The office of the business ombudsman established and operated by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

The bill requires the office to assist businesses to obtain and maintain any applicable approval of a government entity required as a condition of operating a business in Wisconsin or conducting any business activity in Wisconsin (permit).

Under the bill, the office's assistance concerning permits must include all of the following:

1. Explaining the requirements for obtaining a particular permit.

2. Explaining the criteria the appropriate government entity applies in making a determination on a permit application and the time period within which that determination will typically be made.

3. Arranging a meeting between the representatives of a business and the staff of the appropriate government entity concerning a permit or the permit application process.

4. Tracking the progress of a particular permit application.

5. Helping a business comply with applicable regulatory laws and rules, including by providing plain-language explanations of those laws and rules.

The bill further requires that the office advocate for permit applicants, including by monitoring the permit process to ensure that a permit is granted in the shortest amount of time possible consistent with applicable substantive requirements established by rule or law and advocating legislative changes to improve and expedite any permit process.

Under the bill, the office must also provide mediation or other dispute resolution services to facilitate the resolution of a dispute between a government entity and a permit applicant. The bill specifies that the office is not liable for any consequences resulting from the failure of a government entity to issue a permit or the failure of a person to seek or obtain a permit.

Assistance concerning agency enforcement actions.

With respect to state agencies, the bill gives the office the following additional specific responsibilities:

1. Upon the written request of a business, the office must investigate the circumstances of an enforcement action taken by the agency against the business and prepare recommendations concerning alternative penalties against the business, if any, that the office believes will achieve regulatory compliance without causing unnecessary hardship to the business.

2. The office is required to submit to an agency taking such an enforcement action a copy of the written request submitted by the business to the office; a copy of any recommendations prepared by the office with respect to the enforcement action; and a statement requesting that the agency submit to the office within 45 days a written response describing the enforcement action ultimately taken by the agency, or that the agency intends ultimately to take, against the business and what, if any, accommodations were made for the business as a result of the office's recommendations.

3. Annually, the office is required to compile the requests received and submissions made by the office concerning agency enforcement actions and any responses to those submissions the office received from agencies; analyze and evaluate that information and any other relevant information to determine regulatory enforcement trends and the efficacy of the office in facilitating regulatory relief to and promoting regulatory compliance by businesses; and include all of that information and those findings in an annual report to the legislature concerning the work of the office.

State agency responsibilities.

Likewise, the bill requires that state agencies work with the office and businesses concerning permits and the permit application process, including by doing all of the following:

1. Designate at least one agency employee to coordinate the agency's cooperation with the office and provide information to the office concerning the agency's permits and permit applications.

2. Respond promptly to the office concerning a request from the office for information about a permit or permit application or to expedite a permit.

3. Include information provided by the office about the office's services in any informational material on permits that the agency provides to the public.

4. Promptly notify the office and the permit applicant if the agency determines that an application for a permit is incomplete or otherwise defective and provide the permit applicant a reasonable opportunity to correct the defect.

5. Periodically review and, if appropriate, revise the agency's administrative rules and permit application forms to simplify and expedite the agency's permit process.

6. Provide an opportunity for an informal preapplication meeting with the agency's staff to any business interested in applying for a permit.

7. In any such preapplication meeting, identify all permits required by the agency for a particular business activity, describe the steps and identify the time period for each step in the permit process, and identify any potential problems the business may encounter in that process.

8. Notify any business that contacts the agency about a permit of the availability of a preapplication meeting and invite participation by office staff in any preapplication meeting.

Brownfields redevelopment.

The bill also requires the office to act as an ombudsman for brownfields redevelopment in Wisconsin. Under current law, brownfields redevelopment is any work or undertaking by a person to acquire a brownfields facility or site and to raze, demolish, remove, reconstruct, renovate, or rehabilitate the facility or existing buildings, structures, or other improvements at the site for the purpose of promoting the use of the facility or site for commercial, industrial, or other purposes. A brownfield is an abandoned, idle, or underused industrial or commercial facility or site, the expansion or redevelopment of which is adversely affected by actual or perceived environmental contamination.

Under the bill, in its capacity as ombudsman for brownfields redevelopment, the office must promote brownfields redevelopment and education of the public concerning brownfields redevelopment; coordinate with government entities and local economic development and community development organizations concerning activities and responsibilities related to brownfields redevelopment; and, with the Department of Workforce Development, coordinate job training related to brownfields redevelopment for persons who are unemployed and reside in the vicinity of a brownfields redevelopment project.

Publicizing the office's services.

Finally, under the bill, the office must maintain and publicize the availability of a toll-free telephone number available to in-state and out-of-state callers, and the office is required to seek to explain, promote, and publicize its services to the public.