Wis. Stat. § 36.25 — WI Code / Chapter 36 / Section 36.25
Special programs.
Status: in_force

(2) Wisconsin residents preference in housing. Preference as to rooming, boarding and apartment facilities in the use of living units operated by any university shall, for the following school year, be given to students who are residents of this state and who apply before March 15, unless a later date is set by the board. Such preference shall be granted in accordance with categories of priority established by the board. Leases or other agreements for occupancy of such living units shall not exceed a term of one calendar year. The board may promulgate rules for the execution of this subsection.

(3) Agricultural demonstration stations, experiments, demonstrations.

(a) The board may establish through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin-Madison demonstration stations for the purpose of aiding in agricultural development. The location of the stations shall be determined by the board which shall consider the opportunities for agricultural development in various regions of the state.

(b) The board may authorize experimental work in agriculture at points within the state and carry on demonstrations and such other extension work as it deems advisable for the improvement of agricultural knowledge. The board may conduct extension schools and courses and provide for the compensation and traveling fees of instructors whose functions shall be to assist in the improvement of agricultural education and the dissemination of agricultural knowledge.

(c) The board shall, under the supervision of the dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, foster research and experimentation in the control of bovine brucellosis, which is also known as Bang’s disease, at various points within this state that the board considers advisable. To facilitate the bovine brucellosis research and experimentation, contracts may be entered into with owners of bovine animals of various classes for the supervised control of the animals and for the purchase of animals under conditions to be specified in contracts that shall be retained for control purposes.

(d) The board may establish such agriculturally related research and instructional programs at any institution as it deems advisable so long as such programs are compatible with a single statewide integrated research and extension program.

(4) Dutch elm disease studies. The board shall, through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, authorize laboratory and field studies, research, and experiments to determine the cause and control of Dutch elm disease. The various departments of the state shall cooperate with the university in this program.

(5) Broadcasting station WHA and WHA-TV, experimental television.

(a) The board of regents, as licensee, shall manage, operate and maintain broadcasting station WHA and WHA-TV and shall enter into an affiliation agreement with the educational communications board pursuant to s. 39.14 . Except as provided under par. (b) , the agreement shall provide that the board of regents shall grant the educational communications board the part-time use of equipment and space necessary for the operations of the state educational radio and television networks. The board of regents shall maintain a separate account for each revenue source for broadcasting station WHA and for WHA-TV which permits identification of the functions or activities for which expenditures are made. The board of regents shall maintain annual records of its expenditures for programming purposes by type of programming and by source of revenue.

(b) The board of regents may rent space on the Madison public broadcast transmission tower to the educational communications board and to other public and commercial broadcasters.

(6) Geological and natural history survey.

(a) The board shall have charge of the geological and natural history survey. Under the supervision of the state geologist, the survey shall study the geology, water, soils, plants, fish and animal life of the state and shall continue the topographic mapping of the state begun by the U.S. geological survey, but no money may be expended for topography unless an equivalent amount is expended for this purpose in the state by the U.S. government.

(b) The state geologist shall examine the lands of the state and classify them in accordance with their mineral content and geological and other evidences of the presence of minerals. For this purpose, competent agents and employees of the survey are authorized to enter upon any and all lands within the state.

(c) The geological and natural history survey shall examine the mines and explored mineral lands of the state by persons competent to make such examinations and make an accurate determination of the amount of ore therein, the expense of mining, the probable life of the mine and such other factors as may be necessary, in the judgment of the department of revenue and the geological and natural history survey, for a proper valuation thereof. For the purpose of this investigation all books, inventories, waybills, maps, plats, correspondence and memoranda relating to or used in the transaction of the business of any person owning or operating any mine or explored mineral land, shall, on demand by the geological and natural history survey, or its authorized representative, be open to inspection or examination. Any person owning or operating any mine or explored mineral lands shall furnish for inspection to the geological and natural history survey, upon request, copies of all maps and plats that relate to the workings of the mine or the explored mineral lands.

(d) Any officer, agent, clerk or employee of the survey or department of revenue who makes known to any person except the officers of the survey or department of revenue, in any manner, any information given to such person in the discharge of such person’s duties under par. (c) , which information was given to such person with the request that it not be made known, is guilty of a Class I felony. This paragraph shall not prevent the use for assessment purposes of any information obtained under this subsection.

