15.07 Boards.

(1) Selection of members.

(a) If a department or independent agency is under the direction and supervision of a board, the members of the board, other than the members serving on the board because of holding another office or position, shall be nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, to serve for terms prescribed by law, except:

1. Members of the higher educational aids board shall be appointed by the governor without senate confirmation.

3. Members of the employee trust funds board appointed or elected under s. 15.16 (1) (a), (b), (d) and (f) shall be appointed or elected as provided in that section.

4. Members of the investment board appointed under s. 15.76 (3) shall be appointed as provided in that section.

5. The members of the educational communications board appointed under s. 15.57 (5) and (7) shall be appointed as provided in that section.

6. Members of the public leadership board appointed under s. 15.915 (7) (d) and (e) shall be appointed by the governor without senate confirmation.

(b) For each board not covered under par. (a), the governor shall appoint the members of the board, other than the members serving on the board because of holding another office or position and except as otherwise provided, for terms prescribed by law except that all members of the following boards, or all members of the following boards specified in this paragraph, other than the members serving on a board because of holding another office or position, shall be nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, for terms provided by law:

1. Banking institutions review board.

2. College savings program board.

3. Credit union review board.

9. Board on aging and long-term care.

10. Land and water conservation board.

11. Waste facility siting board.

12. Prison industries board.

14. Deferred compensation board.

15. The 3 members of the lower Wisconsin state riverway board appointed under s. 15.345 (8) (b) 7.

15m. The members of the state fair park board appointed under s. 15.445 (4) (a) 3. to 5.

17. Real estate appraisers board.

18m. Board of veterans affairs.

19m. Auctioneer board.

20. The 3 members of the Kickapoo reserve management board appointed under s. 15.445 (2) (b) 3.

23. Cemetery board.

(c) Except as provided under par. (cm), fixed terms of members of boards shall expire on May 1 and, if the term is for an even number of years, shall expire in an odd-numbered year.

(cm) The terms of the 3 members of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2. shall expire on January 1. The term of the member of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2m. shall expire on May 1 of an even-numbered year. The terms of the appraiser members of the real estate appraisers board and the terms of the auctioneer and auction company representative members of the auctioneer board shall expire on May 1 in an even-numbered year. The terms of the members of the cemetery board shall expire on July 1 in an even-numbered year. The term of the student member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System who is at least 24 years old shall expire on May 1 of every even-numbered year.

(cs) No member of the auctioneer board or real estate appraisers board may be an officer, director, or employee of a private organization that promotes or furthers any profession or occupation regulated by that board.

(2) Selection of officers. At its first meeting in each year, every board shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary each of whom may be reelected for successive terms, except that:

(a) The chairperson and vice chairperson of the investment board shall be designated biennially by the governor.

(d) The officers elected by the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the technical college system board shall be known as a president, vice president and secretary.

(e) The representative of the department of justice shall serve as chairperson of the claims board and the representative of the department of administration shall serve as its secretary.

(f) The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designated representative shall serve as chairperson of the school district boundary appeal board.

(g) A representative of the department of justice designated by the attorney general shall serve as nonvoting secretary to the law enforcement standards board.

(h) The chairperson of the state fair park board shall be designated annually by the governor from among the members appointed under s. 15.445 (4) (a) 3., 4. and 5.

(j) At its first meeting in each even-numbered year, the state capitol and executive residence board shall elect officers for 2-year terms.

(m) The representative of the department of administration shall serve as chairperson of the incorporation review board.

(3) Frequency of meetings.

(a) If a department or independent agency is under the direction and supervision of a board, the board shall meet quarterly and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. If a department or independent agency is under the direction and supervision of a board, the board shall, in addition, meet no later than August 31 of each even-numbered year to consider and approve a proposed budget of the department or independent agency for the succeeding fiscal biennium.

(b) Except as provided in par. (bm), each board not covered under par. (a) shall meet annually, and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. The auctioneer board, the cemetery board, and the real estate appraisers board shall also meet on the call of the secretary of safety and professional services or his or her designee within the department.

(bm)

3. The auctioneer board shall meet at least 4 times each year.

5. The incorporation review board shall meet on the call of the chairperson or a majority of the board's members.

6. The cemetery board shall meet at least 4 times each year.

(4) Quorum. A majority of the membership of a board constitutes a quorum to do business and, unless a more restrictive provision is adopted by the board, a majority of a quorum may act in any matter within the jurisdiction of the board. This subsection does not apply to actions of the school district boundary appeal board as provided in s. 117.05 (2) (a).

