Wis. Stat. § 46.21 — WI Code / Chapter 46 / Section 46.21
Institutions and department of human services in populous counties.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Administrator” means the administrator of the county hospital who is appointed under sub. (1m) (am) .

(am) “County board of supervisors” means the county board of supervisors in a county with a population of 750,000 or more.

(b) “County department of human services” means the county department of human services that is created under sub. (2m) (a) .

(c) “Director” means the director of the county department of human services who is appointed under sub. (1m) (a) .

(d) “Human services” means the total range of services to people, including mental illness treatment, developmental disabilities services, physical disabilities services, income maintenance, youth probation, extended supervision and parole services, alcohol and drug abuse services, services to children, youth and families, family counseling, early intervention services for children from birth to the age of 3, and manpower services. “Human services” does not include child welfare services administered by the department of children and families under s. 48.48 (17) .

(1m) Director and administrator; appointments.

(a) The county executive shall appoint under ss. 63.01 to 63.17 a director of the county department of human services. The appointment shall be made on the basis of recognized and demonstrated public interest in and knowledge of the problems of human services, and with due regard to training, experience, executive and administrative ability and efficiency, and general qualifications and fitness for performing the duties of the office. The director shall file an official oath and bond in the amount determined by the county board of supervisors. The county board of supervisors may create a position of deputy director of the county department of human services. The director shall be appointed by the county executive in the unclassified civil service and is subject to confirmation by the county board of supervisors under s. 59.17 (2) (bm) .

(am) The county executive shall appoint under ss. 63.01 to 63.17 an administrator of the county hospital. The appointment shall be made on the basis of recognized and demonstrated public interest in and knowledge of the problems of delivery of medical care and treatment, and with due regard to training, experience, executive and administrative ability and efficiency, and general qualifications and fitness for performing the duties of the office. The administrator shall file an official oath and bond in the amount determined by the county board of supervisors. The county board of supervisors may create positions to assist the administrator. The administrator shall be appointed by the county executive in the unclassified civil service and the appointment is subject to confirmation by the county board of supervisors under s. 59.17 (2) (bm) .

(b) Provisions shall be made in the organization of the office of the director and in the office of the administrator for the devolution of the director’s or administrator’s authority in the case of his or her temporary absence, illness or other disability to act.

(2) Powers and duties of the county board of supervisors. The county board of supervisors:

(a) Shall adopt policies for the management, operation, maintenance and improvement of the county hospital; the detention center; the probation section of the children’s court center; the provision and maintenance of the physical facilities for the children’s court and its intake section under the supervision and operation of the judges assigned to exercise jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938 and as provided in s. 938.06 (1) ; the county department of human services; the central service departments; and all buildings and land used in connection with any institution under this section except a mental health institution. The powers and duties of the county board of supervisors are policy forming only, and not administrative or executive. The county board of supervisors may not form policies regarding mental health or mental health institutions, programs, or services. The Milwaukee County mental health board shall adopt the policies under this paragraph regarding mental health and mental health institutions, programs, and services.

(b) May make such arrangements with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School or the Medical College of Wisconsin, or any other duly accredited medical colleges and medical societies for teaching and research in such institutions as in its judgment will best promote the purpose of hospitals and sanatoriums under sub. (4m) .

(e) May pay a reasonable fee and the actual travel expense of persons called into consultation by the county board of supervisors as to matters within the field of human services or health care delivery.

(i) May designate an amount as and appropriate funds for a work allowance to inmates at its institutions. The county board of supervisors shall prescribe the amount of such work allowance after the director determines reasonable hours and health and other conditions, as shall be observed in connection with the employment. Such employment is not within the provisions of ss. 63.01 to 63.17 nor is it subject to ch. 102 . Work allowances or wages paid to inmates shall not be included as costs in arriving at the per capita rate for state aids or charges to other counties and the state for care of inmates.

(j) May exercise approval or disapproval power over contracts and purchases of the director that are for $50,000 or more, except that the county board of supervisors may not exercise approval or disapproval power over any personal service contract or over any contract or purchase of the director that relates to community living arrangements, adult family homes, or foster homes and that was entered into pursuant to a contract under s. 46.031 (2g) or 49.325 (2g) , regardless of whether the contract mentions the provider, except as provided in par. (m) . The county board of supervisors may not exercise approval or disapproval power over any contract relating to mental health or mental health institutions, programs, or services. This paragraph does not preclude the county board of supervisors from creating a central purchasing department for all county purchases that are not related to mental health.

(k) Shall make sufficient appropriation annually for the support, maintenance, salaries, repairs and improvements to the county department of human services and the institutions, except for mental health institutions. The appropriations shall be used subject to the order of the director or administrator and as the policies adopted by the county board of supervisors provide. The director or administrator may not incur any expense or contract for new buildings, additions to present buildings or the purchase of land until the county board of supervisors, or the Milwaukee County mental health board, as applicable, has appropriated or provided for the money to defray such expense.