(e) The state geologist shall carry out the responsibilities specified for him or her under s. 107.15 .

(f) The Board of Regents shall create one full-time hydrogeologist project position, which shall expire on June 30, 2025, for the geological and natural history survey to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a) . The position shall focus on developing groundwater resource information primarily at county or local scales and assisting state and local governments, industries, and the public in interpreting and using this information.

(7) Soil and water conservation. The board is responsible for research and educational programs regarding soil and water conservation. The board shall cooperate with the land and water conservation board, the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection and the counties in carrying out its soil and water conservation programs. The board shall prepare annually a written program of planned educational activities in soil and water conservation.

(8) Water resources research. Funds made available to the various state agencies for joint water resources research and data collection programs shall be administered and coordinated by the director of the water resources center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Such funds shall be made available, on application from the state agencies concerned, when the director, after seeking the advice of the department of natural resources, finds the proposed projects to be consistent with other state projects and the needs of the state. The director shall make biennial reports to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) , at the convening of the legislature.

(9) State soils laboratory. The board shall establish a state soils and plant analysis laboratory in connection with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. The laboratory shall, at the request of the owner or occupant of any lands in the state and upon the payment of such fees as are prescribed, make field examinations and analyses of the soil and plant tissue and when possible interpret the results of such investigation and make appropriate recommendations. The board through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences of the University of Wisconsin-Madison may cause an investigation to be made of methods of clearing cutover lands, perform experiments and demonstrations in conjunction therewith and provide related services to individual citizens at cost.

(10) Pharmaceutical experiment station. The board may establish, equip and maintain a pharmaceutical experiment station in the school of pharmacy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the purpose of cooperating with other state agencies in the cultivation of medicinal plants, the synthesis and production of high-grade drugs and the dissemination of related information and service to the citizens of the state.

(11) State laboratory of hygiene.

(a) The laboratory of hygiene shall be attached to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The laboratory of hygiene board shall meet at least quarterly and may promulgate rules under ch. 227 , approve the laboratory of hygiene budget, set fees, set priorities and make final approval of laboratory resources so that the laboratory can act in response to agencies’ planned objectives and program priorities.

(b) The laboratory shall provide complete laboratory services in the areas of water quality, air quality, public health and contagious diseases for appropriate state agencies, and may perform examinations for licensed physicians, naturopathic doctors, veterinarians, local health officers, as defined in s. 250.01 (5) , and resource management officials as may be necessary for the prevention and control of those diseases and environmental hazards which cause concern for public health and environmental quality.

(c) The laboratory shall provide analytical support to the appropriate state agencies charged with water system evaluation. The support service shall include an evaluation from a public health standpoint and analytical support to ascertain the water’s suitability for manufacturing, commercial and recreational purposes as determined by the rules promulgated by the department of health services, the department of natural resources and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

(d) The laboratory shall be operated to furnish a complete laboratory service to the department of health services and the department of natural resources in the areas of water quality, air quality, public health and contagious diseases and to make available to the system, the department of health services and the department of natural resources such facilities for teaching in the fields of public health and environmental protection as may be derived from such a laboratory.

(e) The technical staff and other employees necessary to the operation of the laboratory shall be employed by the director. The board, upon the recommendation of the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with the approval of the laboratory of hygiene board, shall appoint the director of the laboratory and such other members of its professional staff as are required for the administration of the laboratory.

(em) The laboratory of hygiene board shall create and maintain a roster of scientists and other persons with technical expertise who are willing to work for the laboratory of hygiene if the governor declares that an emergency related to public health exists. If the governor declares such an emergency, the laboratory of hygiene board shall hire as limited-term employees the requisite number of persons from the roster to assist the department of health services under s. 250.042 .

(f) The laboratory of hygiene board may impose a fee for each test conducted by the laboratory. Any test conducted for a local unit of government is exempt from the fee unless the test is outside the state public health care mission or is required under 42 USC 300f to 300j , as determined by the laboratory of hygiene board. The laboratory may charge state agencies through contractual arrangements for the actual services rendered.

(g) The laboratory of hygiene board shall submit biennial budget requests reflecting joint budgetary planning with agencies served, and any information required by the department of administration under s. 16.43 , directly to the department of administration.

(12) Psychiatric research institute.

(a) The board shall house, equip and maintain the psychiatric research institute as a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Health Sciences. The psychiatric research institute shall be a facility for research, development and service to the state in the field of mental health. The institute may exercise the powers granted under s. 46.044 .

