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Bill > SB735


WI SB735

WI SB735
Financing certain infrastructure by special charge approved by a neighborhood improvement district.


summary

Introduced
12/12/2025
In Committee
02/04/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

Potential new amendment
2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Under current law, a municipality may create a neighborhood improvement district (NID) upon being petitioned to do so by an owner of real property that is located in the proposed NID. In general, an NID is an area within a municipality consisting of parcels that are near to one another, but not necessarily contiguous, at least some of which are used for residential purposes and subject to general real estate taxes. An NID is governed by a board, whose members are elected. A municipality may adopt an initial operating plan for the NID, and the board may annually make changes to the operating plan, subject to the approval of the municipality’s governing body. Under current law, the creating municipality may impose special assessments on the property in an NID, and may appropriate other money to the NID. These funds must be placed in a segregated account and must be spent on implementing the NID’s operating plan. Generally, the NID board determine how funds are spent. This bill allows a municipality to create an NID that also has the authority to approve a special charge against properties within the NID. The NID may be created only upon petition by all owners of real property subject to general real LRB-5146/1 EVM:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 735 estate taxes in the proposed NID. In this type of NID, upon request by the NID, the municipality may impose a special charge on properties within the NID with all proceeds of the special charge to be used to fund infrastructure related to residential development within the NID. Special charges imposed under this authority may be collected in installments and may be included on property tax bills. Under current law, with certain exceptions, an owner selling residential real property or vacant land must give a prospective buyer a form, known as a real estate condition report for residential real property and known as the vacant land disclosure report for vacant land (real estate condition report), on which the owner discloses certain conditions of, and other information about, the real property of which the owner is aware. Currently, as part of the real estate condition report, an owner must disclose whether the owner is aware of pending special assessments. Under the bill, the owner must also disclose whether the owner is aware of any NID special charges.

AI Summary

This bill allows municipalities to create a new type of Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) with expanded financial capabilities, specifically enabling the NID to approve special charges for infrastructure related to residential development. Under this legislation, the NID can only be created if all property owners in the proposed district petition for its establishment, and the special charges can be collected in installments and included on property tax bills. The bill also requires property owners to disclose the existence of any NID special charges when selling residential real estate or vacant land, adding a new line item to the existing real estate condition report. For NIDs with fewer than five property owners, the governing board will consist of a designee from each property owner, and the infrastructure funded by these special charges must be directly related to residential development within the district. The special charges remain enforceable even if the NID is terminated, and the new disclosure requirements will apply to real estate reports furnished on or after the effective date of the legislation, which will be the first day of the seventh month after publication.

Committee Categories

Transportation and Infrastructure

Sponsors (7)

Last Action

Senators Ratcliff and Smith added as coauthors (on 02/18/2026)

bill text


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