
Public Records
The information provided on this page is posted pursuant to s. 19.34(1) of the Wisconsin Statutes to provide the public with procedures to access State of Wisconsin Investment Board records.
Agency Description
The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) is the state agency responsible for investing the assets of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), the State Investment Fund (SIF) and four separate funds established by the State. Investments are made pursuant to the purpose of each trust and the fiduciary standard set forth in Section 25.15(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes. SWIB was created under section 15.76 of the Wisconsin State statutes and its statutory obligations are set forth in Chapter 25 of the statutes.
Each member of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director/Chief Investment Officer, Deputy Executive Director/Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Internal Audit Director, Chief Legal Counsel, and each Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Managing Analyst at SWIB are considered state public officials for purposes of section 19.42 of Wisconsin Statutes.
Procedure for Making Requests
Public Notice: Access to Public Records
SWIB’s Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Legal Counsels are SWIB’s legal custodians of SWIB’s records.
Requests for access to public records should be directed to:
Records Specialist
State of Wisconsin Investment Board
P.O. Box 7842
Madison, WI 53707-7842
OpenRecordsRequests@swib.state.wi.us
608-266-2381 please ask for the Records Specialist
Staff will be available to accept requests during SWIB’s normal office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Requests may be made orally or in writing, and must be reasonably specific as to subject matter or time period. While not required, it is preferable that a request be made in writing. This reduces confusion or misunderstandings and expedites processing. At times, the custodians may require that a request be made in writing if request is complex or to confirm the scope of the request.
As soon as practicable and without delay, the custodian will either notify you of the availability of the records requested, whether any records exist, or deny the request in whole or in part. The time it takes the custodian to respond to the request will depend on factors including the nature and extent of the request and the availability of staff and other resources necessary to process the request. (1)
Fees
SWIB may charge the actual, necessary, and direct cost of reproducing a record. When the request calls for a copy of a record, and the record can be photocopied, SWIB may charge its standard fee of $.15 per printed page. SWIB may charge a $.07 per-page fee for converting paper records to electronic format. If records are provided on a CD or DVD, SWIB may charge $.14 per disc. When requested and whenever practicable, SWIB will provide electronic copies of records that already exist (2) in electronic format without charging reproduction fees on a per-page basis. However, if the record requested is not in a readily comprehensible form (e.g. computer file, database entry), SWIB may charge the actual cost of creating a readily comprehensible copy. SWIB will not charge for the cost of reviewing records for possible redaction or removal of confidential information.
SWIB may charge the actual, necessary, and direct costs of locating the records if it exceeds $50. Any staff time for locating records will be billed at the hourly rate of salary for the lowest-paid employee capable of performing the task. The hourly rate charged for locating records may also include the cost of benefits, but will not exceed $45 per hour. If the records are mailed or shipped to the requester, SWIB may charge the actual, necessary and direct mailing or shipping cost. SWIB may request pre-payment if the total costs are greater than $5.
Media Inquiries should be directed to SWIB’s Director of Communications, Shannon Gannon at 608-266-9742.
Footnotes:
1. Reasonable Specificity: The request must be reasonably specific as to the subject matter and relevant time period.
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A records custodian may not deny a request solely because the records custodian believes that the request could be narrowed or may result in generation of a large volume of records.
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A records custodian may contact a requester to clarify the scope of a request.
2. Requirements of the public records law apply to records that exist at the time a public records request is made.
Additional Resources
OpenBook Wisconsin - OpenBook Wisconsin gives you easy access to State of Wisconsin expenditures, or the amount of money we spend to do business. There are more than 25 million entries showing the payments we have made for purchasing goods or services, travel and vendor payments for state agencies, the legislature, the courts and the University of Wisconsin System dating back to 2008.