refuse to issue a license or shall suspend any existing license for failure of an applicant or licensee to pay court-ordered payments of child or family support, maintenance, birth expenses, medical expenses or other expenses related to the support of a child or former spouse or failure of an applicant or licensee to comply, after appropriate notice, with a subpoena or warrant issued by the department of children and families or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and related to paternity or child support proceedings, as provided in a memorandum of understanding entered into under s. 49.857 . No application may be disapproved by the commission except an application for a license by a person who is ineligible for licensure under this subsection or s. 13.69 (4) or an application by a lobbyist whose license has been revoked under this subsection or s. 13.69 (7) and only for the period of such ineligibility or revocation.

(c) Denial of a license on the basis of a certification by the department of revenue or the department of workforce development may be reviewed under s. 73.0301 or 108.227 , whichever is applicable. Except with respect to a license that is denied or suspended pursuant to a memorandum of understanding entered into under s. 49.857 , denial or suspension of any other license may be reviewed under ch. 227 .

(2) Revocation of lobbying privileges. No lobbyist whose license has been revoked under s. 13.69 (7) may engage in lobbying as a lobbyist for any principal until such person has been reinstated to the practice of lobbying and duly licensed.

History: 1977 c. 29 , 278 ; 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (1) ; 1985 a. 29 ; 1985 a. 182 s. 57 ; 1989 a. 338 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1997 a. 191 , 237 ; 1999 a. 9 , 32 , 186 ; 2007 a. 20 ; 2013 a. 36 ; 2015 a. 118 ss. 135 , 266 (10) ; 2017 a. 366 ; 2021 a. 266 .