19.44 (1). The information contained on the statement shall be current as of December 31 of the preceding year. (2) An official required to file shall file with the commission a statement of economic interests meeting each of the requirements of s. 19.44 (1) no later than 21 days following the date he or she assumes office if the official has not previously filed a statement of economic interests with the commission during that year.
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
19.43
GENERAL DUTIES OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS
The information on the statement shall be current as per the date he or she assumes office. (2m) Each individual who is an official required to file shall file with the commission a statement of economic interests meeting each of the requirements of s. 19.44 (1) no later than 21 days following the date on which the individual’s term of office ends or the individual leaves the office. The information contained on the statement shall be current as of the date on which the individual’s term of office ends or the individual leaves the office. An individual who files a statement as provided under this subsection is not required to file another statement of economic interests until such time as the individual again becomes an official required to file. (3) A nominee shall file with the commission a statement of economic interests meeting each of the requirements of s. 19.44 (1) within 21 days of being nominated unless the nominee has previously filed a statement of economic interests with the commission during that year. The information on the statement shall be current as per the date he or she was nominated. Following the receipt of a nominee’s statement of economic interests, the commission shall forward copies of such statement to the members of the committee of the senate to which the nomination is referred. (4) A candidate for state public office shall file with the commission a statement of economic interests meeting each of the requirements of s. 19.44 (1) no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd day following the last day for filing nomination papers for the office which the candidate seeks, or no later than 4:30 p.m. on the next business day after the last day whenever that candidate is granted an extension of time for filing nomination papers or a declaration of candidacy under s. 8.05 (1) (j), 8.10 (2) (a), 8.15 (1), or 8.20 (8) (a); no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 5th day after notification of nomination is mailed or personally delivered to the candidate by the municipal clerk in the case of a candidate who is nominated at a caucus; or no later than 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd day after notification of nomination is mailed or personally delivered to the candidate by the appropriate official or agency in the case of a write-in candidate or candidate who is appointed to fill a vacancy in nomination under s. 8.35 (2) (a). The information contained on the statement shall be current as of December 31 of the year preceding the filing deadline. Before certifying the name of any candidate for state public office under s. 7.08 (2) (a), the elections commission, municipal clerk, or board of election commissioners shall ascertain whether that candidate has complied with this subsection. If not, the elections commission, municipal clerk, or board of election commissioners may not certify the candidate’s name for ballot placement. (5) Each member of the investment board and each employee of the investment board who is a state public official shall complete and file with the commission a quarterly report of economic transactions no later than the last day of the month following the end of each calendar quarter during any portion of which he or she was a member or employee of the investment board. Such reports of economic transactions shall be in the form prescribed by the commission and shall identify the date and nature of any purchase, sale, put, call, option, lease, or creation, dissolution, or modification of any economic interest made during the quarter for which the report is filed and disclosure of which would be required by s. 19.44 if a statement of economic interests were being filed. (7) If an official required to file fails to make a timely filing, the commission shall promptly provide notice of the delinquency to the secretary of administration, and to the chief executive of the department of which the official’s office or position is a part, or, in the case of a district attorney, to the chief executive of that department and to the county clerk of each county served by the district attorney or in the case of a municipal judge to the clerk of
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the municipality of which the official’s office is a part, or in the case of a justice, court of appeals judge, or circuit judge, to the director of state courts. Upon such notification both the secretary of administration and the department, municipality, or director shall withhold all payments for compensation, reimbursement of expenses, and other obligations to the official until the commission notifies the officers to whom notice of the delinquency was provided that the official has complied with this section. (8) On its own motion or at the request of any individual who is required to file a statement of economic interests, the commission may extend the time for filing or waive any filing requirement if the commission determines that the literal application of the filing requirements of this subchapter would work an unreasonable hardship on that individual or that the extension of the time for filing or waiver is in the public interest. The commission shall set forth in writing as a matter of public record its reason for the extension or waiver. History: 1973 c. 90; Stats. 1973 s. 11.03; 1973 c. 333; 1973 c. 334 s. 33; Stats. 1973 s. 19.43; 1977 c. 223, 277; 1979 c. 221; 1983 a. 166 ss. 5, 16; 1983 a. 484, 538; 1985 a. 29, 304; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 266; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 1; 2015 a. 118 ss. 182, 183, 266 (10); 2021 a. 267. Cross-reference: See also ch. ETH 15, Wis. adm. code. The extent of confidentiality of investment board nominees’ statements of economic interests rests in the sound discretion of the senate committee to which the nomination is referred under sub. (3). 68 Atty. Gen. 378. Discussing the possible conflict between requirements of financial disclosure and confidentiality requirements for lawyers. 68 Atty. Gen. 411. Sub. (8) does not authorize the ethics board to extend the date by which a candidate must file a statement of economic interest and cannot waive the filing requirement. 81 Atty. Gen. 85.
