March 2008 Wisconsin Small Business
Regulatory Alert
It's important for small businesses to have their voice heard
during the state rule-making process. To do this, you need to know when
rules are being developed by state agencies that may directly impact
your small business! Learn what state rules
are being promulgated or going to public hearing. In addition to
learning about rule development, the alerts will provide information
about trainings, workshops, conferences and other regulatory
information
important
to Wisconsin small businesses.
Following are proposed rules of possible interest to small
businesses published in the recently published Wisconsin
Administrative Register. During the comment period,
individuals have an opportunity to express their support or opposition
to the rule. Rules included in this Alert may affect the
following types of businesses:
Announcement
of Hearings and Public Comment Period
Child
Care Providers
Announcement of Scope Statements
Retailers and
Distributors of toys and Other articles that present a hazard and other
unreasonable risk of personal injury
Electricians,
Building Contractors and Subcontractors, Thermal Insulators, Fireworks
Sellers and Propane Distributors, Fire Inspectors, Public Swimming Pool
Installers, and Cross Connection Control Surveyors
Insurance Agents
providing Life Insurance and Annuity Products
News from State Agencies
DATCP - "Buy
Local" Grant Program Application April 14th Deadline
DOT -
Attraction-Related business benefit from SB-279
Commerce -
Small
Business Regulatory Review Board
Commerce -
Woman-Owned
Business Enterprise Certification
Other News for Small Business
IRS - Industry
Issue Resolution Program
Small Business
Administration Picks Top Ten Federal Rules for Review
Announcement
of Hearings
Child Care Providers -
The
Department of Workforce Development purposes a rule revision relating
to child care copayments that will impact certified child care
providers.
Bottomline:
This rule will eliminate the differential co-payment amounts
by increasing copayments for certified care to the same level as
copayments for licensed care. The copayment is based on family
size, family gross income, the number of children in a given family in
child care, and the type of child care selected, with exceptions.
The DWD has made the determination that this
rule will not have
a significant economic impact on small business as certified providers
can collect the increased copayments directly from the families.
Interested
persons can review the
Notice of Hearing or send comments electronically.
Comments and questions
regarding this rule can be sent to DWD's Regulatory
Coordinator
at elaine.pridgen@wisconsin.gov.
Comments will be accepted until April 11, 2008.
Employers
Paying Unemployment Insurance -
The
Department of Workforce Development purposes a rule revision relating
to agency disclosure and confidentiality procedures of unemployment insurance records.
Bottomline:
In response to federal direction, all states must amend their
rules concerning the confidentiality and disclosure requirements of an
employer's records related to the unemployment insurance program.
This rule outlines the conditions under which DWD will
disclose unemployment insurance records to claimants, employing units,
and authorized third parties. The rule includes
confidentiality safeguard requirements and the fees that will
be charged to those requesting unemployment insurance record information.
Interested
persons can review the
Notice of Hearing or send comments electronically.
Comments and questions
regarding this rule can be sent to DWD's Regulatory
Coordinator
at elaine.pridgen@wisconsin.gov.
Comments will be accepted until April 9, 2008.
Announcement of Scope Statements
(Announcement that the
agency will begin rule development)
Retailers
and Distributors of Toys and Other Articles that Present a Hazard and
other Unreasonable Risk of Personal Injury - This rule
will allow the Consumer Protection Division of the DATCP to
ban the sale of hazardous products that would be subject under this
rule. Review the Scope
Statement to see the types of products that will impacted by
this rule or contact DATCP's Regulatory Coordinator at Keeley.Moll@wisconsin.gov.
Electricians,
Building Contractors and Subcontractors, Thermal Insulators, Fireworks
Sellers and Propane Distributors, Fire
Inspectors, Public Swimming Pool Installers, and Cross Connection
Control Surveyors - This rule provide a
licensing/certification that will be administered by the Department of Commerce for persons
providing the above-reference services. Review the Scope
Statement for more details or contact the Department of
Commerce Regulatory Coordinator at Carol.Dunn@wisconsin.gov.
Insurance
Agents providing life insurance and annuity products -
The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance purposes a rule
that will establish minimum standards of conduct, procedures to be
followed by agents and the disclosures that agents will be required to provide
to consumers. Review the Scope
Statement for more details or contact the OCI's Regulatory
Coordinator at Eileen.Mallow@wisconsin.gov.
News
from State Regulatory
Agencies
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection
"Buy
Local" Grant Program - Upcoming April 14th deadline for Applications - Applications
will be accepted from individuals, groups, businesses and organizations
involved in Wisconsin agriculture production, Wisconsin agriculture
tourism, Wisconsin retail food establishments or Wisconsin food
processing, distribution or warehousing. To learn more about whether your business qualifies and to apply, click
here.
Department
of Transportation
Attraction-Related
Businesses Benefit from SB-279 - Governor Doyle signed
SB-279 that amends the mileage requirement for attraction-related
businesses. An attraction-related business applying for a
Specific Information Sign program from the Department of
Transportation may be located not more
than 30
miles from the highway on which the specific information sign for the
motorist service is erected. To review SB-279, click here.
Department of Commerce
Small
Business Regulatory Review Board
The
Small Business Regulatory Review Board wants to hear from small
business owners who are experiencing problems with existing administrative rule.
To learn
more the Board contact the Small Business Ombudsman
at carol.dunn@wi.gov or 608-267-0297 or review the Board's website for more information
about the Board.
Applications
for Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification Now Being
Accepted
Woman-owned businesses who are 51% owned, actively managed and
controlled can now apply to be certified as a woman-owned business
through the Department of Commerce. To learn more about whether your
business qualifies, to review frequently asked questions or download an
application form, click here.
Other News for
Small Business
Small
Business Administration's Office of Advocacy Picks Top Ten Federal
Rules for Review
- The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration has
selected ten rules for review and possible reform. To review
these rules, click here.
IRS
- Industry Issue Resolution Program - The Industry
Issue Resolution Program's objective is to resolve tax issues that
unnecessarily burden businesses. Submissions received by
March 31, 2008 will be considered for acceptance in April.
Through the Industry Issue Resolution Program new and
improved guidance can be provided that will benefit small business.
To learn more about the program, click here.
Stay on top of Wisconsin legislation that can
affect your business
by receiving updates from the Wisconsin
Legislative Notification System. It allows anyone the
opportunity
to follow legislation by receiving daily or weekly e-mails. You can
choose updates by subject and can select the
activities for which you would like to receive notifications. The
Regulatory Alert is sent to you by the Dept. of Commerce's
Small
Business Ombudsman. If you find this information helpful, pass the word
onto other small businesses so that they may subscribe to this e-mail
service. Please refer them to this website
to subscribe.
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