Wisconsin Code § 14.38

Secretary of state, duties
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The secretary of state
shall:
(1) RECORD EXECUTIVE ACTS. Keep a record of the official
acts of the executive department and, when required, lay the same
and all matters relative thereto before either house of the
legislature.
(2) AFFIX GREAT SEAL; REGISTER COMMISSIONS. Affix the
great seal to and countersign all commissions issued and other official acts done by the governor, the governor’s approbation of the
laws excepted; and make a register of such commissions in a book
provided by the governor therefor, specifying the person to whom
issued, the office conferred, and the date and term of the
commission.
(3) HAVE CUSTODY OF BOOKS, RECORDS, ETC. Have the custody of all books, records, deeds, bonds, parchments, maps, papers and other articles and effects belonging to the state, deposited or kept in the secretary of state’s office, and make such
provision for the arrangement and preservation thereof as is nec-

essary, and keep the same, together with all accounts and transactions of the office open at all times to the inspection and examination of the governor or any committee of either or both houses of
the legislature.
(4) BIENNIAL REPORT. Report biennially in accordance with
s. 15.04 (1) (d) all matters pertaining to the office and, when required, furnish the governor or either house of the legislature, in
writing, any information relative to the performance of the duties
of the office.
(5) KEEP ENROLLED LAWS, ETC. Safely keep all enrolled laws
and resolutions, and not permit any of them to be taken out of the
secretary of state’s office or inspected except in the presence of
the secretary of state, unless by order of the governor or by resolution of one or both houses of the legislature. For any violation
of this subsection the secretary of state shall forfeit the sum of
$100.
(6) COMPILE ORIGINAL LAWS AND RESOLUTIONS. Cause the
original laws enacted and joint resolutions adopted at each session of the legislature, together with the index containing the titles of the same, to be bound in suitable volumes in a substantial
manner, and in the order in which they are enacted or adopted,
with the title thereof and the session at which they are enacted or
adopted to be written or printed on the spine of the volumes.
(8) RECORD FEES. Keep a record of all fees received by the
office and include a summary of such record in the biennial report under s. 15.04 (1) (d).
(9) FURNISH CERTIFIED COPIES; FEES. Make a copy of any
law, resolution, deed, bond, record, document or paper deposited
or kept in his or her office, upon request therefor, attach thereto
his or her certificate, with the greater or lesser seal affixed, and
collect therefor 50 cents per page and $5 for such certificate; if a
copy is not to be certified and if the reproduction is performed by
the office of the secretary of state, then collect a fee to cover the
actual and necessary cost of reproduction and actual and necessary cost of transcription required to produce the copy or $2,
whichever is greater; also to record any document authorized or
required by law to be recorded in his or her office, and to charge
therefor a fee of $1 per page. The fee for certified copies and for
certificates as to results of searches of the records and files of his
or her office, when a printed form is used, shall be $5, but when
a specially prepared form is required the fee shall be $10. Telegraphic reports as to results of record searches shall be $5 plus
the cost of the telegram. The secretary of state shall charge and
collect for preparing any record or certificate under this subsection in an expeditious manner, an expedited service fee of $25 in
addition to the fee otherwise required under this subsection.
(9m) SIGNATURES. Receive and file the signature and an impression of the official seal or rubber stamp of all county clerks
and registers of deeds, and upon request certify to the authenticity of that signature and official seal or rubber stamp and charge
therefor the statutory fee.
(10m) NOTIFICATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. If
an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution is approved that requires the legislature to provide for temporary succession to the
powers and duties of public offices for the period of an emergency resulting from a cause other than an enemy action, within
30 days after the elections commission records the approval under s. 7.70 (3) (h), notify the legislature that the amendment has
been approved.
(11) OTHER DUTIES. Perform such other duties as are imposed upon the secretary of state by the constitution or by law.

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