19.44 Form of statement. (1) Every statement of economic interests which is required to be filed under this subchapter shall be in the form prescribed by the commission, and shall contain the following information: (a) The identity of every organization with which the individual required to file is associated and the nature of his or her association with the organization, except that no identification need be made of: 1. Any organization which is described in section 170 (c) of the internal revenue code. 2. Any organization which is organized and operated primarily to influence voting at an election including support for or opposition to an individual’s present or future candidacy or to a present or future referendum. 3. Any nonprofit organization which is formed exclusively for social purposes and any nonprofit community service organization. 4. A trust. (b) The identity of every organization or body politic in which the individual who is required to file or that individual’s immediate family, severally or in the aggregate, owns, directly or indirectly, securities having a value of $5,000 or more, the identity of such securities and their approximate value, except that no identification need be made of a security or issuer of a security when it is issued by any organization not doing business in this state or by any government or instrumentality or agency thereof, or an authority or public corporation created and regulated by an act of such government, other than the state of Wisconsin, its instrumentalities, agencies and political subdivisions, or authorities or public corporations created and regulated by an act of the legislature. (c) The name of any creditor to whom the individual who is required to file or such individual’s immediate family, severally or in the aggregate, owes $5,000 or more and the approximate amount owed. (d) The real property located in this state in which the individual who is required to file or such individual’s immediate family holds an interest, other than the principal residence of the indi-
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GENERAL DUTIES OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS
vidual or his or her immediate family, and the nature of the interest held. An individual’s interest in real property does not include a proportional share of interests in real property if the individual’s proportional share is less than 10 percent of the outstanding shares or is less than an equity value of $5,000. (e) The identity of each payer from which the individual who is required to file or a member of his or her immediate family received $1,000 or more of his or her income for the preceding taxable year, except that if the individual who is required to file identifies the general nature of the business in which he or she or his or her immediate family is engaged, then no identification need be made of a decedent’s estate or an individual, not acting as a representative of an organization, unless the individual is a lobbyist as defined in s. 13.62. In addition, no identification need be made of payers from which only dividends or interest, anything of pecuniary value reported under s. 19.56 or reportable under s. 19.57, or political contributions reported under ch. 11 were received. (f) If the individual who is required to file or a member of his or her immediate family received $10,000 or more of his or her income for the preceding taxable year from a partnership, limited liability company, corporation electing to be taxed as a partnership under subchapter S of the internal revenue code or service corporation under ss. 180.1901 to 180.1921 in which the individual or a member of his or her immediate family, severally or in the aggregate, has a 10 percent or greater interest, the identity of each payer from which the organization received $10,000 or more of its income for its preceding taxable year, except that if the individual who is required to file identifies the general nature of the business in which he or she or his or her immediate family is engaged then no identification need be made of a decedent’s estate or an individual, not acting as a representative of an organization, unless the individual is a lobbyist as defined in s. 13.62. In addition, no identification need be made of payers from which dividends or interest are received. (g) The identity of each person from which the individual who is required to file received, directly or indirectly, any gift or gifts having an aggregate value of more than $50 within the taxable year preceding the time of filing, except that the source of a gift need not be identified if the donation is permitted under s.