FrankGoortani/open-us-law huggingface dataset:
Wis. Stat. § 440.976 — WI Code / Chapter 440 / Section 440.976
Disclaimers or limitation of liability.
Status: in_force

No home inspector may include, as a term or condition in an agreement to conduct a home inspection, any provision that disclaims the liability, or limits the amount of damages for liability, of the home inspector for his or her failure to comply with the standards of practice prescribed in this subchapter or in rules promulgated under this subchapter.

History: 1997 a. 81 .
Wis. Stat. § 980.03 — WI Code / Chapter 980 / Section 980.03
Rights of persons subject to petition.
Status: in_force

(1) The circuit court in which a petition under s. 980.02 is filed shall conduct all hearings under this chapter. The court shall give the person who is the subject of the petition reasonable notice of the time and place of each such hearing. The court may designate additional persons to receive these notices.

(2) Except as provided in ss. 980.038 (2) and 980.09 and without limitation by enumeration, at any hearing under this chapter, the person who is the subject of the petition has the right to:

(a) Counsel. In any situation under this chapter in which the person has a right to be represented by counsel, the court shall refer the person as soon as practicable to the state public defender, who shall appoint counsel for the person under s. 977.08 without a determination of indigency.

(b) Remain silent.

(c) Present and cross-examine witnesses.

(d) Have the hearing recorded by a court reporter.

(3) The person who is the subject of the petition, the person’s attorney, or the petitioner may request that a trial under s. 980.05 be to a jury. A request for a jury trial shall be made as provided under s. 980.05 (2) . Notwithstanding s. 980.05 (2) , if the person, the person’s attorney, or the petitioner does not request a jury trial, the court may on its own motion require that the trial be to a jury. The jury shall be selected as provided under s. 980.05 (2m) . A verdict of a jury under this chapter is not valid unless it is unanimous.

History: 1993 a. 479 ; 1997 a. 252 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2005 a. 434 ; 2017 a. 184 .
Wis. Stat. § 28.06 — WI Code / Chapter 28 / Section 28.06
Forest nurseries.
Status: in_force

(1) Limitation. Only planting stock of species and sizes suitable for forest and woodlot planting and for planting by school pupils, including pupils at a tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m) , to celebrate arbor day under s. 118.025 shall be produced in state forest nurseries. The department may employ labor at prevailing local wages for nursery operation or reforestation.

(2) Distribution. In addition to use of planting stock on state lands, the department may distribute stock for growing forest products, for establishing windbreaks or shelterbelts, for control of soil erosion, and for game food or cover, but not for ornamental or landscape planting except by school pupils celebrating arbor day. Prices of planting stock shall be approved annually by the department and shall be based on the total cost of administering the forest nursery program under this section, including the cost of processing applications and producing, packaging and distributing nursery stock. To encourage forest planting, free stock may be allotted to any nonprofit organization or any school for the celebration of arbor day under s. 118.025 .

(3) Exchange, sale or purchase. For the purpose of adjusting forest planting programs, the department may exchange stock with, sell stock to or purchase stock from a county, another state or the U.S. forest service.

(4) Resale of nursery stock. Any person who sells forestry stock secured from the department shall forfeit not more than $100.

(5) Forfeitures. Any person who uses planting stock which he or she knows was produced in state forest nurseries for any purpose other than those specified in sub. (2) or for ornamental or landscape planting except as specified in sub. (2) shall forfeit not more than $500.

History: 1975 c. 365 ; 1981 c. 59 ; 1983 a. 422 ; 1985 a. 153 ; 1987 a. 27 ; 1993 a. 16 ; 2001 a. 16 ; 2005 a. 25 ss. 541f , 557g ; 2009 a. 302 ; 2011 a. 32 ; 2023 a. 19 .
Wis. Stat. § 7.32 — WI Code / Chapter 7 / Section 7.32
Change of election official numbers.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding s. 7.30 (1) (a) , the governing body or board of election commissioners of any municipality may by resolution reduce the number of election officials and modify or rescind any similar previous action. No such action may reduce the number of officials at a polling place to less than 3.

