The Wisconsin Legislature concluded the 2023-2024 Regular Session on March 12, 2024, when the Senate adjourned.
Three bills were passed that affect ETF and the benefit programs it administers.
Changes Awaiting Signature
As of this writing, 2023 AB 1098 is awaiting the governor’s signature before being enacted into law.
2023 AB 1098 made remedial changes recommended by ETF. These changes are technical and do not make substantive changes:
- Correcting a reference to the effective date of 2023 Wisconsin Act 4.
- Clarifying that a participant cannot have a benefit effective date before their separation from service date.
WRS and Milwaukee
2023 Wisconsin Act 12 modifies the state’s approach to shared revenue for local governments, repeals Wisconsin’s personal property tax, and authorizes the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to impose sales and use taxes, primarily to address their unfunded pension system liabilities.
Imposing the sales tax would require the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to join the WRS.
Additionally, the bill closes the City of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County retirement systems to new employees, prohibits the city or county from creating a new retirement system, and prohibits the city or county from changing the benefits of employees that remain enrolled in the two systems.
The Milwaukee City Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted to impose the sales tax. The City of Milwaukee joined the WRS on
Jan. 1, 2024, and Milwaukee County is planning to join in 2025.
Jailers Law
2023 Wisconsin Act 4 provides that, starting in 2024, county correctional officers previously categorized as general category employees are now protective occupation employees under WRS, unless they opt out.
Other bills not passed by the full Legislature are likely “dead” (except in the unlikely event of a special or extraordinary session) and will need to be reintroduced next session if the Legislature intends to take action on them.