(L) May establish and maintain a public health and medical dispensary and conduct same as may be proper and necessary for the preservation of the public health and the prevention of disease in the county.

(m) May establish and maintain in connection with such county hospital, an emergency unit or department for the treatment, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the county board of supervisors, of persons in the county who may meet with accidents or be suddenly afflicted with illness not contagious; provided that medical care and treatment shall only be furnished in such unit or department until such time as the patient may be safely removed to another hospital or to his or her place of abode, or regularly admitted to the county hospital. The county board of supervisors may also contract with any private hospital or nonprofit hospital within the county for the use of its facilities and for medical service to be furnished by a licensed physician or physicians to patients who require emergency medical treatment or first aid as a result of any accident, injury or sudden affliction of illness occurring within the county, except that reasonable compensation may only be authorized until the patient is regularly admitted as an inpatient or safely removed to another hospital or to his place of abode. In this paragraph, “hospital” includes, without limitation due to enumeration, public health centers, medical facilities and general, tuberculosis, chronic disease and other types of hospitals and related facilities, such as laboratories, outpatient departments, nurses’ home and training facilities, and central service facilities operated in connection with hospitals. In this paragraph, “hospital” does not include any hospital furnishing primarily domiciliary care. In this paragraph “nonprofit hospital” means any hospital owned and operated by a corporation or association, no part of the net earnings of which inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

(n) May establish and maintain, in connection with the institutions and departments under the control of the county board of supervisors, a training school for nurses, to purchase and take over all property, to assume all obligations and to conduct any training school now operated in connection with those institutions or departments.

(nm) May, together with a nonstock corporation organized under ch. 181 that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (17) , and that is organized solely for the purpose of operating duly accredited educational programs offering baccalaureate and associate degrees in nursing and allied health fields, maintain and fund the programs.

(o) May establish and maintain in connection with or separate from the county hospital a unit or department for the treatment, subject to the adopted policies of the county board of supervisors, of persons in the county who may be afflicted with contagious diseases.

(p) May, on such terms as it prescribes, make its land, buildings, facilities and supportive services available to organizations for the construction and operation of medical, hospital and health-related activities at the site of the institutions under this section.

(q) May, together with a private or public organization or affiliation, organize, establish and participate in the governance and operation of an entity to operate, wholly or in part, any health-related service except a mental health-related service, may participate in the financing of the entity and may provide administrative and financial services or resources for its operation on terms prescribed by the county board of supervisors. The Milwaukee County mental health board may, together with a private or public organization or affiliation, organize, establish, and participate in the governance and operation of an entity to operate, wholly or in part, any mental health-related service, may participate in the financing of the entity, and may provide administrative and financial services or resources for its operation.

(2m) County department of human services.

(a) Creation. The management, operation, maintenance and improvement of human services in a county with a population of 750,000 or more is vested in a county department of human services under the jurisdiction, as to policy, of the county board of supervisors or, as to mental health policy, the Milwaukee County mental health board. The county department of human services shall consist of the director appointed under sub. (1m) , any division administrator appointed under sub. (4) or s. 51.41 (9) , and necessary personnel appointed by the director or appointed by a division administrator and approved by the director.

(am) Multicounty department. A county board of supervisors may establish with one or more other counties a county department of human services on a multicounty basis. A multicounty department of human services established under this paragraph shall meet the requirements for a county department of human services under this section.

(b) Powers and duties.

1. The county board of supervisors or, in matters related to mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board may transfer the powers and duties of any human services program under the control of the county and shall transfer all of the following to the county department of human services:

a. The powers and duties of the county departments under ss. 46.215 , 51.42 and 51.437 .

c. The management, operation, maintenance and improvement of the county mental health complex under s. 51.08 .

2.

a. Any reference in any law to a county department under s. 46.215 , 51.42 or 51.437 applies to the county department of human services under sub. (2m) in its administration of the powers and duties of the county department to which the reference is made.

b. Any reference in any law to a county director appointed under s. 51.42 (6m) (intro.) or 51.437 (10m) (intro.) applies to the director appointed under sub. (1m) (a) in his or her administration of the powers and duties of the county director to which the reference is made.

c. Any reference in any law to the county board appointed under s. 51.42 (4) (a) 2. or 51.437 (7) (a) 2. is limited, with respect to the county department of human services under this subsection, to the powers and duties of the county board to which the reference is made.

