Legislator
Legislator > Todd Novak
State Representative
Todd Novak
(R) - Wisconsin
Wisconsin Assembly District 51
In Office - Started: 01/03/2015
contact info
Capitol Office
P.O. Box 8953
State Capitol, 2 E. Main St.
Madison, WI 53708
State Capitol, 2 E. Main St.
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: 608-237-9151
Phone 2: 888-534-0051
Voting Address
202 W. Division St.
Dodgeville, WI 53533
Dodgeville, WI 53533
| Bill | Bill Name | Summary | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB80 | Ratification of the Social Work Licensure Compact. (FE) | This bill ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Social Work Licensure Compact, which provides for the ability of a social worker to become eligible to practice in other compact states. Significant provisions of the compact include the following: 1. The creation of a Social Work Licensure Compact Commission, which includes one member or administrator of the licensure authorities of each member state. The commission has various powers and duties granted in the compact, including establishing bylaws, promulgating binding rules for the compact, hiring officers, electing or appointing employees, and establishing and electing an executive committee. The commission may levy on and collect an annual assessment from each member state or impose fees on licensees of member states to cover the cost of the operations and activities of the commission and its staff. 2. The ability for a social worker who is licensed in a home state and satisfies certain other criteria to obtain a multistate license, which allows a social worker to practice social work in all other compact states (remote states) under a multistate authorization to practice. The compact specifies a number of requirements in order for an individual to obtain a social worker multistate license, including holding or being eligible for a social worker license in a home state, paying any required fees, and satisfying a number of criteria that are specific to the category of social work license the individual is seeking—bachelor[s, master[s, or clinical. A regulated social worker[s services in a remote state are subject to that member state[s regulatory authority. A remote state may take actions against a social worker[s multistate authorization to practice within that remote state, and if any adverse action is taken by a home state against a licensee[s multistate license, the social worker[s multistate authorization to practice in all other member states is deactivated until all encumbrances have been removed from the multistate license. 3. The ability of member states to issue subpoenas that are enforceable in other states. 4. The creation of a coordinated data system containing licensure and disciplinary action information on social workers. The compact requires all home state disciplinary orders that impose adverse actions against the license of a regulated social worker to include a statement that the regulated social worker[s multistate authorization to practice is deactivated in all member states until all conditions of the decision, order, or agreement are satisfied. A member state must submit a uniform data set to the data system on all individuals to whom the compact is applicable as required by the rules of the commission. 5. Provisions regarding resolutions of disputes among member states and between member and nonmember states, including a process for termination of a state[s membership in the compact if the state defaults on its obligations under the compact. Since the compact has already been enacted by the minimum number of states required for it to become active, the compact becomes effective in this state upon enactment of the bill. The compact provides that it may be amended upon enactment of an amendment by all member states. A state may withdraw from the compact by repealing the statute authorizing the compact, but the compact provides that a withdrawal does not take effect until 180 days after the effective date of that repeal. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB207 | Information provided to voters concerning proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. (FE) | Current law requires that each proposed constitutional amendment, contingent referendum, advisory referendum, or other proposal requiring a statewide referendum that is passed by the legislature include a complete statement of the ballot question to be voted on at the referendum. The ballot question may not be worded in such a manner as to require a negative vote to approve a proposition or an affirmative vote to disapprove a proposition. Also under current law, the attorney general must prepare an explanatory statement for each proposed constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum describing the effect of either a XyesY or XnoY vote on each ballot question. This bill eliminates the requirement that the attorney general prepare such an explanatory statement. Instead, the bill requires that each proposal for a constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum that passes both houses of the legislature contain a complete state referendum disclosure notice that includes all of the following: 1. The date of the referendum. 2. The entire text of the ballot question and proposed constitutional amendment or enactment, if any. 3. To the extent applicable, a plain language summary of current law. 4. An explanation in plain language of the effect of the proposed constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum. 5. An explanation in plain language of the effect of a XyesY vote and the effect of a XnoY vote. Under the bill, the content under items 3 to 5 combined may not exceed one page on paper not less than 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches and printed in at least 12- point font. Under the bill, the complete state referendum disclosure notice agreed to by both houses of the legislature must be included in the type C notice entitled XNotice of ReferendumY that each county clerk must provide prior to any referendum. Current law requires that the text of the type C notice be posted at polling places on election day in such a manner as to be readily observed by voters entering the polling place or waiting in line to vote. As such, the complete state referendum disclosure notice must be so posted at the polls on election day. Additionally, for at least 30 days prior to the date of a statewide referendum, the complete state referendum disclosure notice must be published by the Elections Commission on the website used for voter registration, currently titled MyVote Wisconsin, or other voter public access website maintained by the commission and must be posted by each county clerk at the county clerk[s office and published by the county clerk on the county clerk[s website. Finally, the notice must be included with absentee ballots provided to voters for voting in a statewide referendum. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB62 | Financing the operating costs and certain out-of-state projects of nonprofit institutions and compensation of employees of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority. (FE) | This bill makes the following changes to laws governing the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, which is a public body corporate and politic created outside of official state government: 1. Under current law, WHEFA may issue bonds to finance certain projects of health, educational, research, and other nonprofit institutions. The bill authorizes WHEFA to issue bonds for the purpose of financing working capital of such institutions to cover operating costs. 2. Current law authorizes WHEFA to help finance the costs of projects located outside of Wisconsin provided that the project includes a substantial component located within the state. The bill instead authorizes the financing of a project outside the state if the owner or operator of the project, or an affiliate of the owner or operator, has a presence within the state. 3. Under current law, WHEFA appoints an executive director to administer the authority. The executive director[s compensation may not exceed the maximum LRB-1943/1 MDE:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 62 of the salary range established for state government positions assigned to executive salary group six. This bill increases that maximum assignment to executive salary group eight. 4. Similarly, current law provides that all other WHEFA employees may not receive compensation that exceeds the maximum of the salary range established for state government positions assigned to executive salary group three. This bill increases that maximum assignment to executive salary group five. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB299 | A grant program for the purchase of automated registration plate reader systems. (FE) | This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, that provides grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase automated registration plate reader systems. Under the bill, to be eligible for a grant, a law enforcement agency must apply for a grant and include in the application a proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys. The bill requires DOJ to ensure that at least 50 percent of the grant moneys awarded under the program are awarded to law enforcement agencies located in rural areas. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB285 | Talent recruitment grants. (FE) | This bill directs the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to establish and administer an economic development program for the purpose of awarding grants for talent recruitment programs to incentivize households outside of this state to relocate to municipalities in this state. An applicant is eligible for a grant under the bill if the applicant 1) is a city, village, town, county, or American Indian tribe or band in this state or a nonprofit organization with a mission that includes economic development, workforce and talent development, or community development; 2) provides WEDC with a talent recruitment program plan identifying the estimated costs and economic impacts of the program and the program[s total Xhousehold goal,Y meaning the total number of households the program seeks to successfully incentivize to relocate or commit to relocate from outside this state to a municipality in this state; 3) demonstrates its ability to contribute at least 20 percent of the total program cost, which may include local investments and in-kind donations; and 4) if the applicant is a previous recipient of a grant under the bill, the applicant has met its household goal stated in the talent recruitment program plan for the previous grant. A recipient of a grant under the bill must provide WEDC with semiannual reports detailing information regarding talent recruitment program outcomes. Under the bill, a household residing outside this state relocating to this state is LRB-3150/1 MDE:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 285 eligible for incentives under a talent recruitment program if the household resides outside of this state at the time the household applies for incentives, has an individual household income of at least $55,000, and submits an application to the recipient of a grant under the bill. Under the bill, no more than $500,000 in grant moneys may be awarded to support talent recruitment programming in a single municipality in a single fiscal year. WEDC must disburse 50 percent of the total grant award upon entering into a grant contract and 50 percent of the total grant award upon the recipient reporting to WEDC that it has successfully met 50 percent of its household goal. If the recipient fails to meet half of its household goal, WEDC may not disburse the remaining grant amount. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB291 | Making certain child care expenditures eligible for the business development tax credit. (FE) | Under current law, a business may receive a refundable business development tax credit for an amount equal to up to 15 percent of the business[s investment in establishing an employee child care program for employees. Such investments may include only capital expenditures made by the person. Because the credit is refundable, if the credit exceeds the claimant[s tax liability, the claimant will receive the difference as a refund check. Under this bill, a business may receive a credit for an amount of up to 15 percent of the business[s costs incurred to provide child care services for employees. XCosts incurred to provide child care services for employeesY includes capital expenditures made to establish a child care program for employees, expenditures for the operation of a child care program for employees, expenditures to reimburse employees for child care expenses, expenditures to purchase or reserve child care slots on behalf of employees, contributions made by an employer to an employee[s LRB-2366/1 MDE&KP:skw&cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 291 dependent care flexible spending account, and any other cost or expense incurred due to a benefit provided by an employer to facilitate the provision or utilization by employees of child care services. The bill also provides that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation may certify a nonprofit entity described under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code for the business development tax credit for expenditures on providing child care services to employees. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB242 | Required ratio of journeyworkers to apprentices in apprenticeship programs and contracts. | Under current law, the Department of Workforce Development may not prescribe, enforce, or authorize a ratio of apprentices to journeyworkers for apprenticeship programs or apprentice contracts that requires more than one journeyworker for each apprentice. This bill increases the allowable ratio to one journeyworker to two apprentices. | In Committee |
| AB241 | Required ratio of journeyworkers to apprentices in apprenticeship programs and contracts. | Under current law, the Department of Workforce Development may not prescribe, enforce, or authorize a ratio of apprentices to journeyworkers for apprenticeship programs or apprentice contracts that requires more than one journeyworker for each apprentice. This bill increases the allowable ratio to one journeyworker to two apprentices. | In Committee |
| AB217 | Local government competitive bidding thresholds. (FE) | 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 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. | In Committee |
