Policies

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​​​Privacy Policy

State of Wisconsin laws exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records provided by both state and federal laws. These exceptions include the privacy of individuals. Information collected at this site becomes public record and may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exception in law exists. During your visit to Wisconsin.gov, information that is not readily identifiable to an individual is automatically collected and stored. This information is used solely to improve our web services. For more detail on our privacy policy, please see the expanded statement following.


Information Collected and How It is Used

If you do nothing during your visit to Wisconsin.gov but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

  1. The Internet Protocol address (IP) and domain name used but not the email address. The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the IP address to direct Internet traffic to you;
  2. The type of browser and operating system you used and your connection speed;
  3. The date and time you visited this site;
  4. The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
  5. The website you visited prior to coming to this website.

The information we automatically collect or store is used to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. Wisconsin.gov analyzes our website logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. Our website logs are not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse Wisconsin.gov. If during your visit to Wisconsin.gov you participate in a survey or send an email, the following additional information will be collected:

  1. E-mail correspondence: The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail;
  2. Surveys: Any information you volunteered in response to a survey.

The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with Wisconsin Open Records Law. We use your email to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the email to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information is used for the purpose designated.


Personal Information and Choice

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Personal Information

Information about an individual that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes personal identifiers such as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or IP address is not considered personal information. We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (i.e. sending an e-mail or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of Wisconsin.gov. If personal information is requested on the website or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may be subject to public access.

Public Disclosure

In the State of Wisconsin, laws to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by state government. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access public records that serve various needs: the privacy of individuals is included among these exceptions. Exceptions are provided by both state and federal laws. We strive to protect personally identifiable information by collecting only information necessary to deliver our services. All information collected at this site becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists. In the event of a conflict between this privacy n otice and the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other law governing the disclosure of records, the Wisconsin Open Records Law or other applicable law will control.

Access and correction of personal information You can review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. 

Cookies

Cookies may include an anonymous unique identifier, that is sent to your browser from a web site's computers and may either be used only during your session (a "session" cookie) or may be stored on your computer's hard drive (a "persistent" cookie). Cookies can contain data about user movement during the visit to the website. If your browser software is set to allow cookies, a website can send its own cookie to you. A website that has set a cookie can only access those cookies it has sent to you, it cannot access cookies sent to you by other sites. 

Cookies are one mechanism for maintaining continuity during a user's visit to a website. They allow data to be maintained for users' benefit as they navigate a site. This is referred to as "session" or "state management" cookie. These cookies go away when you terminate your visit to the website as they are maintained only in your browser's active memory during your session. Cookies may also be stored on your computer so that you can be recognized by a website on subsequent visits. They can be read by the website that set them whenever you enter the website. They are often used on websites that require you to log in to save you entering all of your log-in information. They may store information on your unique identifier and the areas of the website you have visited before. These cookies are stored on your computer's hard drive after you have left your website visit and consequently are often referred to as "persistent" cookies.

You can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. (Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.) Wisconsin.gov's Practices Regarding Cookies Wisconsin.gov uses only session cookies. The information on these cookies is retained by the State only while the user's session is active in a table that lists the unique identifiers of those currently using the site.

Security

The Department of Administration, as developer and manager of Wisconsin.gov, has taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its telecommunications and computing infrastructure, including but not limited to authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. Security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day practices of the entire Department of Administration operating environment as part of its continuing commitment to risk management. This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice. This information should not be construed as warranting as fail-proof the security of information provided through Department of Administration supported websites.

Disclaimer​

Wisconsin.gov has links to other websites. These include links to websites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on Wisconsin.gov and this privacy notice will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site.

Please contact Wisconsin.gov to offer comments about Wisconsin.gov, or to comment about the information presented in this privacy notice.

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Legal/Acceptable Use

Access to and use of the Wisconsin.gov website is provided subject to these terms and conditions.

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY AS USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Copyright

The material is for the noncommercial use of the general public. The fair use guidelines of the U.S. copyright statutes apply to all material on theWisconsin.gov and linked agency Webpages. The State of Wisconsin shall remain the sole and exclusive owner of all rights, title and interest in and to all specifically copyrighted information created and posted for inclusion in this system. Photographs and graphics on the Wisconsin website are either the property of the state department or the state agency that holds a license to use and display the material. For copy or use of information on the State of Wisconsin website that is outside of the fair use provisions of copyright law, please seek permission from the individual listed as responsible for the page. If you have any questions on using material from the State of Wisconsin portal pages, please e-mail the webmaster for permission. If permission to reproduce or redistribute is granted, the following statement shall be included, "Reproduced with permission from the State of Wisconsin".

