(1) PURPOSE. The claims board shall receive, investigate and make recommendations on all claims of $10 or more presented against the state which are referred to the board by the department. No claim or bill relating to such a claim shall be considered by the legislature until a recommendation thereon has been made by the claims board. (2) RULES. Except as provided in s. 901.05, the board shall not be bound by common law or statutory rules of evidence, but shall admit all testimony having reasonable probative value, excluding that which is immaterial, irrelevant or unduly repetitious. The board may take official notice of any generally recognized fact or established technical or scientific fact, but parties shall be notified either before or during hearing or by full reference in preliminary reports, or otherwise, of the facts so noticed, and the parties shall be afforded an opportunity to contest the validity of the official notice. (2m) TIMELINE FOR CERTAIN CLAIMS. Any claim referred to the board that relates to a contract with the department of transportation for transportation infrastructure improvement or to a contract with the department of administration or the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System that is awarded under s. 16.855 shall be heard by the claims board, and the claims board shall make a final determination upon the claim within 6 months from the date that the claim was referred to the claims board. (3) PROCEDURE. When a claim has been referred to the claims board, the board may upon its own motion and shall upon request of the claimant, schedule such claim for hearing, giving the claimant at least 10 days’ written notice of the date, time and place thereof. Those claims described under sub. (6) (b) shall not be heard or decided by the claims board. The board shall keep a record of its proceedings, but such proceedings may be recorded by a permanent recording device without transcription. It may require sworn testimony and may summon and compel attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and records. Any member of the board may sign and issue a subpoena. (4) AGENCIES TO COOPERATE. The several agencies shall cooperate with the board and shall make their personnel and records available upon request when such request is not inconsistent with other statutes. (5) FINDINGS. The board shall report its findings and recommendations, on all claims referred to it, to the legislature. Except as provided in sub. (6), if from its findings of fact the board concludes that any such claim is one on which the state is legally liable, or one which involves the causal negligence of any officer, agent or employee of the state, or one which on equitable principles the state should in good conscience assume and pay, it shall cause a bill to be drafted covering its recommendations and shall report its findings and conclusions and submit the drafted bill to the joint committee on finance at the earliest available time. If the claims board determines to pay or recommends that a claim be paid from a specific appropriation or appropriations, it shall include that determination or recommendation in its conclusions. A copy of its findings and conclusions shall be submitted to the claimant within 20 days after the board makes its determination. Findings and conclusions are not required for claims processed under sub. (6) (b). (6) SETTLEMENT. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), whenever the claims board by unanimous vote finds that payment to a claimant of not more than the amount specified in s. 799.01 (1) (d) is justified, it may order the amount that it finds justified to be paid on its own motion without submission of the claim in bill form to the legislature. The claim shall be paid on a voucher upon the certification of the chairperson and secretary of the board, and shall be charged as provided in sub. (6m). (b) Whenever the representative of the department designated by the secretary pursuant to s. 15.105 (2) finds that payment of a claim described in this paragraph to a claimant is justified, the representative of the department may order the amount so found to be justified paid without approval of the claims board and without submission of the claim in the form of a bill to the legislature. Such claims shall be paid on vouchers upon the certification of the representative of the department, and shall be charged as provided in sub. (6m). The representative of the department shall annually report to the board all claims paid under this paragraph. Claims which may be paid directly by the department are: 1. Payment of the amount owed by the state under any check, share draft or other draft issued by it which has been voided for failure to present the check, share draft or other draft for payment within the prescribed period from the date of issuance. 3. Payment of a refund due as the result of an overpayment made by mistake of the applicant in filing articles of incorporation or amendments thereto, or a certificate of authority for a foreign corporation to transact business in this state pursuant to s. 180.0122. 4. Payment of any claim of less than $10. (6m) PAYMENT CHARGES. The claims board, for claims authorized to be paid under sub. (6) (a), or the representative of the department, for claims authorized to be paid under sub. (6) (b), may specify that a claim shall be paid from a specific appropriation or appropriations. If a claim requires legislative action, the board may recommend that the claim be paid from a specific appropriation or appropriations. If no determination is made as to the appropriation or appropriations from which a claim shall be paid, the claim shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (d). (7) EXCEPTION. This section shall not be construed as relieving any 3rd-party liability or releasing any joint tort-feasor. (8) EXPENSES. The board may pay the actual and necessary expenses of employees of the department of justice or the department of administration authorized by the board to secure material information necessary to the disposition of a claim.
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