| AB201 | Extortion, sexual extortion, and providing a penalty. | This bill creates a new crime for activity known as Xsextortion.Y Under the bill, it is a generally a Class I felony for a person to do any of the following: 1. Threaten to injure the property or reputation of another to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct or to produce an intimate representation. 2. Threaten to commit violence against another to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct or to produce an intimate representation. 3. Threaten to distribute an intimate representation of another person with intent to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct, produce an intimate representation, or to provide payment of money, property, services, or anything of value, or to do or refrain from doing any act against that person[s will. Under the bill, such a violation is a Class H felony if the victim, as a result of the violation, engages in sexual conduct, produces an intimate representation, provides the payment of money, property, services, or any other thing of value, or suffers great bodily harm or if the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is not more than four years older than the victim, and such a violation is a Class G felony if the defendant was previously convicted of a sexually violent offense, the violation was committed during the course of a child abduction, or the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is more than four years older than the victim. Additionally, the bill provides that a person may be prosecuted for felony murder if the person commits extortion or sexual extortion and as a result of the violation causes the death of the victim. Under current law, extortion generally is punishable as a Class I felony, and the penalty for felony murder is imprisonment for up to 15 years longer than the maximum term of imprisonment for the crime that caused the victim[s death. Under current law, a Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years and six months, or both; a Class H felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six years, or both; and a Class G felony is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. This bill also provides that a crime victim, or the victim[s family member, is eligible for payment from the Department of Justice[s crime victim compensation fund if the crime victim is a victim of extortion or sexual extortion and is injured or dies as a result of the crime and provides that a crime victim, or the victim[s family member, may be compensated for death or injury that results from suicide or attempted suicide if the crime was a substantial causal factor in the victim[s suicide or attempted suicide. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | In Committee |
| AB233 | Grants to child advocacy centers. (FE) | Under current law, the Department of Justice must provide $17,000 in each fiscal year to specified child advocacy centers for education, training, medical advice, and quality assurance activities. This bill instead provides that DOJ must award grants in each fiscal year to specified child advocacy centers to enhance the multidisciplinary response to suspected child maltreatment. The bill adds two centers as recipients, the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center in Sheboygan County and Child Advocacy Centers of Wisconsin, and updates the names of the centers that are designated recipients under current law. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB240 | A sales and use tax exemption for equipment associated with the use of a search and rescue dog. (FE) | This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of tangible personal property used to train, manage, or control a search and rescue dog. The bill requires a purchaser to provide an exemption certificate to the seller in order to claim the exemption. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB17 | Creating an employee ownership conversion costs tax credit, a deduction for capital gains from the transfer of a business to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program. (FE) | This bill creates tax incentives related to businesses in this state converting to an employee ownership business structure and requires the Department of Revenue to establish an outreach and education program to promote employee ownership business structures. Employee ownership conversion costs tax credit Under the bill, DOR may certify a business to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit for an amount equal to 70 percent of costs related to converting the business to a worker-owned cooperative or 50 percent of the costs related to converting the business to an employee stock ownership plan. The credit is limited to a maximum amount of $100,000. A business is qualified to receive the credit if the business is subject to income and franchise taxes in this state and, at the time the business receives the credit, does not have an employee stock ownership plan and is not, in whole or in part, a worker-owned cooperative. Capital gain deduction The bill also creates an individual income tax subtraction and a corporate income and franchise tax deduction for the amount of the capital gain realized from the transfer of ownership of a business in this state to an employee stock ownership plan or worker-owned cooperative. Employee ownership outreach and education Finally, the bill directs DOR to establish an economic development program for the purpose of promoting employee ownership business structures, including the business structures of employee stock ownership plans and worker-owned cooperatives, through education, outreach, technical assistance, and training related to converting existing businesses to an employee ownership business structure or starting new businesses with an employee ownership business structure. The bill directs DOR to submit an application to the U.S. secretary of labor for a grant under 29 USC 3228 for use in administering the program created in the bill. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB63 | Financing the operating costs and certain out-of-state projects of nonprofit institutions and compensation of employees of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority. (FE) | This bill makes the following changes to laws governing the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, which is a public body corporate and politic created outside of official state government: 1. Under current law, WHEFA may issue bonds to finance certain projects of health, educational, research, and other nonprofit institutions. The bill authorizes WHEFA to issue bonds for the purpose of financing working capital of such institutions to cover operating costs. 2. Current law authorizes WHEFA to help finance the costs of projects located outside of Wisconsin provided that the project includes a substantial component located within the state. The bill instead authorizes the financing of a project outside the state if the owner or operator of the project, or an affiliate of the owner or operator, has a presence within the state. 3. Under current law, WHEFA appoints an executive director to administer the authority. The executive director[s compensation may not exceed the maximum of the salary range established for state government positions assigned to executive salary group six. This bill increases that maximum assignment to executive salary group eight. 4. Similarly, current law provides that all other WHEFA employees may not receive compensation that exceeds the maximum of the salary range established for state government positions assigned to executive salary group three. This bill increases that maximum assignment to executive salary group five. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB138 | Jailers and protective occupation annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE) | Under current law, certain persons who receive a retirement or disability annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System and who are hired by an employer that participates in the WRS must suspend that annuity and may not receive a WRS annuity payment until the employee is no longer in a WRS-covered position. This suspension applies to a person who 1) has reached his or her normal retirement date; 2) is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer or provides employee services to a WRS-participating employer; and 3) is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. This bill creates an exception to this suspension for an annuitant who retired from employment with a participating employer and who is subsequently rehired or provides employee services after retirement if 1) at the time the annuitant initially retires from covered employment with a participating employer, the annuitant does not have an agreement with any participating employer to return to employment; 2) the annuitant elects to not become a participating employee at the time the annuitant is rehired or enters into a contract after retirement; and 3) either the annuitant retired as a protective occupation participant or the annuitant retired as a county jailer who was not a protective occupation participant under the WRS. Under current law, a county jailer has the opportunity to opt out of becoming a protective occupation participant under the WRS. The bill treats county jailers who opt out of becoming a protective occupation participant in the same manner as county jailers who are protective occupation participants. Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB173 | Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE) | This bill makes several changes to the regulation of pharmacy benefit managers and their interactions with pharmacies and pharmacists. Under current law, pharmacy benefit managers are generally required to be licensed as a pharmacy benefit manager or an employee benefit plan administrator by the commissioner of insurance. A pharmacy benefit manager is an entity that contracts to administer or manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of an insurer, a cooperative, or another entity that provides prescription drug benefits to Wisconsin residents. Major provisions of the bill are summarized below. Pharmacy benefit manager regulation The bill requires a pharmacy benefit manager to pay a pharmacy or pharmacist a professional dispensing fee at a rate not less than is paid by the state under the Medical Assistance program for each pharmaceutical product that the pharmacy or pharmacist dispenses to an individual. The professional dispensing fee is required to be paid in addition to the amount the pharmacy benefit manager reimburses the pharmacy or pharmacist for the cost of the pharmaceutical product that the pharmacy or pharmacist dispenses. The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from assessing, charging, or collecting from a pharmacy or pharmacist any form of remuneration that passes from the pharmacy or pharmacist to the pharmacy benefit manager including claim-processing fees, performance-based fees, network-participation fees, or accreditation fees. Further, under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not use any certification or accreditation requirement as a determinant of pharmacy network participation that is inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to the federal requirements for licensure as a pharmacy and the requirements for licensure as a pharmacy provided under state law. The bill requires a pharmacy benefit manager to allow a participant or beneficiary of a pharmacy benefits plan or program that the pharmacy benefit manager serves to use any pharmacy or pharmacist in this state that is licensed to dispense the pharmaceutical product that the participant or beneficiary seeks to obtain if the pharmacy or pharmacist accepts the same terms and conditions that the pharmacy benefit manager establishes for at least one of the networks of pharmacies or pharmacists that the pharmacy benefit manager has established to serve individuals in the state. A pharmacy benefit manager may establish a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists and a nonpreferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists; however, under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not prohibit a pharmacy or pharmacist from participating in either type of network provided that the pharmacy or pharmacist is licensed by this state and the federal government and accepts the same terms and conditions that the pharmacy benefit manager establishes for other pharmacies or pharmacists participating in the network that the pharmacy or pharmacist wants to join. Under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not charge a participant or beneficiary of a pharmacy benefits plan or program that the pharmacy benefit manager serves a different copayment obligation or additional fee, or provide any inducement or financial incentive, for the participant or beneficiary to use a pharmacy or pharmacist in a particular network of pharmacies or pharmacists that the pharmacy benefit manager has established to serve individuals in the state. Further, the bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager, third-party payer, or health benefit plan from excluding a pharmacy or pharmacist from its network because the pharmacy or pharmacist serves less than a certain portion of the population of the state or serves a population living with certain health conditions. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may neither prohibit a pharmacy or pharmacist that dispenses a pharmaceutical product from, nor penalize a pharmacy or pharmacist that dispenses a pharmaceutical product for, informing an individual about the cost of the pharmaceutical product, the amount in reimbursement that the pharmacy or pharmacist receives for dispensing the pharmaceutical product, or any difference between the cost to the individual under the individual[s pharmacy benefits plan or program and the cost to the individual if the individual purchases the pharmaceutical product without making a claim for benefits under the individual[s pharmacy benefits plan or program. The bill prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager or any insurer or self- insured health plan from requiring, or penalizing a person who is covered under a health insurance policy or plan for using or for not using, a specific retail, mail- order, or other pharmacy provider within the network of pharmacy providers under the policy or plan. Prohibited penalties include an increase in premium, deductible, copayment, or coinsurance. The bill requires pharmacy benefit managers to remit payment for a claim to a pharmacy or pharmacist within 30 days from the day that the claim is submitted to the pharmacy benefit manager by the pharmacy or pharmacist. Pharmaceutical product reimbursements The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must include all of the following information on the list: 1) the average acquisition cost of each pharmaceutical product and the cost of the pharmaceutical product set forth in the national average drug acquisition cost data published by the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services; 2) the average manufacturer price of each pharmaceutical product; 3) the average wholesale price of each pharmaceutical product; 4) the brand effective rate or generic effective rate for each pharmaceutical product; 5) any applicable discount indexing; 6) the federal upper limit for each pharmaceutical product published by the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services; pharmaceutical product; and 8) any other terms that are used to establish the maximum allowable costs. