Wisconsin Code § 97.615

Agent status for local health departments
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(1)
VENDING OPERATIONS. In the administration and enforcement of
this subchapter, the department may use local health departments
as its agents in making inspections and investigations of vending
machine commissaries, vending machine operators and vending
machines if the jurisdictional area of the local health department
has a population greater than 5,000. If the designation is made
and the services are furnished, the department shall reimburse
the local health department furnishing the service at the rate of 80
percent of the net license fee per license per year issued in the jurisdictional area.
(2) HOTELS, TOURIST ROOMING HOUSES, AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS. (am) In the administration of this subchapter or s.
97.67, the department may enter into a written agreement with a
local health department with a jurisdictional area that has a population greater than 5,000, which designates the local health department as the department’s agent in issuing licenses to and
making investigations or inspections of hotels, tourist rooming
houses, bed and breakfast establishments, campgrounds and
camping resorts, recreational and educational camps, and public
swimming pools. In a jurisdictional area of a local health department without agent status, the department may issue licenses,
collect fees established by rule under s. 97.613 and make investigations or inspections of hotels, tourist rooming houses, bed and
breakfast establishments, campgrounds and camping resorts,
recreational and educational camps, and public swimming pools.
If the department designates a local health department as its
agent, the department or local health department may require no
license for the same operations other than the license issued by
the local health department under this subsection. The department shall oversee the designation of agents under this subsection
to ensure that, to the extent feasible, the same local health department is granted agent status under this subsection and under s.
97.41.
(b) A local health department granted agent status under this
subsection shall meet standards promulgated, by rule, by the department. The department shall annually evaluate the licensing,
investigation and inspection program of each local health department granted agent status. If, at any time, a local health department granted agent status fails to meet the standards, the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection may revoke
its agent status.
(c) The department shall provide education and training to
agents designated under this subsection to ensure uniformity in
the enforcement of this subchapter, s. 97.67 and rules promulgated under this subchapter and s. 97.67.
(d) Except as provided in par. (dm), a local health department
granted agent status under this subsection shall establish and collect the license fee for each type of establishment specified in par.
(am). The local health department may establish separate fees for
pre-licensing inspections of new establishments, for pre-licensing
inspections of existing establishments for which a person intends
to be the new operator or for the issuance of duplicate licenses.
No fee may exceed the local health department’s reasonable costs
of issuing licenses to, making investigations and inspections of,
and providing education, training and technical assistance to the
establishments, plus the state fee established under par. (e). A local health department granted agent status under this subsection
or under s. 97.41 may issue a single license and establish and collect a single fee which authorizes the operation on the same
premises of more than one type of establishment for which it is
granted agent status under this subsection or under s. 97.41.
(dm) A local health department granted agent status under
this subsection may contract with the department for the department to collect fees and issue licenses. The department shall collect from the local health department the actual and reasonable
cost of providing the services.
(e) The department shall establish state fees for its costs related to setting standards under this subchapter and s. 97.67 and
monitoring and evaluating the activities of, and providing education and training to, agent local health departments. Agent local
health departments shall include the state fees in the license fees
established under par. (d), collect the state fees and reimburse the
department for the state fees collected. For each type of establishment specified in par. (am), the state fee may not exceed 20
percent of the license fees charged under ss. 97.67 and 97.613.
(f) If, under this subsection, a local health department becomes an agent or its agent status is discontinued during a licensee’s license year, the department and the local health department shall divide any license fee paid by the licensee for that license year according to the proportions of the license year occurring before and after the local health department’s agent status is
granted or discontinued. No additional fee may be required during the license year due to the change in agent status.
(g) A village, city or county may adopt ordinances and a local
board of health may adopt regulations regarding the licensees and
premises for which the local health department is the designated
agent under this subsection, which are stricter than this subchapter, s. 97.67, or rules promulgated by the department under this
subchapter or s. 97.67. No such provision may conflict with this
subchapter or with department rules.
(h) This subsection does not limit the authority of the department to inspect hotels, tourist rooming houses, bed and breakfast
establishments, or vending machine commissaries in jurisdictional areas of local health departments where agent status is
granted if it inspects in response to an emergency, for the purpose
of monitoring and evaluating the local health department’s licensing, inspection and enforcement program or at the request of
the local health department.
(j) The department shall hold a hearing under ch. 227 if any
interested person, in lieu of proceeding under ch. 68, appeals to
the department alleging either of the following:
1. A license fee established by a local health department
granted agent status exceeds the reasonable costs described under
par. (d).
2. The person issuing, refusing to issue, suspending or revoking a license or making an investigation or inspection of the appellant has a financial interest in a regulated establishment specified in par. (am) which may interfere with his or her ability to
properly take that action.

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