The Wisconsin Commission on Uniform State Laws

This bill makes the following changes related to the membership of the commission. First, the bill allows the legislature to appoint as a member of the commission any member of the state bar association if there is no senator or former senator, or representative or former representative, respectively, who meets the eligibility criteria and is able and willing to serve. Second, the bill allows the eight existing commission members to appoint as additional commission members persons who are life members of the ULC. These additional members have voting rights but are not counted in determining whether there is a quorum of the commission.

Under current law, the terms of commission members appointed by the governor and legislature must expire on May 1 of an odd-numbered year. Under this bill, the terms of members appointed by the legislature expire as do other appointments to standing committees, which is at the end of the legislative biennium in which the appointment is made.

Under current law, members of the commission must individually and collectively endeavor to secure the right of any person to become a voting commissioner or associate member of the ULC without regard to his or her membership in the state bar association. The commission was required to report twice after January 1, 1981, on these endeavors and provide an assessment of their probability of success. This bill repeals these requirements.

The bill eliminates a provision allowing the director of the Legislative Council Staff or the chief of the Legislative Reference Bureau, or the designee of either, to designate an employee to represent him or her at the ULC annual meeting, but continues to allow the director or chief to designate an employee to serve as a member of the commission.