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may place or continue a particular pharmaceutical product on a maximum allowable cost list only if the pharmaceutical product 1) is listed as a drug product equivalent or is rated by a nationally recognized reference as Xnot ratedY or Xnot availableY; 2) is available for purchase by all pharmacies and pharmacists in the state from national or regional pharmaceutical wholesalers operating in the state; and 3) has not been determined by the drug manufacturer to be obsolete. Further, the bill provides that any pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must provide access to the maximum allowable cost list to each pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list, update the maximum allowable cost list on a timely basis, provide a process for a pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list to receive notification of an update to the maximum allowable cost list, and update the maximum allowable cost list no later than seven days after the pharmacy acquisition cost of the pharmaceutical product increases by 10 percent or more from at least 60 percent of the pharmaceutical wholesalers doing business in the state or there is a change in the methodology on which the maximum allowable cost list is based or in the value of a variable involved in the methodology. A maximum allowable cost list is a list of pharmaceutical products that sets forth the maximum amount that a pharmacy benefit manager will pay to a pharmacy or pharmacist for dispensing a pharmaceutical product. A maximum allowable cost list may directly establish maximum costs or may set forth a method for how the maximum costs are calculated. The bill further provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must provide a process for a pharmacy or pharmacist to appeal and resolve disputes regarding claims that the maximum payment amount for a pharmaceutical product is below the pharmacy acquisition cost. A pharmacy benefit manager that receives an appeal from or on behalf of a pharmacy or pharmacist under this bill is required to resolve the appeal and notify the pharmacy or pharmacist of the pharmacy benefit manager[s determination no later than seven business days after the appeal is received. If the pharmacy benefit manager grants the relief requested in the appeal, the bill requires the pharmacy benefit manager to make the requested change in the maximum allowable cost, allow the pharmacy or pharmacist to reverse and rebill the relevant claim, provide to the pharmacy or pharmacist the national drug code number published in a directory by the federal Food and Drug Administration on which the increase or change is based, and make the change effective for each similarly situated pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list. If the pharmacy benefit manager denies the relief requested in the appeal, the bill requires the pharmacy benefit manager to provide the pharmacy or pharmacist a reason for the denial, the national drug code number published in a directory by the FDA for the pharmaceutical product to which the claim relates, and the name of a national or regional wholesaler that has the pharmaceutical product currently in stock at a price below the amount specified in the pharmacy benefit manager[s maximum allowable cost list. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may not deny a pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s appeal if the relief requested in the appeal relates to the maximum allowable cost for a pharmaceutical product that is not available for the pharmacy or pharmacist to purchase at a cost that is below the pharmacy acquisition cost from the pharmaceutical wholesaler from which the pharmacy or pharmacist purchases the majority of pharmaceutical products for resale. If a pharmaceutical product is not available for a pharmacy or pharmacist to purchase at a cost that is below the pharmacy acquisition cost from the pharmaceutical wholesaler from which the pharmacy or pharmacist purchases the majority of pharmaceutical products for resale, the pharmacy benefit manager must revise the maximum allowable cost list to increase the maximum allowable cost for the pharmaceutical product to an amount equal to or greater than the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s pharmacy acquisition cost and allow the pharmacy or pharmacist to reverse and rebill each claim affected by the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s inability to procure the pharmaceutical product at a cost that is equal to or less than the maximum allowable cost that was the subject of the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s appeal. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from reimbursing a pharmacy or pharmacist in the state an amount less than the amount that the pharmacy benefit manager reimburses a pharmacy benefit manager affiliate for providing the same pharmaceutical product. Under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager affiliate is a pharmacy or pharmacist that is an affiliate of a pharmacy benefit manager. Finally, the bill allows a pharmacy or pharmacist to decline to provide a pharmaceutical product to an individual or pharmacy benefit manager if, as a result of a maximum allowable cost list, the pharmacy or pharmacist would be paid less than the pharmacy acquisition cost of the pharmacy or pharmacist providing the pharmaceutical product. Drug formularies This bill makes several changes with respect to drug formularies. Under current law, a disability insurance policy that offers a prescription drug benefit, a self-insured health plan that offers a prescription drug benefit, or a pharmacy benefit manager acting on behalf of a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan must provide to an enrollee advanced written notice of a formulary change that removes a prescription drug from the formulary of the policy or plan or that reassigns a prescription drug to a benefit tier for the policy or plan that has a higher deductible, copayment, or coinsurance. The advanced written notice of a formulary change must be provided no fewer than 30 days before the expected date of the removal or reassignment. This bill provides that a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit shall make the formulary and all drug costs associated with the formulary available to plan sponsors and individuals prior to selection or enrollment. Further, the bill provides that no disability insurance policy, self-insured health plan, or pharmacy benefit manager acting on behalf of a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan may remove a prescription drug from the formulary except at the time of coverage renewal. Finally, the bill provides that advanced written notice of a formulary change must be provided no fewer than 90 days before the expected date of the removal or reassignment of a prescription drug on the formulary. Pharmacy networks Under the bill, if an enrollee utilizes a pharmacy or pharmacist in a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists, no disability insurance policy or self- insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit or pharmacy benefit manager that provides services under a contract with a policy or plan may require the enrollee to pay any amount or impose on the enrollee any condition that would not be required if the enrollee utilized a different pharmacy or pharmacist in the same preferred network. Further, the bill provides that any disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit, or any pharmacy benefit manager that provides services under a contract with a policy or plan, that has established a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists must reimburse each pharmacy or pharmacist in the same network at the same rates. Audits of pharmacists and pharmacies This bill makes several changes to audits of pharmacists and pharmacies. The bill requires an entity that conducts audits of pharmacists and pharmacies to ensure that each pharmacist or pharmacy audited by the entity is audited under the same standards and parameters as other similarly situated pharmacists or pharmacies audited by the entity, that the entity randomizes the prescriptions that the entity audits and the entity audits the same number of prescriptions in each prescription benefit tier, and that each audit of a prescription reimbursed under Part D of the federal Medicare program is conducted separately from audits of prescriptions reimbursed under other policies or plans. The bill prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager from recouping reimbursements made to a pharmacist or pharmacy for errors that involve no actual financial harm to an enrollee or a policy or plan sponsor unless the error is the result of the pharmacist or pharmacy failing to comply with a formal corrective action plan. The bill further prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager from using extrapolation in calculating reimbursements that it may recoup, and instead requires a pharmacy benefit manager to base the finding of errors for which reimbursements will be recouped on an actual error in reimbursement and not a projection of the number of patients served having a similar diagnosis or on a projection of the number of similar orders or refills for similar prescription drugs. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that recoups any reimbursements made to a pharmacist or pharmacy for an error that was the cause of financial harm must return the recouped reimbursement to the enrollee or the policy or plan sponsor who was harmed by the error. Pharmacy benefit manager fiduciary and disclosure requirements The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager owes a fiduciary duty to a health benefit plan sponsor. The bill also requires that a pharmacy benefit manager annually disclose all of the following information to the health benefit plan sponsor: 1. The indirect profit received by the pharmacy benefit manager from owning a pharmacy or health service provider. 2. Any payments made to a consultant or broker who works on behalf of the plan sponsor. 3. From the amounts received from drug manufacturers, the amounts retained by the pharmacy benefit manager that are related to the plan sponsor[s claims or bona fide service fees. 4. The amounts received from network pharmacies and pharmacists and the amount retained by the pharmacy benefit manager. Discriminatory reimbursement of 340B entities The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from taking certain actions with respect to 340B covered entities, pharmacies and pharmacists contracted with 340B covered entities, and patients who obtain prescription drugs from 340B covered entities. The 340B drug pricing program is a federal program that requires pharmaceutical manufacturers that participate in the federal Medicaid program to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to certain health care organizations that provide health care for uninsured and low-income patients. Entities that are eligible for discounted prices under the 340B drug pricing program include federally qualified health centers, critical access hospitals, and certain public and nonprofit disproportionate share hospitals. The bill prohibits pharmacy benefit managers from doing any of the following: 1. Refusing to reimburse a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity for dispensing 340B drugs. 2. Imposing requirements or restrictions on 340B covered entities or pharmacies or pharmacists contracted with 340B covered entities that are not imposed on other entities, pharmacies, or pharmacists. 3. Reimbursing a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity for a 340B drug at a rate lower than the amount paid for the same drug to pharmacies or pharmacists that are not 340B covered entities or pharmacies or pharmacists contracted with a 340B covered entity. 4. Assessing a fee, charge back, or other adjustment against a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity after a claim has been paid or adjudicated. 5. Restricting the access of a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity to a third-party payer[s pharmacy network solely because the 340B covered entity or the pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity participates in the 340B drug pricing program. 6. Requiring a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity to contract with a specific pharmacy or pharmacist or health benefit plan in order to access a third-party payer[s pharmacy network. 7. Imposing a restriction or an additional charge on a patient who obtains a 340B drug from a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity. 8. Restricting the methods by which a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity may dispense or deliver 340B drugs. 