(c) Exchange of information. Notwithstanding ss. 46.2895 (9) , 48.78 (2) (a) , 49.45 (4) , 49.83 , 51.30 , 51.45 (14) (a) , 55.22 (3) , 146.82 , 252.11 (7) , and 253.07 (3) (c) , a subunit of a county department of human services or tribal agency acting under this subsection may exchange confidential information about a client, without the informed consent of the client, with any other subunit of the same county department of human services or tribal agency, with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, with an elder-adult-at-risk agency, an adult-at-risk agency, or any agency to which referral for investigation is made under s. 46.90 (5) (a) 1. or 55.043 (1r) (a) 1g. , or with a person providing services to the client under a purchase of services contract with the county department of human services or tribal agency or with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, if necessary to enable an employee or service provider to perform his or her duties, or to enable the county department of human services or tribal agency to coordinate the delivery of services to the client. An agency that releases information under this paragraph shall document that a request for information was received and what information was provided.

(d) Limitation. The powers and duties of the county department of human services under s. 46.23 do not apply to this section.

(3) Powers and duties of the director. All of the administrative and executive powers and duties of managing, operating, maintaining and improving the county department of human services and other institutions and departments that the county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board may place under the jurisdiction of the director are vested in the director, subject to the policies and in accordance with the principles adopted by the county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County health board.

(3g) Powers and duties of the administrator. All of the administrative and executive powers and duties of managing, operating, maintaining and improving the county hospital and other institutions and departments that the county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board may place under the jurisdiction of the administrator are vested in the administrator, subject to the policies and in accordance with the principles adopted by the county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board.

(3r) Other powers and duties. The county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board may place under the jurisdiction of county entities not specified under this section the administrative and executive powers and duties of managing, operating, maintaining and improving institutions and departments or other responsibilities that are specified in sub. (2) , including functions related to the central service departments and buildings and land used in connection with any institution under sub. (2) .

(4) Management personnel. Except as provided in s. 51.41 (9) , the director may appoint personnel to manage the county department of human services and the administrator may appoint personnel to manage the county hospital, in accordance with ordinances of the county board of supervisors.

(4m) Hospitals and sanatoriums.

(a) The county hospitals and county sanatoriums of a county with a population of 750,000 or more shall be devoted to hospital service and the treatment of patients upon such terms and conditions as the county board of supervisors or, in matters of mental health, the Milwaukee County mental health board establishes. The hospitals and sanatoriums may be utilized for instruction of medical students, physicians and nurses and for scientific and clinical research that will promote the welfare of the patients and assist the application of science to the alleviation of human suffering.

(b) Professional staff responsible for the care of patients under this subsection may submit bills for professional services under policies adopted by the county board of supervisors or under mental health policies adopted by the Milwaukee County mental health board.

(5) Admission of inmates for pay.

(a) Any resident of this state, not indigent, may be received into an infirmary to be treated, cared for, and maintained upon such terms and conditions and at such rate of pay as may be established by the county board of supervisors; but indigent and destitute persons shall have preference in admission to and care in such institution.

(b) Sections 46.10 , 49.08 , 49.345 , 49.90 , and 301.12 govern the support and maintenance of persons in any of the institutions specified in sub. (2) (a) .

(6) Reports; expenditures. The director and the administrator shall submit annually to the county board of supervisors, or to the Milwaukee County mental health board in matters of mental health, reports, including itemized statements of receipts and disbursements, at the times and in the manner that the county board of supervisors or Milwaukee County mental health board specifies and as are required to comply with applicable federal statutes and regulations and state statutes and rules. Disbursements shall be made in the manner that the county board of supervisors or Milwaukee County mental health board, as applicable, adopts, consistent with sound accounting and auditing procedure and with applicable federal statutes and regulations, state statutes and rules and requirements of the county auditor and county department of administration.

(7) Applicability. Except as provided in s. 59.79 (10) , this section does not apply, with respect to the county hospital under s. 49.71 (2) , if the county board of supervisors acts under s. 59.79 (10) .

History: 1973 c. 136 , 153 , 262 ; 1975 c. 224 ; 1975 c. 413 s. 18 ; 1977 c. 271 , 272 , 449 ; 1979 c. 34 ; 1981 c. 217 , 329 , 391 ; 1983 a. 27 , 239 , 368 , 524 ; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (23) ; 1985 a. 120 , 176 , 332 ; 1987 a. 399 ; 1989 a. 31 , 112 , 319 ; 1991 a. 274 ; 1993 a. 27 , 186 , 213 , 446 ; 1995 a. 27 , 77 , 201 ; 1997 a. 27 , 79 , 164 , 237 , 283 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2005 a. 264 , 388 , 443 ; 2007 a. 20 , 45 ; 2009 a. 28 , 180 ; 2011 a. 32 ; 2013 a. 20 , 203 ; 2017 a. 207 s. 5 ; 2019 a. 8 , 9 .