History: 1977 c. 427 ; 1979 c. 260 s. 46 ; Stats. 1979 s. 7.32; 1983 a. 484 ; 1985 a. 304 ; 2005 a. 451 .
Wis. Stat. § 705.28 — WI Code / Chapter 705 / Section 705.28
Protection of registering entity.
Status: in_force

(1) A registering entity is not required to offer or to accept a request for security registration in beneficiary form. If a registration in beneficiary form is offered by a registering entity, the owner requesting registration in beneficiary form assents to the protections given to the registering entity by ss. 705.21 to 705.30 .

(2) By accepting a request for registration of a security in beneficiary form, the registering entity agrees that the registration will be implemented upon death of the deceased owner as provided in ss. 705.21 to 705.30 .

(2m) If more than one beneficiary is named and at least one beneficiary is predeceased, a security registered in beneficiary form may be reregistered in the name of the surviving beneficiary with a proof of death of the other beneficiary, without regard to claims by the issue of a predeceased beneficiary under s. 705.27 unless the registering entity receives written notice of a claim under sub. (3) (b) . If none of the beneficiaries survive, a security registered in beneficiary form may be reregistered in the name of the estate of the deceased sole owner or the estate of the owner who was last to die of multiple owners, without regard to claims by the issue of a predeceased beneficiary under s. 705.27 unless the registering entity receives written notice of a claim under sub. (3) (b) .

(3)

(a) Subject to par. (b) , a registering entity is discharged from all claims to a security by the estate, creditors, heirs or devisees of the deceased owner if it registers a transfer of a security in accordance with s. 705.27 and does so in good faith reliance on the registration, on ss. 705.21 to 705.30 , and on information provided to it by affidavit of the personal representative of the deceased owner, or by the surviving beneficiary or by the surviving beneficiary’s representatives, or other information available to the registering entity.

(b) The protections provided in this subchapter do not extend to a reregistration or payment made after a registering entity has received written notice from a claimant to an interest in the security objecting to implementation of a registration in beneficiary form. No other notice or other information available to the registering entity affects its right to protection under this subchapter. If the registering entity has reason to believe that a dispute exists as to the rights of the parties to a security registered in beneficiary form or their successors, the registering entity may refuse to reregister the security pending instructions from a court.

(4) The protection provided by ss. 705.21 to 705.30 to the registering entity of a security does not affect the rights of beneficiaries in disputes between themselves and other claimants to ownership of the security transferred or its value or proceeds.

History: 1989 a. 331 ; 2005 a. 216 .
Wis. Stat. § 626.51 — WI Code / Chapter 626 / Section 626.51
Other rate service organizations.
Status: in_force

Any group, association or other organization which assists the bureau in rate-making by the collection and furnishing of loss and expense statistics or by the submission of recommendations is a rate service organization and shall be governed by ss. 625.31 and 625.32 .

History: 1975 c. 148 .
Wis. Stat. § 48.576 — WI Code / Chapter 48 / Section 48.576
Shelter care facilities; general supervision and inspection by department.
Status: in_force

(1) Generally. The department shall investigate and supervise all shelter care facilities and familiarize itself with all the circumstances affecting their management and usefulness.

(2) Inspections. The department shall inquire into the methods of treatment, instruction, government, and management of children placed in shelter care facilities; the conduct of the trustees, managers, directors, superintendents, and other officers and employees of those facilities; the condition of the buildings, grounds, and all other property pertaining to those facilities; and all other matters pertaining to the usefulness and management of those facilities; and recommend to the officers in charge such changes and additional provisions as the department considers proper.

(3) Frequency of inspections. The department shall inspect and investigate each shelter care facility at least annually and, when directed by the governor, the department shall conduct a special investigation into a shelter care facility’s management, or anything connected with its management, and report to the governor the testimony taken, the facts found, and conclusions drawn.