(b) All property used by the Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute established under s. 46.044 , except real property used by the institute and except property of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, is transferred to the board which shall hold such property for the use of the psychiatric research institute.

(c) The institute shall investigate medical and social conditions which directly or indirectly result in state care; develop and promote measures to relieve and prevent the need for state care; undertake special education and training; and generally seek by research and investigation to prevent conditions which result in state care. The institute shall render, under mutual agreement, services to the state institutions under the jurisdiction of the department of health services and the department of public instruction. Such state institutions are open to the institute for research and training.

(12m) State cartographer. The state cartographer shall:

(a) Establish and maintain a union catalog of current and historical reference and thematic maps of all scales available in municipal, county, state and federal agencies relating to this state.

(b) Promote liaison among the municipal, county, state and federal mapping agencies and surveyors to facilitate coordination and to exchange information on mapping and cartographic activities.

(c) Keep abreast of the progress made by mapping agencies and their mapping developments.

(d) Collect, maintain and disseminate information regarding innovation in cartographic techniques and mapping procedures, map and air photo indexes and control data, map accuracy standards, legal aspects of map publication and such other matters as will facilitate an effective cartographic program for the state.

(e) Publish and distribute such special maps and map information as will promote the mapping of the state and preparation and use of maps by individuals, only to the extent, however, that such publication and distribution is not appropriately within the activities of any other state or commercial agency.

(f) Assist the department of natural resources in its work as the state representative of the U.S. geographic board and its other functions under s. 23.25 .

(13g) University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.

(a) The board shall establish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison the “University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics”.

(b) The board shall maintain, control and supervise the use of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, for the purposes of:

1. Delivering comprehensive, high-quality health care to patients using the hospitals and to those seeking care from its programs, including a commitment to provide such care for the medically indigent.

2. Providing an environment suitable for instructing medical and other health professions students, physicians, nurses and members of other health-related disciplines.

3. Sponsoring and supporting research in the delivery of health care to further the welfare of the patients treated and applying the advances in health knowledge to alleviate human suffering, promote health and prevent disease.

4. Assisting health programs and personnel throughout the state and region in the delivery of health care.

(d) This subsection applies only in the event that the on-campus facilities, as defined in s. 233.01 (7) , leased to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority under s. 36.11 (28) , and any improvements, modifications or other facilities specified in s. 233.04 (7) (c) , are transferred to the board under s. 233.04 (3b) (b) , (7g) (b) or (7p) (b) .

(13i) Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board. From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a) , the Board of Regents shall allocate $490,000 in each fiscal year to expand precision medicine at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center through the Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board by increasing access to precision medicine for cancer patients in this state, providing genomics resources to patients in need, and developing a precision medicine statewide database.

(13m) Medical student transfer program. The board shall establish a program in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to consider the transfer of residents of this state from foreign medical schools after their 2nd year of study.

(13s) Medical practice in underserved areas. The board shall allocate $400,000 in each fiscal year for the department of family medicine and practice in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to support the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine, the Academy for Center-city Medical Education, and the Wisconsin Scholars Academy programs. The board may not expend any moneys allocated under this subsection in a fiscal year unless the board receives $400,000 in gifts and grants from private sources in that fiscal year for supporting such programs.

(14) Graduate student financial aid. The board shall establish a grant program for minority and disadvantaged graduate students enrolled in the system. The board shall give preference in awarding grants under this subsection to residents of this state. The board may not make a grant under this subsection to a person whose name appears on the statewide support lien docket under s. 49.854 (2) (b) , unless the person provides to the board a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under s. 49.858 (2) (a) .

(14m) Minority and disadvantaged programs.

(a) The board shall fund programs for recruiting minority and disadvantaged students and for minority and disadvantaged students enrolled in the system.

(b) By April 15, 1992, and annually thereafter, the board shall adopt a precollege, recruitment and retention plan for minority and disadvantaged students enrolled in the system.

(c) By April 15, 1992, and annually thereafter by April 15, the board shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) . The report shall include all of the following:

1. The plan adopted under par. (b) .

2. All financial aid distributed to students, categorized by ethnic group, class level and dependency status. The report shall include information on financial need, percentage of need satisfied by loan, percentage of need satisfied by grant and the percentage remaining unsatisfied.