Various University of Wisconsin System reporting requirements, commencement of the UW System's fall semester for graduate health science classes, UW System sexual assault and harassment information and reports, and energy cost reduction plans for certain state agencies. (FE)

Reporting requirements.

The bill also exempts the UW System from requirements to submit the following reports, which apply to other state agencies under current law: 1) an annual report to the Department of Administration on interest paid for late payments; 2) an annual report to the Joint Committee on Finance and DOA on expenditure of nonfederal gifts and grants; and 3) an annual report to DOA on the cost of occupancy of state facilities.

In addition, the bill repeals requirements for the UW System to submit the following reports: 1) a biennial financial report to the governor and JCF by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School; 2) an annual report to DOA and JCF on created and abolished positions; 3) an annual report to the governor and JCF on federal funding expenditures; 4) an annual report to JCF and DOA on salary increases; 5) an annual report to the legislature and governor regarding employees with limited or concurrent appointments and employees requiring backup positions; 6) a biennial report to JCF on industrial and economic development research projects; 7) a biennial report to the governor and JCF on research funded with general purpose revenue; 8) a semiannual report to the Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology on certain information technology projects; 9) an annual report to JCF and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee on fee increases; 10) an annual report to JCF on course dropout rates; and 11) an annual report by UW System administration to the Board of Regents on consultants. The bill also makes changes to requirements for UW System large, high-risk information technology projects, including eliminating a requirement for reporting certain changes regarding those projects to the Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology.

The bill also does the following:

1. Prohibits DOA from requiring the Board of Regents to submit to DOA reports on accounts receivable or moving expenses if substantially similar information is included in other reports submitted by the Board of Regents or is accessible through DOA's statewide accounting system.

2. Exempts the Board of Regents from submitting annual reports to the Department of Natural Resources relating to its local program for construction site erosion control and storm water management.

3. Requires DOA, instead of the Board of Regents, to make an annual report to the legislature on certain environmental impact reports regarding the UW System.

Sexual assault and harassment.

The bill makes changes to requirements for UW institutions to annually provide information to students about sexual assault and sexual harassment, including the following: 1) requiring the information to include university policies prohibiting sexual assault and harassment; and 2) eliminating an annual report by the Board of Regents to the legislature on compliance with the requirements. The bill also changes reporting requirements for sexual assault and harassment. Under current law, an employee of a UW institution who witnesses or receives a report that a student has been sexually assaulted must make a report to the dean of the institution. The bill requires instead that a campus security authority (CSA) must make the reports. The bill defines CSA to have the same meaning as under a federal law known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Under the bill, if an allegation that a sexual assault has occurred on or near campus is reported to a CSA in his or her capacity as a CSA, the CSA must report the allegation to the institution's dean or other appropriate official. The bill also requires the dean or other appropriate official to compile the reports made by CSAs for the purpose of reporting crime statistics as required under the federal law and eliminates a requirement for UW institutions to make annual reports regarding sexual assaults to the Department of Justice.

Energy cost reduction plans.

The bill requires DOA to submit biennial plans to JCF and the legislature on energy cost reduction for the following state agencies:

DOA, the Board of Regents, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health Services, the Department of Public Instruction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Current law requires the state agencies themselves to submit the plans.