If you believe that any material contained on the Wisconsin.Gov site (the "Site") infringes your copyright or other intellectual property rights, you may notify Wisconsin Interactive Network of your copyright infringement claim in accordance with the following procedure. Wisconsin Interactive Network will process notices of alleged infringement which it receives, and may take action as authorized by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and/or other applicable intellectual property laws if it has the ability to do so. The DMCA requires that notifications of claimed copyright infringement should be sent to this Site's Designated Agent:

By mail:

  • Tyler T​echnologies, Inc.
  • Attention: Chief Legal Officer
  • 1 Tyler Drive ​
    Yarmouth, ME 04096

By email:

To be effective, the notification must be in writing and contain the following information (DMCA, 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3)):

  • Physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
  • Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or claimed to be the subject of infringing activity and that is sought to be removed or access to which is sought to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the location of the material;
  • Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted;
  • A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
  • A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
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E-mails sent to [email protected] for purposes other than communication about copyright claims may not be acknowledged or responded to.

Legal Notices
  • Liability
  • Warranties/Accuracy of Information
  • Endorsement
  • Hypertext Links
  • Continued Provision of Information
  • Choice of Law
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Disclaimer of Liability

Neither the State of Wisconsin nor any of its agencies nor any of its employees shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone's use of the information. In no event shall the State Portal or its employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement or substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence or under any other cause of action.

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Disclaimer of Warranties And Accuracy of Data

Although the data found using the State of Wisconsin's access systems have been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the information. The State provides this information on an "as is" basis. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication. If you have obtained information from any of the State's web pages from a source other than the State pages, be aware that electronic data can be altered subsequent to original distribution. Data can also quickly become out of date. It is recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of any data associated with a file and that the originator of the data or information be contacted with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors or omissions, we encourage you to report them to Wisconsin.gov.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The State of Wisconsin is a distributor of content sometimes supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the State of Wisconsin and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State.

Disclaimer for External Links

The State of Wisconsin is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced. The user specifically acknowledges that the State is not liable for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users, links, or third parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with the user. Links from Wisconsin.gov pages to other sites do not constitute an endorsement from the State. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the web surfer to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from other sites. Wisconsin.gov contains links to other related websites and resources. Since Wisconsin.gov is not responsible for the availability of these outside resources or their contents, you should direct any concerns regarding any external link including page not found errors to Wisconsin.gov customer support

Disclaimer of Duty to Continue Provision of Data

Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, resources that are free and publicly available one day may require a fee or restricted access the next, and the location of items may change as menus, homepages, and files are reorganized. The user expressly agrees that use of the State's website is at the user's sole risk. The State does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error free. The documents and related graphics published on this server could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The State and/or its respective agencies and programs may make improvements and/or changes in the information and/or programs described herein at any time.

Choice of Law

Construction of the disclaimers above and resolution of disputes thereof are governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. The laws of the state of Wisconsin, U.S.A., shall apply to all uses of this data and this system. By use of this system and any data contained therein, the user agrees that use shall conform to all applicable laws and regulations and user shall not violate the rights of any third parties.

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Accessibility Policy

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The State of Wisconsin is committed to making our websites and web applications accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. We are working to improve the accessibility of current Web sites and to insure that new websites and applications are designed with accessibility in mind. The State of Wisconsin accessibility policy requires sites to meet a set of accessibility requirements based on Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act that include:

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  • Providing text equivalents for images
  • Creating accessible forms
  • Supporting flexible font sizes
  • Ensuring sites are functional without a mouse
  • Limiting use of Flash and JavaScript. When used, insuring the site is still functional if these technologies are not available to users.
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If you encounter an accessibility problem while accessing a State of Wisconsin website or need information in an alternative format, please contact Wisconsin.gov customer support . 

Note: The State of Wisconsin is not responsible for the accessibility of third party sites which may be linked from our sites. ​

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