(4) Enforcement by attorney general and district attorneys. Upon request of the department, the attorney general or the district attorney of the proper county shall aid in any investigation, inspection, hearing, or trial had under the provisions of this chapter relating to powers of the department, and shall institute and prosecute all necessary actions or proceedings for the enforcement of those provisions and for the punishment of violations of those provisions. The attorney general or district attorney so requested shall report or confer with the department regarding the request, within 30 days after the receipt of the request.

(5) Opportunity to inspect. All trustees, managers, directors, superintendents, and other officers or employees of a shelter care facility shall at all times afford to every member of the department and its agents unrestrained facility for inspection of and free access to all parts of the buildings and grounds and to all books and papers of the shelter care facility, and shall give, either verbally or in writing, such information as the department requires. Any person who violates this subsection shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $100.

(6) Testimonial power; expenses. The department or any person delegated by the department may administer oaths, take testimony, and cause depositions to be taken. All expenses of the investigations, including fees of officers and witnesses, shall be charged to the appropriation for the department.

(7) Statistics to be furnished. Whenever the department is required to collect statistics, the person or agency shall furnish the required statistics on request.

History: 2007 a. 20 .
Wis. Stat. § 769.318 — WI Code / Chapter 769 / Section 769.318
Assistance with discovery.
Status: in_force

A tribunal of this state may do all of the following:

(1) Request a tribunal outside this state to assist in obtaining discovery.

(2) Upon request, compel a person over which it has jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order issued by a tribunal outside this state.

History: 1993 a. 326 ; 2009 a. 321 ; 2015 a. 82 s. 12 .
Wis. Stat. § 346.14 — WI Code / Chapter 346 / Section 346.14
Distance between vehicles.
Status: in_force

(1b) In this section, “platoon” means a group of individual motor vehicles traveling in a unified manner at electronically coordinated speeds.

(1m) The operator of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.

(2)

(a) Upon a highway outside a business or residence district, the operator of any motor truck with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds or of any motor vehicle which is drawing or towing another vehicle where the combined gross weight is more than 10,000 pounds shall do all of the following:

1. Keep the vehicle he or she is operating at a distance of not less than 500 feet to the rear of any vehicle immediately preceding it, being driven in the same direction.

2. Leave sufficient space so that an overtaking vehicle may enter and occupy such space without danger.

(b) This subsection does not apply upon any lane especially designated for use by motor trucks or by truck tractor-semitrailer or tractor-trailer units nor does it apply when overtaking and passing another vehicle, but the fact that the operator of any vehicle or combination of vehicles mentioned in this subsection follows the preceding vehicle more closely than 500 feet for one mile or more or follows more closely than 500 feet when the preceding vehicle is moving at the maximum speed then and there permissible for such following vehicle is prima facie evidence that the operator of such following vehicle is violating this subsection.

(c) This subsection does not apply to an operator of vehicle in a platoon other than the lead vehicle.

History: 1987 a. 27 ; 1989 a. 105 ; 2017 a. 294 .
Wis. Stat. § 343.28 — WI Code / Chapter 343 / Section 343.28
Courts to report convictions and forward licenses to the department.
Status: in_force

(1) Whenever a person is convicted of a moving traffic violation under chs. 341 to 349 or under a local ordinance enacted under ch. 349 , the clerk of the court in which the conviction occurred, or the justice, judge or magistrate of a court not having a clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48 , forward to the department the record of such conviction. The record of conviction forwarded to the department shall state whether the offender was involved in an accident at the time of the offense, whether the offender was operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense and, if so, whether the offender was transporting hazardous materials requiring placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin under 42 CFR 73 , or was operating a vehicle designed to carry, or actually carrying, 16 or more passengers, including the driver. Whenever a person is convicted of exceeding a posted speed limit, the record of conviction forwarded to the department shall include the number of miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit.

