Bill
Bill > SB428
summary
Introduced
09/18/2025
09/18/2025
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Under current law, if the estimated cost of a county public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the county must generally provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, a county 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 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 county after the completion of construction. With 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 local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. LRB-4804/1 EVM:emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 428
AI Summary
This bill modifies Wisconsin county public works contract regulations by updating the thresholds for notice and competitive bidding requirements. Currently, counties must provide notice for projects between $5,000 and $25,000 and solicit bids for projects over $25,000. The bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000, with an automatic adjustment mechanism that will increase these thresholds every five years based on changes in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), rounded to the nearest $1,000. Additionally, the bill creates two specific exceptions to the bidding requirements: first, for public work related to housing for persons on supervised release as sexually violent persons, and second, for improvements constructed by a private entity and subsequently donated to the county after completion. This change aims to provide counties with more flexibility in managing public works projects by raising the monetary thresholds and creating targeted exemptions, while also ensuring that the thresholds remain responsive to economic changes through periodic inflation adjustments. The bill will apply to bids solicited on its effective date.
Committee Categories
Transportation and Infrastructure
Sponsors (3)
Last Action
Senate Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Senator Tomczyk (on 01/16/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb428 |
| Senate Substitute Amendment 2 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB428-SSA2.pdf |
| Analysis - LC Amendment Memo | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/lcamendmentmemos/2025/REG/SB428.pdf |
| SB428 ROCP for Committee on Transportation and Local Government On 1/13/2026 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/records/senate/transportation_and_local_government/1963839.pdf |
| Senate Substitute Amendment 1 | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2025/REG/SB428-SSA1.pdf |
| Fiscal Note - SB428: Fiscal Estimate From DOR | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/fe/sb428/sb428_dor.pdf |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/SB428.pdf |
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