Powers of the department and local health departments
Wis. Stat. § 97.625
in effect(1) The department shall do all of the following:
(a) Administer and enforce this subchapter, the rules promulgated under this subchapter and any other rules or laws relating to the public health and safety in hotels, tourist rooming houses, bed and breakfast establishments, vending machine commissaries, vending machines and vending machine locations.
(b) Require hotels, tourist rooming houses, vending machine operators and vending machine commissaries to file reports and information the department deems necessary.
(c) Ascertain and prescribe what alterations, improvements or other means or methods are necessary to protect the public health and safety on those premises.
(d) Prescribe rules and fix standards, including rules covering the general sanitation and cleanliness of premises regulated under this subchapter, the proper handling and storing of food on such premises, the construction and sanitary condition of the premises and equipment to be used and the location and servicing of equipment. The rules relating to the public health and safety in bed and breakfast establishments may not be stricter than is reasonable for the operation of a bed and breakfast establishment, shall be less stringent than rules relating to hotels, tourist rooming houses, and vending machine commissaries regulated by this subchapter and may not require 2nd exits for a bed and breakfast establishment on a floor above the first level.
(e) Hold a hearing under ch. 227 if, in lieu of proceeding under ch. 68, any interested person in the jurisdictional area of a local health department not granted agent status under s. 97.615 appeals to the department alleging that a license fee for a hotel, tourist rooming house, campground, camping resort, recreational or educational camp or public swimming pool exceeds the license issuer’s reasonable costs of issuing licenses to, making investigations and inspections of, and providing education, training and technical assistance to the establishment.
(1g) The department may inspect hotels, tourist rooming houses, and bed and breakfast establishments to ensure compliance with s. 101.149 (2) and (3).
(1p)
(a) The department may grant the holder of a license for a bed and breakfast establishment a waiver from the requirement specified under s. 97.01 (1g) (b) to allow the holder of a license for a bed and breakfast establishment to serve breakfast to other tourists or transients if all of the following conditions are met:
1. The department determines that the public health, safety or welfare would not be jeopardized.
2. The other tourists or transients are provided sleeping accommodations in a tourist rooming house for which the license holder for the bed and breakfast establishment is the license holder.
3. The tourist rooming house is located on the same property as the bed and breakfast establishment or on property contiguous to the property on which the bed and breakfast establishment is located.
4. The number of rooms offered for rent in the bed and breakfast establishment combined with the number of rooms offered for rent in the tourist rooming house does not exceed 8.
5. The number of tourists or transients who are provided sleeping accommodations in the bed and breakfast establishment combined with the number of tourists or transients who are provided sleeping accommodations in the tourist rooming house does not exceed 20.
(b) A waiver granted under par. (a) is valid for the period of validity of a license that is issued for the bed and breakfast establishment under s. 97.605 (1) (b).
(2) A local health department designated as an agent under s. 97.615 (2) may exercise the powers specified in sub. (1) (a) to (d), consistent with s. 97.615 (2) (g).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/97.625Fetched: 10/7/2026