(2) Whenever a person is convicted of any offense for which s. 343.31 makes mandatory the revocation by the secretary of such person’s operating privilege, the court in which the conviction occurred may require the surrender to it of any license then held by such person. If the court requires surrender of a license, the court shall destroy the license. The clerk of the court, or the justice, judge or magistrate if the court has no clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48 , forward to the department the record of conviction, which shall state whether the offender was involved in an accident at the time of the offense, whether the offender was operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense and, if so, whether the offender was transporting hazardous materials requiring placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin under 42 CFR 73 , or was operating a vehicle designed to carry, or actually carrying, 16 or more passengers, including the driver.

(3) If a person is convicted of committing a violation as defined by s. 343.30 (6) (a) , the clerk of the court, or the justice, judge or magistrate if the court has no clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48 , forward to the department the record of conviction.

(4) Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this section relative to forwarding records of convictions to the department may be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.

History: 1971 c. 278 ; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a) , (c); 1977 c. 273 ; 1979 c. 331 ; 1989 a. 105 ; 1995 a. 113 ; 1999 a. 140 ; 2003 a. 33 ; 2009 a. 103 .
Wis. Stat. § 868.05 — WI Code / Chapter 868 / Section 868.05
Foreign wills; certificate of assignment.
Status: in_force

(1) Petition. If a will devising or bequeathing property in this state or any interest therein has been admitted to probate in any state, and 6 years have passed since the death of the decedent, the court of any county in which any of the property is situated may, upon petition accompanied by an authenticated copy of the will and its probate, issue a certificate of assignment.

(2) Certificate. If it appears that the foreign will has been admitted to probate and that no Wisconsin death tax is owing or has been paid, the court may issue a certificate so showing; the certificate shall give the names of the beneficiaries, a description of the property and interest of each in the property. The certificate or a duplicate or a certified copy when recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the property is situated shall be prima facie evidence of the facts recited.

History: 1977 c. 449 ; 1987 a. 27 s. 3200 (47) .
Wis. Stat. § 968.09 — WI Code / Chapter 968 / Section 968.09
Warrant on failure to appear.
Status: in_force

(1) When a defendant or a witness fails to appear before the court as required, or violates a term of the defendant’s or witness’s bond or the defendant’s or witness’s probation, if any, the court may issue a bench warrant for the defendant’s or witness’s arrest which shall direct that the defendant or witness be brought before the court without unreasonable delay. The court shall state on the record at the time of issuance of the bench warrant the reason therefor.

(2) Prior to the defendant’s appearance in court after the defendant’s arrest under sub. (1) , ch. 969 shall not apply.

History: 1971 c. 298 ; 1993 a. 486 .
Wis. Stat. § 186.115 — WI Code / Chapter 186 / Section 186.115
Additional credit union authority.
Status: in_force

(1) Scope of authority. Subject to any regulatory approval required by law and subject to sub. (2) , a credit union directly or through a subsidiary, may undertake any activity, exercise any power or offer any financially related product or service in this state that any other provider of financial products or services may undertake, exercise or provide or that the office of credit unions finds to be financially related.

(2) Rules. The activities, powers, products and services that may be undertaken, exercised or offered by credit unions under sub. (1) are limited to those specified by rule of the office of credit unions. The office of credit unions may direct any credit union to cease any activity, the exercise of any power or the offering of any product or service authorized by rule. Among the factors that the office of credit unions may consider in so directing a credit union are the credit union’s net worth, assets, management rating and liquidity ratio and its ratio of net worth to assets.

(3) Insurance underwriting not authorized. This section does not authorize a credit union, directly or through a subsidiary, to engage in the business of underwriting insurance.

History: 1985 a. 325 ; 1995 a. 27 , 151 .
Wis. Stat. § 82.31 — WI Code / Chapter 82 / Section 82.31
Validation of highways.
Status: in_force

(1) Recorded highways. Any recorded highway that has been laid out under this chapter is a legal highway only to the extent that it has been opened and worked for 3 years. Any laid out highway that has not been fully and sufficiently described or recorded or for which the records have been lost or destroyed is presumed to be 66 feet wide.

