summary
Introduced
04/16/2025
04/16/2025
In Committee
11/18/2025
11/18/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Under current law, in general, if the estimated cost of a local government public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the local governmental unit must provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, the local governmental unit must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation. The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work by a county for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a town or county after the completion of construction. With LRB-2701/1 EVM:emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 216 regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
AI Summary
This bill modifies local government competitive bidding requirements by updating the financial thresholds for public works and construction contracts in Wisconsin. Specifically, the bill increases the notice threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 and the bidding threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 for general public contracts in counties, towns, and cities. The bill also establishes separate, slightly lower thresholds for highway-related contracts, with highway contract bidding set at $25,000 and notice at $5,000. A key innovation is the inclusion of a quinquennial (every five years) automatic adjustment mechanism that will increase these thresholds based on changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars. The bill creates additional exceptions to competitive bidding requirements, including for public work related to housing for supervised release of sexually violent persons and for improvements constructed by private entities and then donated to local governments. These changes aim to provide local governments with more flexibility in contracting and account for inflation over time, potentially reducing administrative burden for smaller projects while maintaining competitive bidding protections for larger expenditures of public funds.
Committee Categories
Transportation and Infrastructure
Sponsors (15)
Cory Tomczyk (R)*,
David Armstrong (R),
Robert Brooks (R),
Barbara Dittrich (R),
Robert Donovan (R),
Benjamin Franklin (R),
Rick Gundrum (R),
Brent Jacobson (R),
Joel Kitchens (R),
Dan Knodl (R),
Paul Melotik (R),
Jeff Mursau (R),
Todd Novak (R),
Jerry O'Connor (R),
Nancy VanderMeer (R),
Last Action
Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor (on 02/17/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb216 |
| Senate Amendment 2 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB216-SSA1-SA2.pdf |
| Senate Amendment 1 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB216-SSA1-SA1.pdf |
| SB216 ROCP for Committee on Transportation and Local Government On 9/30/2025 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/records/senate/transportation_and_local_government/1944733.pdf |
| Analysis - LC Amendment Memo | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/lcamendmentmemos/2025/REG/SB216.pdf |
| Senate Substitute Amendment 1 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB216-SSA1.pdf |
| Fiscal Note - SB216: Fiscal Estimate From DOR | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/fe/sb216/sb216_dor.pdf |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/SB216.pdf |
Loading...