9. Requiring a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity to share pharmacy bills or invoices with a pharmacy benefit manager, a third-party payer, or a health benefit plan. Application of prescription drug payments Health insurance policies and plans often apply cost-sharing requirements and out-of-pocket maximum amounts to the benefits covered by the policy or plan. A cost-sharing requirement is a share of covered benefits that an insured is required to pay under a health insurance policy or plan. Cost-sharing requirements include copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance. An out-of-pocket maximum amount is a limit specified by a policy or plan on the amount that an insured pays, and, once that limit is reached, the policy or plan covers the benefit entirely. The bill generally requires health insurance policies that offer prescription drug benefits, self-insured health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers acting on behalf of policies or plans to apply amounts paid by or on behalf of an individual covered under the policy or plan for brand name prescription drugs to any cost- sharing requirement or to any calculation of an out-of-pocket maximum amount of the policy or plan. Health insurance policies are referred to in the bill as disability insurance policies. Prohibited retaliation The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from retaliating against a pharmacy or pharmacist for reporting an alleged violation of certain laws applicable to pharmacy benefit managers or for exercising certain rights or remedies. Retaliation includes terminating or refusing to renew a contract with a pharmacy or pharmacist, subjecting a pharmacy or pharmacist to increased audits, or failing to promptly pay a pharmacy or pharmacist any money that the pharmacy benefit manager owes to the pharmacy or pharmacist. The bill provides that a pharmacy or pharmacist may bring an action in court for injunctive relief if a pharmacy benefit manager is retaliating against the pharmacy or pharmacist as provided in the bill. In addition to equitable relief, the court may award a pharmacy or pharmacist that prevails in such an action reasonable attorney fees and costs. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB173 | Creating a rural creative economy development grant program. (FE) | This bill creates a grant program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill requires WEDC to award rural creative economy development grants on a competitive basis to cities, villages, towns, counties, American Indian tribes and bands in this state, economic development organizations in this state, and nonprofit organizations in this state. A grant recipient must use grant moneys for any of the following purposes: 1. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by supporting or expanding public arts performances and exhibitions, renovating or improving public spaces and vacant or underutilized buildings, supporting community-based arts education, supporting business accelerator programs, and providing technical assistance for creative businesses. 2. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state. Under the bill, such a grant may not exceed $50,000 and must be expended solely for the benefit of rural areas. Additionally, the bill prohibits WEDC from awarding a grant unless the grant recipient matches the amount of the grant with LRB-2300/2 KRP:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 173 moneys raised from nonstate sources and limits the amount of in-kind match to no more than 25 percent of the match amount. The bill requires WEDC to submit a report on the effectiveness of the grants to the Joint Committee on Finance no later than May 1, 2027. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB159 | Creating a rural creative economy development grant program. (FE) | This bill creates a grant program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill requires WEDC to award rural creative economy development grants on a competitive basis to cities, villages, towns, counties, American Indian tribes and bands in this state, economic development organizations in this state, and nonprofit organizations in this state. A grant recipient must use grant moneys for any of the following purposes: 1. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by supporting or expanding public arts performances and exhibitions, renovating or improving public spaces and vacant or underutilized buildings, supporting community-based arts education, supporting business accelerator programs, and providing technical assistance for creative businesses. 2. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state. Under the bill, such a grant may not exceed $50,000 and must be expended solely for the benefit of rural areas. Additionally, the bill prohibits WEDC from awarding a grant unless the grant recipient matches the amount of the grant with moneys raised from nonstate sources and limits the amount of in-kind match to no more than 25 percent of the match amount. The bill requires WEDC to submit a report on the effectiveness of the grants to the Joint Committee on Finance no later than May 1, 2027. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB74 | Ratification of the Social Work Licensure Compact. (FE) | This bill ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Social Work Licensure Compact, which provides for the ability of a social worker to become eligible to LRB-1310/1 MED:emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 74 practice in other compact states. Significant provisions of the compact include the following: 1. The creation of a Social Work Licensure Compact Commission, which includes one member or administrator of the licensure authorities of each member state. The commission has various powers and duties granted in the compact, including establishing bylaws, promulgating binding rules for the compact, hiring officers, electing or appointing employees, and establishing and electing an executive committee. The commission may levy on and collect an annual assessment from each member state or impose fees on licensees of member states to cover the cost of the operations and activities of the commission and its staff. 2. The ability for a social worker who is licensed in a home state and satisfies certain other criteria to obtain a multistate license, which allows a social worker to practice social work in all other compact states (remote states) under a multistate authorization to practice. The compact specifies a number of requirements in order for an individual to obtain a social worker multistate license, including holding or being eligible for a social worker license in a home state, paying any required fees, and satisfying a number of criteria that are specific to the category of social work license the individual is seeking—bachelor[s, master[s, or clinical. A regulated social worker[s services in a remote state are subject to that member state[s regulatory authority. A remote state may take actions against a social worker[s multistate authorization to practice within that remote state, and if any adverse action is taken by a home state against a licensee[s multistate license, the social worker[s multistate authorization to practice in all other member states is deactivated until all encumbrances have been removed from the multistate license. 3. The ability of member states to issue subpoenas that are enforceable in other states. 4. The creation of a coordinated data system containing licensure and disciplinary action information on social workers. The compact requires all home state disciplinary orders that impose adverse actions against the license of a regulated social worker to include a statement that the regulated social worker[s multistate authorization to practice is deactivated in all member states until all conditions of the decision, order, or agreement are satisfied. A member state must submit a uniform data set to the data system on all individuals to whom the compact is applicable as required by the rules of the commission. 5. Provisions regarding resolutions of disputes among member states and between member and nonmember states, including a process for termination of a state[s membership in the compact if the state defaults on its obligations under the compact. Since the compact has already been enacted by the minimum number of states required for it to become active, the compact becomes effective in this state upon enactment of the bill. The compact provides that it may be amended upon enactment of an amendment by all member states. A state may withdraw from the compact by repealing the statute authorizing the compact, but the compact provides LRB-1310/1 MED:emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 74 that a withdrawal does not take effect until 180 days after the effective date of that repeal. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB203 | Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE) | This bill makes several changes to the regulation of pharmacy benefit LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 managers and their interactions with pharmacies and pharmacists. Under current law, pharmacy benefit managers are generally required to be licensed as a pharmacy benefit manager or an employee benefit plan administrator by the commissioner of insurance. A pharmacy benefit manager is an entity that contracts to administer or manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of an insurer, a cooperative, or another entity that provides prescription drug benefits to Wisconsin residents. Major provisions of the bill are summarized below. Pharmacy benefit manager regulation The bill requires a pharmacy benefit manager to pay a pharmacy or pharmacist a professional dispensing fee at a rate not less than is paid by the state under the Medical Assistance program for each pharmaceutical product that the pharmacy or pharmacist dispenses to an individual. The professional dispensing fee is required to be paid in addition to the amount the pharmacy benefit manager reimburses the pharmacy or pharmacist for the cost of the pharmaceutical product that the pharmacy or pharmacist dispenses. The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from assessing, charging, or collecting from a pharmacy or pharmacist any form of remuneration that passes from the pharmacy or pharmacist to the pharmacy benefit manager including claim-processing fees, performance-based fees, network-participation fees, or accreditation fees. Further, under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not use any certification or accreditation requirement as a determinant of pharmacy network participation that is inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to the federal requirements for licensure as a pharmacy and the requirements for licensure as a pharmacy provided under state law. The bill requires a pharmacy benefit manager to allow a participant or beneficiary of a pharmacy benefits plan or program that the pharmacy benefit manager serves to use any pharmacy or pharmacist in this state that is licensed to dispense the pharmaceutical product that the participant or beneficiary seeks to obtain if the pharmacy or pharmacist accepts the same terms and conditions that the pharmacy benefit manager establishes for at least one of the networks of pharmacies or pharmacists that the pharmacy benefit manager has established to serve individuals in the state. A pharmacy benefit manager may establish a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists and a nonpreferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists; however, under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not prohibit a pharmacy or pharmacist from participating in either type of network provided that the pharmacy or pharmacist is licensed by this state and the federal government and accepts the same terms and conditions that the pharmacy benefit manager establishes for other pharmacies or pharmacists participating in the network that the pharmacy or pharmacist wants to join. Under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager may not charge a participant or beneficiary of a LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 pharmacy benefits plan or program that the pharmacy benefit manager serves a different copayment obligation or additional fee, or provide any inducement or financial incentive, for the participant or beneficiary to use a pharmacy or pharmacist in a particular network of pharmacies or pharmacists that the pharmacy benefit manager has established to serve individuals in the state. Further, the bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager, third-party payer, or health benefit plan from excluding a pharmacy or pharmacist from its network because the pharmacy or pharmacist serves less than a certain portion of the population of the state or serves a population living with certain health conditions. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may neither prohibit a pharmacy or pharmacist that dispenses a pharmaceutical product from, nor penalize a pharmacy or pharmacist that dispenses a pharmaceutical product for, informing an individual about the cost of the pharmaceutical product, the amount in reimbursement that the pharmacy or pharmacist receives for dispensing the pharmaceutical product, or any difference between the cost to the individual under the individual[s pharmacy benefits plan or program and the cost to the individual if the individual purchases the pharmaceutical product without making a claim for benefits under the individual[s pharmacy benefits plan or program. The bill prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager or any insurer or self- insured health plan from requiring, or penalizing a person who is covered under a health insurance policy or plan for using or for not using, a specific retail, mail- order, or other pharmacy provider within the network of pharmacy providers under the policy or plan. Prohibited penalties include an increase in premium, deductible, copayment, or coinsurance. The bill requires pharmacy benefit managers to remit payment for a claim to a pharmacy or pharmacist within 30 days from the day that the claim is submitted to the pharmacy benefit manager by the pharmacy or pharmacist. Pharmaceutical product reimbursements The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must include all of the following information on the list: 1) the average acquisition cost of each pharmaceutical product and the cost of the pharmaceutical product set forth in the national average drug acquisition cost data published by the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services; 2) the average manufacturer price of each pharmaceutical product; 3) the average wholesale price of each pharmaceutical product; 4) the brand effective rate or generic effective rate for each pharmaceutical product; 5) any applicable discount indexing; 6) the federal upper limit for each pharmaceutical product published by the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services; pharmaceutical product; and 8) any other terms that are used to establish the maximum allowable costs. