Statement of Economic Interests

About Statements of Economic Interests

Per the Wisconsin Ethics Commission (WEC), the Ethics Code, or Subchapter III of Chapter 19 of Wisconsin Statutes, requires many State Public Officials (SPOs) to file a Statement of Economic Interests (SEI) once a year with the WEC. Officials are required to identify a variety of interests, including securities they hold, businesses and clients, creditors, employers, and gifts and honoraria. This allows the public and press to watch out for possible conflicts of interest and can help public officials to be aware of issues where legal advice may be required, or recusal may be recommended.

 

In 2018, the WEC launched a new online reporting system for SEIs at sei.wi.gov. This replaces the previous paper-based reporting system. Each spring, in anticipation of the April 30th deadline, WEC staff provide notice to each official required to complete an SEI. When an official first enters office, they will receive a username and password for the reporting site. The Board of Regents has partnered with the WEC to allow UW filers by rule to submit SEIs online through the WEC SEI reporting system portal.

 

SEIs are open for public inspection. Wisconsin law requires the WEC to notify the official of the identity of each person who examines their statement.

 

Who is required to file a SEI?

There are two categories of Universities of Wisconsin (UW) officials who are required to file SEIs: filers by statute and filers by rule.

 

Filers by Statute (State Public Officials)

  • Per the WEC, officials required to file SEIs are defined in Wis. Stat. § 19.42(10), with references to other statutes. A list of SPOs required to file is available through the WEC website here, but for ease of reference here is a summary of titles:
    • Assistant Vice Presidents, Associate Vice Presidents, Board of Regents members, Chancellors, President, Vice Chancellors, Vice Presidents, Rural Health Development Council members
  • Newly appointed SPOs must file within 21 days of assuming office (or starting their position). SPOs that are leaving their position must file within 21 days of their end date. SPOs update their SEI annually on or before April 30th, reporting their economic interests for the preceding calendar year.
  • UW employees who are considered SPOs are also often filers by rule. These individuals only need to submit the online SEI form once to meet both filing requirements for the WEC and Board of Regents (BOR).

Filers by Rule (Contracting Personnel)

  • Pursuant to Chapter UWS 8, Wis. Admin. Code, the “Unclassified Staff Code of Ethics” requires the UW System president, vice presidents, chancellors, and contracting personnel to file SEIs annually on or before April 30.
  • “Contracting personnel” are defined by UWS 8.02(7) as “those persons who are designated in writing by the chancellor of an institution or the president of the system to negotiate, review, approve, or sign contracts for the purchase of goods and services on behalf of an institution, the university system, or the board. The term does not include persons who do either or both of the following: (a) Contract only with outside agencies for research or for services to be performed by the university; or (b) Negotiate, review, approve or sign only employment contracts.”
  • Regent Policy Document 21-9, “Institutional Relationships with Foundations,” also requires university employees who are executive directors of a university’s primary fundraising foundation or real estate foundation to file SEIs annually on or before April 30.
  • The requirement to file within 21 days of assuming office and/or leaving a position does not apply to UW officials who file by rule. This rule only applies to SPOs.

 

Resources and Additional Information

Additional information and resources are available on the WEC homepage and SEI website:

 

WEC staff may be contacted directly at ethics@wi.gov or (608) 266-8123 for questions about the SEI and assistance using the SEI website.