The Ninety-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature was convened on January 5, 2009. The session was scheduled to end on January 3, 2011, and the final adjournment for regular legislative activity occurred on May 26, 2010.[1] During the course of the 99th Legislature, there were two Special sessions and four Extraordinary sessions called for various legislative purposes.
May 12, 2009: The Wisconsin Senate called an Extraordinary session to deal with Assembly Bill 255 — relating to eligibility for unemployment benefits and other matters relating to disbursement of funds from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
June 9, 2009: The Wisconsin Senate called an Extraordinary session to deal with Senate Bill 232 — relating to payment of funds to state public schools.
June 24, 2009: Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle called a Special session of the Legislature to act upon legislation relating to the hospital assessment, medical assistance and collecting federal revenue related to the assessment.[2]
December 16, 2009: The Wisconsin Senate called an Extraordinary session to deal with Senate Bill 66 — relating to laws on driving under the influence of alcohol.[3]
December 16, 2009: Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle called a Special session of the Legislature to act on Senate Bill 405 and Assembly Bill 534 — relating to rules governing the Milwaukee Public Schools.[4]
January 29, 2009: Act relating to payment of Wisconsin supplemental and extended unemployment insurance benefits in this state. 2009 Wisc. Act 1
May 15, 2009: Act relating to eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits and payment of extended benefits; excluding recovery and reinvestment act moneys from the calculation of expenditure restraint payments; eligibility for participation in the programs of a community action agency; financial assistance under the Clean Water Fund Program and the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program; the confidentiality of pupil records provided to the Department of Public Instruction; financial assistance for criminal justice programs; authorizing political subdivisions to make residential energy efficiency improvement loans and impose special charges for the loans; definition of low-income household under energy and weatherization assistance programs; eligibility and notice changes for state continuation of coverage for health insurance; changes to enterprise zone jobs credits; state aid to school districts; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; granting rule-making authority; and making an appropriation. 2009 Wisc. Act 11
June 11, 2009: Act relating to the payment of state school aid in June 2009. 2009 Wisc. Act 23
December 22, 2009: Act relating to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty. 2009 Wisc. Act 100 — lowering the legal blood-alcohol limit for operating a vehicle from 0.1 to 0.08, among other changes to law.
May 18, 2010: Act relating to financial assistance related to bioenergy feedstocks, biorefineries, and conversion to biomass energy; the definition of the term agricultural use for the purpose of determining the assessed value of a parcel of land; requiring a strategic bioenergy feedstock assessment; creation of a bioenergy council; the agricultural and forestry diversification programs; biofuels training assessment; a study of regulatory burdens relating to biofuel production facilities; marketing orders and agreements for bioenergy feedstocks; exempting personal renewable fuel production and use from the motor vehicle fuel tax, the petroleum inspection fee, and business tax registration requirements; an income and franchise tax credit for installing or retrofitting pumps that mix motor vehicle fuels from separate storage tanks; offering gasoline that is not blended with ethanol to motor fuel dealers; state renewable motor vehicle fuels sales goals; use of petroleum-based transportation fuels by state vehicles; use of alternative fuels in flex fuel vehicles owned by the state; use of public alternative fuel refueling facilities; duties of the Office of Energy Independence; granting rule-making authority; requiring the exercise of rule-making authority; making appropriations; and providing penalties. 2009 Wisc. Act 401