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may place or continue a particular pharmaceutical product on a maximum allowable cost list only if the pharmaceutical product 1) is listed as a drug product equivalent or is rated by a LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 7) the wholesale acquisition cost of each 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 nationally recognized reference as Xnot ratedY or Xnot availableY; 2) is available for purchase by all pharmacies and pharmacists in the state from national or regional pharmaceutical wholesalers operating in the state; and 3) has not been determined by the drug manufacturer to be obsolete. Further, the bill provides that any pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must provide access to the maximum allowable cost list to each pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list, update the maximum allowable cost list on a timely basis, provide a process for a pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list to receive notification of an update to the maximum allowable cost list, and update the maximum allowable cost list no later than seven days after the pharmacy acquisition cost of the pharmaceutical product increases by 10 percent or more from at least 60 percent of the pharmaceutical wholesalers doing business in the state or there is a change in the methodology on which the maximum allowable cost list is based or in the value of a variable involved in the methodology. A maximum allowable cost list is a list of pharmaceutical products that sets forth the maximum amount that a pharmacy benefit manager will pay to a pharmacy or pharmacist for dispensing a pharmaceutical product. A maximum allowable cost list may directly establish maximum costs or may set forth a method for how the maximum costs are calculated. The bill further provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that uses a maximum allowable cost list must provide a process for a pharmacy or pharmacist to appeal and resolve disputes regarding claims that the maximum payment amount for a pharmaceutical product is below the pharmacy acquisition cost. A pharmacy benefit manager that receives an appeal from or on behalf of a pharmacy or pharmacist under this bill is required to resolve the appeal and notify the pharmacy or pharmacist of the pharmacy benefit manager[s determination no later than seven business days after the appeal is received. If the pharmacy benefit manager grants the relief requested in the appeal, the bill requires the pharmacy benefit manager to make the requested change in the maximum allowable cost, allow the pharmacy or pharmacist to reverse and rebill the relevant claim, provide to the pharmacy or pharmacist the national drug code number published in a directory by the federal Food and Drug Administration on which the increase or change is based, and make the change effective for each similarly situated pharmacy or pharmacist subject to the maximum allowable cost list. If the pharmacy benefit manager denies the relief requested in the appeal, the bill requires the pharmacy benefit manager to provide the pharmacy or pharmacist a reason for the denial, the national drug code number published in a directory by the FDA for the pharmaceutical product to which the claim relates, and the name of a national or regional wholesaler that has the pharmaceutical product currently in stock at a price below the amount specified in the pharmacy benefit manager[s maximum allowable cost list. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager may not deny a pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s appeal if the relief requested in the appeal relates to LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 the maximum allowable cost for a pharmaceutical product that is not available for the pharmacy or pharmacist to purchase at a cost that is below the pharmacy acquisition cost from the pharmaceutical wholesaler from which the pharmacy or pharmacist purchases the majority of pharmaceutical products for resale. If a pharmaceutical product is not available for a pharmacy or pharmacist to purchase at a cost that is below the pharmacy acquisition cost from the pharmaceutical wholesaler from which the pharmacy or pharmacist purchases the majority of pharmaceutical products for resale, the pharmacy benefit manager must revise the maximum allowable cost list to increase the maximum allowable cost for the pharmaceutical product to an amount equal to or greater than the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s pharmacy acquisition cost and allow the pharmacy or pharmacist to reverse and rebill each claim affected by the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s inability to procure the pharmaceutical product at a cost that is equal to or less than the maximum allowable cost that was the subject of the pharmacy[s or pharmacist[s appeal. The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from reimbursing a pharmacy or pharmacist in the state an amount less than the amount that the pharmacy benefit manager reimburses a pharmacy benefit manager affiliate for providing the same pharmaceutical product. Under the bill, a pharmacy benefit manager affiliate is a pharmacy or pharmacist that is an affiliate of a pharmacy benefit manager. Finally, the bill allows a pharmacy or pharmacist to decline to provide a pharmaceutical product to an individual or pharmacy benefit manager if, as a result of a maximum allowable cost list, the pharmacy or pharmacist would be paid less than the pharmacy acquisition cost of the pharmacy or pharmacist providing the pharmaceutical product. Drug formularies This bill makes several changes with respect to drug formularies. Under current law, a disability insurance policy that offers a prescription drug benefit, a self-insured health plan that offers a prescription drug benefit, or a pharmacy benefit manager acting on behalf of a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan must provide to an enrollee advanced written notice of a formulary change that removes a prescription drug from the formulary of the policy or plan or that reassigns a prescription drug to a benefit tier for the policy or plan that has a higher deductible, copayment, or coinsurance. The advanced written notice of a formulary change must be provided no fewer than 30 days before the expected date of the removal or reassignment. This bill provides that a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit shall make the formulary and all drug costs associated with the formulary available to plan sponsors and individuals prior to selection or enrollment. Further, the bill provides that no disability insurance policy, self-insured health plan, or pharmacy benefit manager acting on behalf of a disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan may remove a prescription LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 drug from the formulary except at the time of coverage renewal. Finally, the bill provides that advanced written notice of a formulary change must be provided no fewer than 90 days before the expected date of the removal or reassignment of a prescription drug on the formulary. Pharmacy networks Under the bill, if an enrollee utilizes a pharmacy or pharmacist in a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists, no disability insurance policy or self- insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit or pharmacy benefit manager that provides services under a contract with a policy or plan may require the enrollee to pay any amount or impose on the enrollee any condition that would not be required if the enrollee utilized a different pharmacy or pharmacist in the same preferred network. Further, the bill provides that any disability insurance policy or self-insured health plan that provides a prescription drug benefit, or any pharmacy benefit manager that provides services under a contract with a policy or plan, that has established a preferred network of pharmacies or pharmacists must reimburse each pharmacy or pharmacist in the same network at the same rates. Audits of pharmacists and pharmacies This bill makes several changes to audits of pharmacists and pharmacies. The bill requires an entity that conducts audits of pharmacists and pharmacies to ensure that each pharmacist or pharmacy audited by the entity is audited under the same standards and parameters as other similarly situated pharmacists or pharmacies audited by the entity, that the entity randomizes the prescriptions that the entity audits and the entity audits the same number of prescriptions in each prescription benefit tier, and that each audit of a prescription reimbursed under Part D of the federal Medicare program is conducted separately from audits of prescriptions reimbursed under other policies or plans. The bill prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager from recouping reimbursements made to a pharmacist or pharmacy for errors that involve no actual financial harm to an enrollee or a policy or plan sponsor unless the error is the result of the pharmacist or pharmacy failing to comply with a formal corrective action plan. The bill further prohibits any pharmacy benefit manager from using extrapolation in calculating reimbursements that it may recoup, and instead requires a pharmacy benefit manager to base the finding of errors for which reimbursements will be recouped on an actual error in reimbursement and not a projection of the number of patients served having a similar diagnosis or on a projection of the number of similar orders or refills for similar prescription drugs. The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager that recoups any reimbursements made to a pharmacist or pharmacy for an error that was the cause of financial harm must return the recouped reimbursement to the enrollee or the policy or plan sponsor who was harmed by the error. Pharmacy benefit manager fiduciary and disclosure requirements The bill provides that a pharmacy benefit manager owes a fiduciary duty to a health benefit plan sponsor. The bill also requires that a pharmacy benefit LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 manager annually disclose all of the following information to the health benefit plan sponsor: 1. The indirect profit received by the pharmacy benefit manager from owning a pharmacy or health service provider. 2. Any payments made to a consultant or broker who works on behalf of the plan sponsor. 3. From the amounts received from drug manufacturers, the amounts retained by the pharmacy benefit manager that are related to the plan sponsor[s claims or bona fide service fees. 4. The amounts received from network pharmacies and pharmacists and the amount retained by the pharmacy benefit manager. Discriminatory reimbursement of 340B entities The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from taking certain actions with respect to 340B covered entities, pharmacies and pharmacists contracted with 340B covered entities, and patients who obtain prescription drugs from 340B covered entities. The 340B drug pricing program is a federal program that requires pharmaceutical manufacturers that participate in the federal Medicaid program to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to certain health care organizations that provide health care for uninsured and low-income patients. Entities that are eligible for discounted prices under the 340B drug pricing program include federally qualified health centers, critical access hospitals, and certain public and nonprofit disproportionate share hospitals. The bill prohibits pharmacy benefit managers from doing any of the following: 1. Refusing to reimburse a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity for dispensing 340B drugs. 2. Imposing requirements or restrictions on 340B covered entities or pharmacies or pharmacists contracted with 340B covered entities that are not imposed on other entities, pharmacies, or pharmacists. 3. Reimbursing a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity for a 340B drug at a rate lower than the amount paid for the same drug to pharmacies or pharmacists that are not 340B covered entities or pharmacies or pharmacists contracted with a 340B covered entity. 4. Assessing a fee, charge back, or other adjustment against a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity after a claim has been paid or adjudicated. 5. Restricting the access of a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity to a third-party payer[s pharmacy network solely because the 340B covered entity or the pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity participates in the 340B drug pricing program. 6. Requiring a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 with a 340B covered entity to contract with a specific pharmacy or pharmacist or health benefit plan in order to access a third-party payer[s pharmacy network. 7. Imposing a restriction or an additional charge on a patient who obtains a 340B drug from a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity. 8. Restricting the methods by which a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity may dispense or deliver 340B drugs. 9. Requiring a 340B covered entity or a pharmacy or pharmacist contracted with a 340B covered entity to share pharmacy bills or invoices with a pharmacy benefit manager, a third-party payer, or a health benefit plan. Application of prescription drug payments Health insurance policies and plans often apply cost-sharing requirements and out-of-pocket maximum amounts to the benefits covered by the policy or plan. A cost-sharing requirement is a share of covered benefits that an insured is required to pay under a health insurance policy or plan. Cost-sharing requirements include copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance. An out-of-pocket maximum amount is a limit specified by a policy or plan on the amount that an insured pays, and, once that limit is reached, the policy or plan covers the benefit entirely. The bill generally requires health insurance policies that offer prescription drug benefits, self-insured health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers acting on behalf of policies or plans to apply amounts paid by or on behalf of an individual covered under the policy or plan for brand name prescription drugs to any cost- sharing requirement or to any calculation of an out-of-pocket maximum amount of the policy or plan. Health insurance policies are referred to in the bill as disability insurance policies. Prohibited retaliation The bill prohibits a pharmacy benefit manager from retaliating against a pharmacy or pharmacist for reporting an alleged violation of certain laws applicable to pharmacy benefit managers or for exercising certain rights or remedies. Retaliation includes terminating or refusing to renew a contract with a pharmacy or pharmacist, subjecting a pharmacy or pharmacist to increased audits, or failing to promptly pay a pharmacy or pharmacist any money that the pharmacy benefit manager owes to the pharmacy or pharmacist. The bill provides that a pharmacy or pharmacist may bring an action in court for injunctive relief if a pharmacy benefit manager is retaliating against the pharmacy or pharmacist as provided in the bill. In addition to equitable relief, the court may award a pharmacy or pharmacist that prevails in such an action reasonable attorney fees and costs. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. LRB-1278/1 JPC:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 203 | In Committee |