(2) Unrecorded highways.

(a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c) , any unrecorded highway that has been worked as a public highway for 10 years or more is a public highway and is presumed to be 66 feet wide.

(b) No road or bridge built upon the bottoms and sloughs of the Mississippi River by citizens or a municipality of any other state shall become a legal highway or a charge upon the town in which the road is located unless upon petition the highway is legally laid out by the town board.

(c) No lands granted for highway purposes that did not become a legal highway prior to July 1, 1913, shall become a legal highway unless the grant is accepted by the town board or by the town meeting of the town where the lands and proposed highway are located, and until a resolution of acceptance of the grant is recorded in the office of the town clerk.

History: 2003 a. 214 ss. 21 to 23 .
Wis. Stat. § 460.095 — WI Code / Chapter 460 / Section 460.095
Massage therapy and bodywork therapy school, training program, and instructor requirements.
Status: in_force

Each massage therapy or bodywork therapy school located in this state and each massage therapy or bodywork therapy training program offered in this state shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide and require as a prerequisite to graduation completion of a course of instruction on state laws and regulations applicable to massage therapy and bodywork therapy.

(2) Administer, score, and require as a prerequisite to graduation, the examination required under s. 460.06 (2) .

(3) Ensure that each instructor hired by the school or training program on or after December 1, 2010, to teach courses in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pathology has at least one of the following:

(a) Professional training and 2 years of experience in a health-related field.

(b) Two years of post-secondary education and training.

(4) Ensure that each instructor hired by the school or training program on or after December 1, 2010, to teach courses in theory and the practice of massage therapy or bodywork therapy is licensed under this chapter and has at least one of the following:

(a) Two years experience as a practicing professional.

(b) Formal education and training as a massage therapy or bodywork therapy instructor.

History: 2009 a. 355 .
Wis. Stat. § 806.32 — WI Code / Chapter 806 / Section 806.32
Variation by agreement.
Status: in_force

(1) The parties may agree to vary from the effects of ss. 806.30 to 806.44 at any time before or after the commencement of an action or distribution proceeding, or the entry of judgment.

(2) The parties may agree upon the money to be used in a transaction giving rise to a foreign-money claim and may use different moneys for different aspects of the transaction. Stating the price in a foreign money for a particular transaction does not require, of itself, the use of that money for other aspects of the transaction.

History: 1991 a. 236 .
Wis. Stat. § 601.51 — WI Code / Chapter 601 / Section 601.51
Provision of certified copies and notices.
Status: in_force

(1) Certified copies. On request of any insurer authorized to do a surety business and its payment of the fee under s. 601.31 (1) , the commissioner shall mail a certified copy of its certificate of authority to any designated public officer in this state who requires such a certificate before accepting a bond. That public officer shall file it. Whenever a certified copy has been furnished to a public officer it is unnecessary, while the certificate remains effective, to attach a copy of it to any instrument of suretyship filed.

(2) Notice of revocation of certificate. Whenever the commissioner revokes the certificate of authority of any insurer authorized to do a surety business, the commissioner shall immediately give notice thereof to each officer who was sent a certified copy under sub. (1) .

History: 1975 c. 375 , 421 ; 1979 c. 102 s. 237 ; 1981 c. 20 s. 2202 (26) (a) .
Wis. Stat. § 71.27 — WI Code / Chapter 71 / Section 71.27
Rates of taxation.
Status: in_force

(1) The taxes to be assessed, levied and collected upon Wisconsin net incomes of corporations shall be computed at the rate of 7.9 percent.

(2) The corporation franchise tax imposed under s. 71.23 (2) and measured by Wisconsin net income shall be computed at the rate of 7.9 percent.

History: 1987 a. 312 ; 2009 a. 28 , 276 .