Adjutant general; duties and powers
Wis. Stat. § 323.13
in effect(1) Ongoing duties. The adjutant general shall do all of the following:
(a) Serve as the governor’s principal assistant for directing and coordinating emergency management activities.
(b) Subject to approval by the governor, develop and adopt a state plan of emergency management for the security of persons and property. In developing the plan, the adjutant general shall seek the advice of the administrator, shall seek the advice of the department of health services with respect to the emergency medical aspects of the plan, and shall seek the advice of the department of administration with respect to aspects of the plan related to computer or telecommunication systems. The plan shall specify equipment and personnel standards, and shall require the use of the incident command system, and specify the type of incident command system, by all emergency response agencies, including local health departments, during a state of emergency declared under s. 323.10 or 323.11.
(c) Prescribe and carry out statewide training programs and exercises to develop emergency management proficiency, disseminate information, and coordinate emergency management programs. The training programs shall include training in managing emergency operations utilizing the incident command system for local unit of government officials, officers, and employees whose duties include responding to a disaster or the imminent threat of a disaster, including officers and employees of local health departments, and shall include training on how to create an account with and use the federal System for Award Management Internet site to apply for federal emergency management assistance. The adjutant general shall consult with the administrator, with the department of health services regarding the provision of incident command system training to local health department personnel, and with the department of administration regarding the provision of incident command system training for emergencies related to computer or telecommunication systems. To the extent possible, the adjutant general shall utilize federal funding to provide incident command system training.
(d) Furnish guidance and establish standards for emergency management programs for local units of government, and prescribe nomenclature for all levels of emergency management, with the advice of the administrator. The standards shall include a requirement that local unit of government emergency management programs adopted under s. 323.14 (1) (a) 1. and (b) 1. utilize the incident command system during a state of emergency declared under s. 323.10 or 323.11 or in any other multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency emergency response. The standards for fire, rescue, and emergency medical services shall include the adoption of the intergovernmental cooperation Mutual Aid Box Alarm System as a mechanism that may be used for deploying personnel and equipment in a multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency emergency response. The standards for agencies that manage public works shall include the suggestion that the local unit of government, or a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, adopt the mutual assistance agreement created by the division for the intergovernmental collaboration of public works personnel, equipment, and resources in a multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency emergency response. The adjutant general shall consult with representatives of public works professional associations and organizations regarding the content of that agreement.
(dm) If the adjutant general finds that a local unit of government has not developed, adopted, and implemented an emergency management plan as required under s. 323.14 (1), refuse to approve grants of funds or items of equipment awarded under this chapter to the local unit of government until the local unit of government does so. If the local unit of government fails to use the funds or items of equipment granted in accordance with the agreement under which the grant was made, the adjutant general may refuse to make any additional grants to the local unit of government until it has complied with the conditions of the prior grant, and he or she may start recovery proceedings on the funds and items of equipment that have not been used in accordance with the conditions of the grant.
(e) Provide assistance to the Wisconsin wing of the civil air patrol from the appropriation under s. 20.465 (3) (f) for the purpose of enabling the patrol to perform its assigned missions and duties as prescribed by U.S. air force regulations. Expenses eligible for assistance are aircraft acquisition and maintenance, communications equipment acquisition and maintenance and office staffing and operational expenses. The civil air patrol shall submit vouchers for expenses eligible for assistance to the division.
(f) No later than 90 days after a state of emergency relating to public health is declared and the department of health services is not designated under s. 323.10 as the lead state agency to respond to that emergency and no later than 90 days after the termination of this state of emergency relating to public health, submit to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the governor a report on all of the following:
1. The emergency powers used by the department of military affairs or its agents.
2. The expenses incurred by the department of military affairs and its agents in acting under the state of emergency related to public health.
(2) Ongoing powers. The adjutant general may do all of the following:
(a) Divide the state into emergency management regions composed of whole counties, subject to approval by the governor, and modify the boundaries of those regions as changed conditions warrant.
(b) Appoint a director of emergency management for each region under par. (a) under the classified service on either a part-time or full-time basis, or ask the governor to designate any state officer or employee as acting regional director on a part-time basis.
(c) Designate and post highways as emergency management routes closed to all but authorized vehicles when required for training programs and exercises.
(d) Prescribe traffic routes and control traffic during a state of emergency.
(e) Organize and train state mobile support units to aid any region during a state of emergency. The units may participate in training programs and exercises within or outside the state.
(f) Request the department of health services to inspect or provide for the inspection of shipments of radioactive waste, obtain and analyze data concerning the radiation level of shipments of radioactive waste and issue reports concerning these shipments and radiation levels. The adjutant general may assess and collect and receive contributions for any costs incurred under this paragraph from any person who produced the radioactive waste which is the subject of the activity for which the costs are incurred. In this paragraph, “radioactive waste” has the meaning given in s. 293.25 (1) (b).
(g) Assess and collect and receive contributions for any costs incurred by state agencies to establish and maintain radiological emergency response plans related to nuclear generating facilities.
(h) Make payments for disaster assistance under ss. 323.30 (1) and 323.31.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/323.13Fetched: 10/7/2026