| SB232 | Grants to child advocacy centers. (FE) | Under current law, the Department of Justice must provide $17,000 in each fiscal year to specified child advocacy centers for education, training, medical advice, and quality assurance activities. This bill instead provides that DOJ must award grants in each fiscal year to specified child advocacy centers to enhance the multidisciplinary response to suspected child maltreatment. The bill adds two centers as recipients, the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center in Sheboygan County and Child Advocacy Centers of Wisconsin, and updates the names of the centers that are designated recipients under current law. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB196 | Rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE) | Under current law, certain people who receive a retirement or disability annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) and who are hired by an employer that participates in the WRS must suspend that annuity and may not receive a WRS annuity payment until they are no longer in a WRS-covered position. This suspension applies to an annuitant who 1) has reached his or her normal retirement date; 2) is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer; and 3) is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. This bill allows such an annuitant who is hired by a WRS-participating employer as an employee or to provide employee services to not suspend his or her annuity for up to 60 months. The bill also requires WRS-participating employers that hire such annuitants to make payments to ETF equal to what they would have paid as required contributions for each rehired annuitant if the rehired annuitant had suspended his or her annuity. Under the bill, these payments are deposited into the employer reserve account. If the annuitant does not suspend the annuity and does not become an active WRS-participating employee, in the case of state employment, the annuitant is not eligible for group insurance benefits provided to active WRS-participating employees and may not use any of his or her service in the new position for any WRS purposes. If the annuitant opts to again become an active WRS-participating employee, the annuitant is eligible for all group insurance benefits provided to other participating employees and may accumulate additional years of creditable service under the WRS for the new period of WRS-covered employment. The bill also repeals two obsolete provisions related to WRS annuitants returning to WRS-covered employment during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, which ended on May 13, 2020. Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB198 | Emergency medical services education, tuition and materials reimbursement for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners, and a live 911 pilot program. (FE) | Emergency medical services education This bill requires the Technical College System Board to provide grants to technical colleges that provide emergency medical services courses that train and prepare individuals for initial certification or initial licensure as an emergency medical responder or an emergency medical services practitioner. No grants may be awarded to a technical college for the emergency medical services courses if admission priority to the course is given to residents based on the technical college district in which the resident lives. Tuition and materials costs for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners The bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to develop a program to reimburse individuals or their employers for the cost of tuition and materials necessary for the individual to qualify for initial certification or initial licensure as an emergency medical responder or an emergency medical services practitioner. To be eligible for reimbursement for the costs necessary to qualify for an initial certification or license, the individual must satisfactorily complete any required course of instruction, pass any required examination, receive a certification or license from DHS, and apply to HEAB for reimbursement on a form prescribed by HEAB. Live 911 pilot program The bill directs the Department of Military Affairs, through a pilot program, to distribute moneys through grants to enable real-time video and multimedia communications between public safety answering points and individuals who call for emergency services. Further, the bill requires DMA to annually report to the legislature on the performance of the pilot program, including information on outcomes from the pilot program, the number of responses from dispatch that were altered due to increased information from the pilot program, and any cost savings associated with the pilot program. The bill does not require DMA to submit a report to the legislature in any year that DMA does not award any moneys through grants for the pilot program. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB216 | Local government competitive bidding thresholds. (FE) | 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. | In Committee |
| AB250 | Funding for the War Memorial Center and making an appropriation. (FE) | Under current law, by agreement between the county board and any nonprofit private corporation, a county having a population of 750,000 or more may establish and maintain a memorial to commemorate the lives and deeds of persons who served the state or nation in war or other national service. Milwaukee County is the only county in the state with a population of 750,000 or more, and the county established and maintains a memorial called the War Memorial Center. This bill creates a continuing appropriation account for the Department of Veterans Affairs from which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board may request DVA to provide funds to it for support of the memorial. In making a request for the funds, the memorial board is required to describe its intended use of the funds, and to aver that it has secured equal matching funds that it will contribute to its intended project supporting the War Memorial Center. In addition, in each fiscal year in which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board receives funds from DVA as described under the bill, the War Memorial Center[s memorial board is required to submit a report to the Joint Committee on Finance that describes how the funds were used and that indicates how much money remains in the appropriation account. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB245 | A pilot school-centered mental health program. (FE) | In each fiscal year of the 2025-27 biennium, this bill requires the Department of Health Services to distribute an amount determined by the secretary of health services to a provider to operate a school-centered mental health program in two schools in this state for two school years; one school must be located in a rural school district and one school must be located in a suburban or urban school district. Under the bill, the provider must use the money to support full-time therapist positions, family coach positions, and any other positions necessary to operate the school-centered mental health program. Under the bill, a school-centered mental health program is a program that meets various criteria, including that it serve at- risk pupils and families at school, at home, and in the community, serve pupils and families year-round, include classroom observations and pupil-specific behavior intervention, include evidence-based individual or family therapy, and provide family coaching that is aligned with therapeutic goals. Finally, the bill requires the provider who receives money from DHS to submit a report to DHS on the impact of the school-centered mental health program on pupils and families by six months after the end of the program, and requires DHS to distribute the report to the legislature. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. LRB-2902/1 FFK:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 245 | In Committee |
| SB237 | A sales and use tax exemption for equipment associated with the use of a search and rescue dog. (FE) | This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of tangible personal property used to train, manage, or control a search and rescue dog. The bill requires a purchaser to provide an exemption certificate to the seller in order to claim the exemption. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB279 | Grants to law enforcement agencies for data-sharing platforms. | Under current law, the Department of Justice awards grants to cities and law enforcement agencies for various purposes, including to pay for uniformed beat patrol officers and to enable agencies to purchase body cameras. This bill requires DOJ to award grants to law enforcement agencies to acquire data-sharing platforms. The bill sets forth criteria that data-sharing platforms must meet to be covered by the grant. The criteria include that the platform must be able to integrate data from common law enforcement systems on a real-time basis; eliminate redundant records; restrict access to information by data type, roles, and other parameters; allow for controlled data integration and sharing among law enforcement agencies; be accessed on devices commonly used by law enforcement agencies; and ensure that law enforcement agencies retain rights to agency data. The bill also provides that the Joint Committee on Finance, upon request by DOJ, may provide up to $2,000,000 in each fiscal year of the 2025-27 biennium to implement the grant program. | In Committee |
| AB260 | A pilot school-centered mental health program. (FE) | In each fiscal year of the 2025-27 biennium, this bill requires the Department of Health Services to distribute an amount determined by the secretary of health services to a provider to operate a school-centered mental health program in two schools in this state for two school years; one school must be located in a rural school district and one school must be located in a suburban or urban school district. Under the bill, the provider must use the money to support full-time therapist positions, family coach positions, and any other positions necessary to operate the school-centered mental health program. Under the bill, a school-centered mental health program is a program that meets various criteria, including that it serve at- risk pupils and families at school, at home, and in the community, serve pupils and families year-round, include classroom observations and pupil-specific behavior intervention, include evidence-based individual or family therapy, and provide family coaching that is aligned with therapeutic goals. Finally, the bill requires the provider who receives money from DHS to submit a report to DHS on the impact of the school-centered mental health program on pupils and families by six months after the end of the program, and requires DHS to distribute the report to the legislature. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB5 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty. | Under current law, the crime of battery is defined as intentionally causing another person bodily harm and is a Class A misdemeanor. Under current law, if the battery is a special circumstance battery—for example, the battery is committed against an individual because of the individual’s status as a law enforcement officer, witness in a trial, or juror—the penalty is increased to a Class H felony. Under this bill, a threat or battery against a juror or a threat or battery against a family member of a juror is a Class H felony. Current law also allows a judge, upon sentencing a person for a crime, to LRB-1322/1 MJW:emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 5 prohibit the person from contacting a victim of or witness to the person’s crime during any part of the person’s sentence or probation. The bill allows a judge to prohibit a person who is convicted of a crime from contacting, for any part of the person’s sentence or probation, a juror who served at any proceeding related to the person’s crime. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | Crossed Over |
| SB23 | Extension of eligibility under the Medical Assistance program for postpartum women. (FE) | This bill requires the Department of Health Services to seek approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to extend until the last day of the month in which the 365th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls Medical Assistance benefits to women who are eligible for those benefits when pregnant. Currently, postpartum women are eligible for Medical Assistance benefits until the last day of the month in which the 60th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls. 2021 Wisconsin Act 58 required DHS to seek approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to extend these postpartum Medical Assistance benefits until the last day of the month in which the 90th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls. On June 3, 2022, DHS filed a Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver application with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend postpartum coverage for eligible Medical Assistance recipients, as required by 2021 Wisconsin Act 58. The Medical Assistance program is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. LRB-0926/1 JPC:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 23 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Crossed Over |
| SB184 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device. | Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict 1) the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle, or 2) the use or sale of any other device on the basis of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the device. | In Committee |