(5) Reimbursement for expenses; compensation. Except as provided in sub. (5m), the members of each board shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, such reimbursement in the case of an officer or employee of this state who represents an agency as a member of a board to be paid by the agency which pays the member's salary. The members shall receive no compensation for their services, except that the following members of boards, except full-time state officers or employees, also shall be paid the per diem stated below for each day on which they were actually and necessarily engaged in the performance of their duties:

(a) Members of the investment board, $50 per day.

(b) Members of the banking institutions review board, $25 per day but not to exceed $1,500 per year.

(c) Members of the auctioneer board, $25 per day.

(d) Members of the board of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, not exceeding $35 per day as fixed by the board with the approval of the governor, but not to exceed $1,000 per year.

(e) In lieu of a per diem, the members of the technical college system board shall receive $100 annually.

(f) Members of the teachers retirement board, appointive members of the Wisconsin retirement board, appointive members of the group insurance board, members of the deferred compensation board and members of the employee trust funds board, $25 per day.

(h) Voting members of the land and water conservation board, $25 per day.

(j) Members of the state fair park board, $10 per day but not to exceed $600 per year.

(k) Members of the board for people with developmental disabilities, $50 per day.

(L) Members of the school district boundary appeal board, $25 per day.

(o) Members of the burial sites preservation board, $25 per day.

(s) Members of the credit union review board, $25 per day but not to exceed $1,500 per year.

(t) Members of the waste facility siting board who are town or county officials, $35 per day.

(w) Members of the lower Wisconsin state riverway board, $25 per day.

(x) Members of the real estate appraisers board, $25 per day.

(y) Members of the Kickapoo reserve management board, $25 per day.

(z) Members of the cemetery board, $25 per day.

(5m) Limitations on salary and expenses.

(b) Lower Wisconsin state riverway board. The members, except for the chairperson, of the lower Wisconsin state riverway board shall be reimbursed under sub. (5) for only their necessary and actual travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, or shall be paid $25 plus mileage incurred in the performance of their duties, whichever is greater. The chairperson of the lower Wisconsin state riverway board shall be reimbursed for all his or her actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties. The lower Wisconsin state riverway board shall determine which expenses of the chairperson are actual and necessary before reimbursement.

(c) Board for people with developmental disabilities. A member of the board for people with developmental disabilities shall be reimbursed under sub. (5) (k) only if the member attends a meeting or event of the board and all of the following apply:

1. The member's official duties related to the meeting or event occupy at least 4 hours in one day.

2. Due to the member's official duties related to the meeting or event the member forfeits wages from other employment or the member is not otherwise employed for wages.

(d) Distance learning authorization board. The members of the distance learning authorization board shall not be reimbursed for expenses under sub. (5).

(6) Reports. Every board created in or attached to a department or independent agency shall submit to the head of the department or independent agency, upon request of that person not more often than annually, a report on the operation of the board.

(7) Official oath. Each member of a board shall take and file the official oath prior to assuming office.

History: 1971 c. 100 s. 23; 1971 c. 125, 261, 270, 323; 1973 c. 90, 156, 299, 334; 1975 c. 39, 41, 422; 1977 c. 29 ss. 24, 26, 1650m (3); 1977 c. 203, 277, 418, 427; 1979 c. 34, 110, 221, 346; 1981 c. 20, 62, 94, 96, 156, 314, 346, 374, 391; 1983 a. 27, 282, 403; 1985 a. 20, 29, 316; 1987 a. 27, 119, 142, 354, 399, 403; 1989 a. 31, 102, 114, 219, 299, 340; 1991 a. 25, 39, 116, 221, 269, 316; 1993 a. 16, 75, 102, 184, 349, 399, 490; 1995 a. 27, 216, 247; 1997 a. 27 ss. 43 to 48m, 9456 (3m); 1999 a. 9, 44, 181, 197; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33 ss. 79 to 85, 2811; 2003 a. 48 ss. 10, 11; 2003 a. 171; 2003 a. 206 s. 23; 2005 a. 25 ss. 41g to 45m, 2493; 2005 a. 76, 228, 253; 2007 a. 1, 20, 97, 109; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 10, 32; 2013 a. 203; 2015 a. 55, 118, 208, 237; 2017 a. 59, 366; 2019 a. 65.

“Membership" as used in sub. (4) means the authorized number of positions and not the number of positions that are currently occupied. 66 Atty. Gen. 192.