| SB194 | Obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court. | Currently, if a person requests access to a public record and the agency or officer in state or local government having custody of the record, known as an XauthorityY under the public records law, withholds or delays granting access to the record or a part of the record, the requester may bring a mandamus action asking a court to order release of the record or part of the record. Current law requires the court to award reasonable attorney fees, damages of not less than $100, and other actual costs to the requester if the requester prevails in whole or in substantial part in any such action. The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided in 2022 that a requester prevails in whole or in substantial part only if the requester obtains a judicially sanctioned change in the parties[ legal relationship, for example, a court order requiring disclosure of a record. See, Friends of Frame Park, U.A. v. City of Waukesha, 2022 WI 57. Under the supreme court[s decision, a requester generally is not entitled to LRB-2242/1 MPG:amn 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 194 attorney fees and costs if the authority voluntarily or unilaterally without a court order provides contested records after the requester files an action in court. This bill supersedes the supreme court[s decision in Friends of Frame Park. Under the bill, a requester has prevailed in whole or in substantial part if the requester has obtained relief through any of the following means: 1. A judicial order or an enforceable written agreement or consent decree. 2. The authority[s voluntary or unilateral release of a record if the court determines that the filing of the mandamus action was a substantial factor contributing to that voluntary or unilateral release. This standard is substantially the same as the standard that applies for a requester to obtain attorney fees and costs under the federal Freedom of Information Act. | Crossed Over |
| SB182 | Emergency medical services education, tuition and materials reimbursement for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners, and a live 911 pilot program. (FE) | Emergency medical services education This bill requires the Technical College System Board to provide grants to technical colleges that provide emergency medical services courses that train and prepare individuals for initial certification or initial licensure as an emergency medical responder or an emergency medical services practitioner. No grants may be awarded to a technical college for the emergency medical services courses if admission priority to the course is given to residents based on the technical college district in which the resident lives. Tuition and materials costs for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners The bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to develop a program to reimburse individuals or their employers for the cost of tuition and materials necessary for the individual to qualify for initial certification or initial licensure as an emergency medical responder or an emergency medical services practitioner. To LRB-2519/1 JAM:cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 182 be eligible for reimbursement for the costs necessary to qualify for an initial certification or license, the individual must satisfactorily complete any required course of instruction, pass any required examination, receive a certification or license from DHS, and apply to HEAB for reimbursement on a form prescribed by HEAB. Live 911 pilot program The bill directs the Department of Military Affairs, through a pilot program, to distribute moneys through grants to enable real-time video and multimedia communications between public safety answering points and individuals who call for emergency services. Further, the bill requires DMA to annually report to the legislature on the performance of the pilot program, including information on outcomes from the pilot program, the number of responses from dispatch that were altered due to increased information from the pilot program, and any cost savings associated with the pilot program. The bill does not require DMA to submit a report to the legislature in any year that DMA does not award any moneys through grants for the pilot program. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB147 | Interpreter action by telephone or live audiovisual means in civil or criminal proceedings. | Under current law, in any civil or criminal proceeding other than a trial, a court may permit an interpreter to act by telephone or live audiovisual means. This bill removes the exclusion for trials, so that an interpreter may act by telephone or live audiovisual means in any civil or criminal proceeding. | Crossed Over |
| SB254 | Funding for the War Memorial Center and making an appropriation. (FE) | Under current law, by agreement between the county board and any nonprofit private corporation, a county having a population of 750,000 or more may establish and maintain a memorial to commemorate the lives and deeds of persons who served the state or nation in war or other national service. Milwaukee County is the only county in the state with a population of 750,000 or more, and the county established and maintains a memorial called the War Memorial Center. This bill creates a continuing appropriation account for the Department of Veterans Affairs from which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board may request DVA to provide funds to it for support of the memorial. In making a request for the funds, the memorial board is required to describe its intended use of the funds, and to aver that it has secured equal matching funds that it will contribute to its intended project supporting the War Memorial Center. In addition, in each fiscal year in which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board receives funds from DVA as described under the bill, the War Memorial Center[s memorial board is required to submit a report to the Joint Committee on Finance that describes how the funds were used and that indicates how much money remains in the appropriation account. LRB-2889/1 JAM:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 254 For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB222 | Extortion, sexual extortion, and providing a penalty. | This bill creates a new crime for activity known as Xsextortion.Y Under the bill, it is a generally a Class I felony for a person to do any of the following: 1. Threaten to injure the property or reputation of another to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct or to produce an intimate representation. 2. Threaten to commit violence against another to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct or to produce an intimate representation. 3. Threaten to distribute an intimate representation of another person with LRB-2773/1 MJW:skw&emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 222 intent to coerce that person to engage in sexual conduct, produce an intimate representation, or to provide payment of money, property, services, or anything of value, or to do or refrain from doing any act against that person[s will. Under the bill, such a violation is a Class H felony if the victim, as a result of the violation, engages in sexual conduct, produces an intimate representation, provides the payment of money, property, services, or any other thing of value, or suffers great bodily harm or if the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is not more than four years older than the victim, and such a violation is a Class G felony if the defendant was previously convicted of a sexually violent offense, the violation was committed during the course of a child abduction, or the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is more than four years older than the victim. Additionally, the bill provides that a person may be prosecuted for felony murder if the person commits extortion or sexual extortion and as a result of the violation causes the death of the victim. Under current law, extortion generally is punishable as a Class I felony, and the penalty for felony murder is imprisonment for up to 15 years longer than the maximum term of imprisonment for the crime that caused the victim[s death. Under current law, a Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years and six months, or both; a Class H felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six years, or both; and a Class G felony is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both. This bill also provides that a crime victim, or the victim[s family member, is eligible for payment from the Department of Justice[s crime victim compensation fund if the crime victim is a victim of extortion or sexual extortion and is injured or dies as a result of the crime and provides that a crime victim, or the victim[s family member, may be compensated for death or injury that results from suicide or attempted suicide if the crime was a substantial causal factor in the victim[s suicide or attempted suicide. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | In Committee |
| AB237 | The age at which an infant is covered under the safe haven law. | Under current law, commonly referred to as the Xsafe haven law,Y a child whom a law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member reasonably believes to be 72 hours old or younger (newborn infant) may be taken into custody under circumstances in which a parent of the newborn infant relinquishes custody of the newborn infant to the law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member and does not express an intent to return for the newborn infant or in which a parent of the newborn infant leaves the child in a newborn infant safety device installed in a supporting wall of a hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency. Under current law, a parent who relinquishes custody of a child under the safe haven law and any person who assists the parent in that relinquishment are immune from any civil or criminal liability for any good faith act or omission in connection with the relinquishment. This bill changes the maximum age at which a newborn infant falls under the safe haven law from 72 hours old to 30 days old. | In Committee |
| SB176 | An income and franchise tax exemption for broadband expansion grants and for federal high-cost program funding for broadband expansion. (FE) | This bill exempts from state income and franchise taxes income received in the form of a grant issued by this state; a city, village, town, or county of this state; a tribal government in this state; or the federal government for broadband expansion in this state. The bill also exempts from income and franchise taxes income received in the form of funding from the federal government for any high-cost universal service funding for broadband expansion. Current law provides an income and franchise tax exemption for income received in the form of allocations issued by this state with moneys received from the federal coronavirus relief fund to be used for broadband expansion. The bill prohibits claiming the exemptions under the bill and the exemption under current law for the same grant. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. LRB-2503/1 KP:wlj 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 176 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AJR12 | Honoring the life and public service of Assembly Chief Clerk Patrick Fuller. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Assembly Chief Clerk Patrick Fuller. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR2 | Requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration). | To create section 1m of article III of the constitution; Relating to: requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR4 | Honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR14 | Honoring the life and public service of Representative David O. Martin. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Representative David O. Martin. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR55 | Recognizing the United States Army’s 250th birthday. | Relating to: recognizing the United States Army[s 250th birthday. | In Committee |
| AB216 | The amount and distribution of the real estate transfer fee, grants under the land information program, real property recording notification systems, and making an appropriation. (FE) | Current law, generally, requires a person who conveys an interest in real property to file a real estate transfer return with the county register of deeds and pay a real estate transfer fee equal to 30 cents for each $100 of the value of the conveyance. The county retains 20 percent of the fees collected and transmits the remainder to the state. This bill decreases the real estate transfer fee to 20 cents for each $100 of the value of the conveyance. Under the bill, 30 percent of the fees collected are deposited into the general fund, 20 percent of the fees are deposited into the land information fund, and the county retains 50 percent of the fees. Under current law, the Department of Administration administers a land information program, using revenue from the land information fund, that provides funding to counties for the modernization of local land records. Under the land information program, DOA awards land information system base budget grants to counties to enable county land information offices to develop, maintain, and operate basic land information systems. Currently, the minimum amount of a grant is $100,000 less the amount of certain fees retained by the county in the preceding fiscal year. The bill increases that base amount to $175,000 less the retained fees. Under current law, DOA may award a grant under the land information program to any county in an amount not less than $1,000 per year to be used for the training and education of county employees for the design, development, and implementation of a land information system. The bill increases the minimum training and education grant amount from $1,000 to $5,000. The bill directs DOA to award additional local government contribution based grants to counties to fully distribute 46 percent of the amount of real estate transfer fees that are deposited into the land information fund under the bill in each fiscal year. Under the bill, DOA annually must award 46 percent of those deposited amounts as grants to counties based on the relative proportion of the fees each county collected. This bill also requires any county that retains real estate transfer fee moneys to establish a real property recording notification system to be administered by the county[s register of deeds. Upon application by a person, such a system monitors publicly recorded real property records for activity and changes related to properties owned by a specific person or a specific property, and, upon the recording of a new document against a monitored property, notifies the person who applied for monitoring. The bill specifies that no fee may be charged to an applicant for application, monitoring, or notification under such a system. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AJR55 | Designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Wisconsin. | Relating to: designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Wisconsin. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SB185 | Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (FE) | Current law provides a property tax exemption for property owned or leased by a nonprofit organization that includes one or more outdoor theaters for performing theater arts which have a total seating capacity of not less than 400 persons. In addition, in order to claim the exemption, the Internal Revenue Service must have confirmed the organization[s federal tax exempt status in a determination letter issued no later than July 31, 1969. This bill modifies the exemption so that it applies to property owned or leased by a nonprofit organization that includes one or more theaters for performing theater arts, regardless of whether the theaters are outdoors or indoors. In addition, in order to claim the exemption, the total capacity of the theaters must be not less than 240 persons and the IRS must have confirmed the organization[s federal tax exempt status in a determination letter issued no later than October 1, 1990. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. LRB-2526/1 JK:cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 185 | In Committee |
| AB194 | Modifications to housing programs under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. (FE) | This bill makes modifications to three housing programs administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority: the residential housing infrastructure revolving loan program, also known as the Infrastructure Access Program; the main street housing rehabilitation revolving loan program, also known as the Restore Main Street Program; and the commercial-to-housing conversion revolving loan program, also known as the Vacancy-to-Vitality Program. For the Infrastructure Access Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to a developer to provide up to 33 percent of total project costs and a loan to a governmental unit to provide up to 25 percent of total project costs. Under current law, a loan to a developer may provide up to 20 percent of total project costs and a loan to a governmental unit may provide up to 10 percent of total project costs. 2. Allows tribal housing authorities or business entities created by a tribal council to receive loans as developers of eligible projects. For the Restore Main Street Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to provide up to $50,000 per dwelling unit or 33 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. Under current law, a loan may provide up to $20,000 per dwelling unit or 25 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. 2. Requires WHEDA to divide the state into regions based on the service jurisdiction of each regional planning commission constituted under current law, with the counties not served by a regional planning commission constituting collectively one region. Under the bill, of the moneys appropriated to the program[s revolving loan fund in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, WHEDA must expend any remaining unencumbered moneys in such a way that no region receives in loans more than 12.5 percent of the total amount of the moneys appropriated in the 2023- 25 fiscal biennium. 3. Allows loans to be awarded to projects under the jurisdiction of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band. For the Vacancy-to-Vitality Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to provide up to 33 percent of total project costs related to constructing residential housing and eliminates the dollar amount cap on loans. Under current law, a loan may provide up to $1,000,000 per project or 20 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. 2. Permits housing developments with four or more dwelling units to be eligible for a loan if the housing development is located in a governmental unit with a population of 10,000 or less. Under current law, an eligible housing development must have 16 or more dwelling units. 3. Allows a project converting a vacant commercial building to a mixed-use development that contains residential housing to be eligible for a loan under the program. Under current law, to be eligible for a loan, a construction project must convert a vacant commercial building to residential housing. Under the bill, a loan awarded for the conversion of a vacant commercial building to a mixed-use development must be for costs associated with constructing residential housing within the mixed-use development. 4. Requires WHEDA to divide the state into regions based on the service jurisdiction of each regional planning commission constituted under current law, with the counties not served by a regional planning commission constituting collectively one region. Under the bill, of the moneys appropriated to the program[s revolving loan fund in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, WHEDA must expend any remaining unencumbered moneys in such a way that no region receives in loans more than 12.5 percent of the total amount of the moneys appropriated in the 2023- 25 fiscal biennium. 5. Allows tribal housing authorities or business entities created by a tribal council to receive loans as developers of eligible projects. For all three of the programs, the bill does all of the following: 1. Permits eligible projects to benefit from a tax incremental district and to use historic tax credits. Under current law, eligible projects may not benefit from a tax incremental district or use historic tax credits. 2. Allows a loan to be awarded for projects on tribal reservation or trust lands not subject to property taxes in this state if the land is designated as tribal reservation or trust lands on the effective date of the bill. 3. In applying for a loan, requires that, in addition to the current law requirement that a governmental unit establish that it has reduced the cost of housing in connection with the eligible project, a governmental unit establish that it has reduced the cost of housing within the governmental unit, generally. 4. Allows a governmental unit to satisfy the loan eligibility condition that it update the housing element of the statutorily required local government comprehensive plan if, within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the loan application, the governmental unit adopts an ordinance or resolution certifying that the housing element of the governmental unit[s current comprehensive plan provides an adequate housing supply that meets existing and forecasted housing demand in the governmental unit. 5. Allows a loan to be secured by a corporate guarantee. Under current law, a loan under any of the three programs must be secured by a personal guarantee. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB185 | Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (FE) | Current law provides a property tax exemption for property owned or leased by a nonprofit organization that includes one or more outdoor theaters for performing theater arts which have a total seating capacity of not less than 400 persons. In addition, in order to claim the exemption, the Internal Revenue Service must have confirmed the organization[s federal tax exempt status in a determination letter issued no later than July 31, 1969. This bill modifies the exemption so that it applies to property owned or leased by a nonprofit organization that includes one or more theaters for performing theater arts, regardless of whether the theaters are outdoors or indoors. In addition, in order to claim the exemption, the total capacity of the theaters must be not less than 240 persons and the IRS must have confirmed the organization[s federal tax exempt status in a determination letter issued no later than October 1, 1990. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB24 | Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in, and the lifespan of, a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Middleton. (FE) | Under current law, the equalized value of taxable property of a new or amended tax incremental district (TID) plus the value increment of all existing TIDs in a city or village may not exceed 12 percent of the total equalized value of taxable property in the city or village. Under this bill, the 12 percent rule does not apply to TID Number 6 created by the city of Middleton if the district is created before June 1, 2025. Also under current law, a city or village may extend the life of a TID for up to one year for housing stock improvement if all of the following occur: 1. The city or village pays off all of the TID[s project costs. 2. The city or village adopts a resolution stating that it intends to extend the life of the TID, the number of months it intends to do so, and how it intends to improve housing stock. 3. The city or village notifies DOR. LRB-1194/1 EVM:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 24 Under the bill, a housing stock improvement extension may not be exercised with regard to TID Number 6 in the city of Middleton. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SB83 | Utilization management controls for antipsychotic prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program. (FE) | This bill prohibits the Department of Health Services from imposing any utilization management controls for prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program that are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and are classified as antipsychotic. Utilization management controls are formal techniques used by a health carrier or prescription drug utilization management entity that are designed to evaluate prescription drug medical necessity, appropriateness, efficacy, or efficiency. Currently, DHS administers the Medical Assistance program, which is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB54 | Utilization management controls for antipsychotic prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program. (FE) | This bill prohibits the Department of Health Services from imposing any utilization management controls for prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program that are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and are classified as antipsychotic. Utilization management controls are formal techniques used by a health carrier or prescription drug utilization management entity that are designed to evaluate prescription drug medical necessity, appropriateness, efficacy, or efficiency. Currently, DHS administers the Medical Assistance program, which is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB190 | Obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court. | Currently, if a person requests access to a public record and the agency or officer in state or local government having custody of the record, known as an XauthorityY under the public records law, withholds or delays granting access to the record or a part of the record, the requester may bring a mandamus action asking a court to order release of the record or part of the record. Current law requires the court to award reasonable attorney fees, damages of not less than $100, and other actual costs to the requester if the requester prevails in whole or in substantial part in any such action. The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided in 2022 that a requester prevails in whole or in substantial part only if the requester obtains a judicially sanctioned change in the parties[ legal relationship, for example, a court order requiring disclosure of a record. See, Friends of Frame Park, U.A. v. City of Waukesha, 2022 WI 57. Under the supreme court[s decision, a requester generally is not entitled to attorney fees and costs if the authority voluntarily or unilaterally without a court order provides contested records after the requester files an action in court. This bill supersedes the supreme court[s decision in Friends of Frame Park. Under the bill, a requester has prevailed in whole or in substantial part if the requester has obtained relief through any of the following means: 1. A judicial order or an enforceable written agreement or consent decree. 2. The authority[s voluntary or unilateral release of a record if the court determines that the filing of the mandamus action was a substantial factor contributing to that voluntary or unilateral release. This standard is substantially the same as the standard that applies for a requester to obtain attorney fees and costs under the federal Freedom of Information Act. | In Committee |
| SB218 | The amount and distribution of the real estate transfer fee, grants under the land information program, real property recording notification systems, and making an appropriation. (FE) | Current law, generally, requires a person who conveys an interest in real property to file a real estate transfer return with the county register of deeds and pay a real estate transfer fee equal to 30 cents for each $100 of the value of the conveyance. The county retains 20 percent of the fees collected and transmits the remainder to the state. This bill decreases the real estate transfer fee to 20 cents for each $100 of the value of the conveyance. Under the bill, 30 percent of the fees collected are deposited into the general fund, 20 percent of the fees are deposited into the land information fund, and the county retains 50 percent of the fees. Under current law, the Department of Administration administers a land information program, using revenue from the land information fund, that provides funding to counties for the modernization of local land records. Under the land LRB-2260/1 KP/EVM/KRP:klm&wlj 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 218 information program, DOA awards land information system base budget grants to counties to enable county land information offices to develop, maintain, and operate basic land information systems. Currently, the minimum amount of a grant is $100,000 less the amount of certain fees retained by the county in the preceding fiscal year. The bill increases that base amount to $175,000 less the retained fees. Under current law, DOA may award a grant under the land information program to any county in an amount not less than $1,000 per year to be used for the training and education of county employees for the design, development, and implementation of a land information system. The bill increases the minimum training and education grant amount from $1,000 to $5,000. The bill directs DOA to award additional local government contribution based grants to counties to fully distribute 46 percent of the amount of real estate transfer fees that are deposited into the land information fund under the bill in each fiscal year. Under the bill, DOA annually must award 46 percent of those deposited amounts as grants to counties based on the relative proportion of the fees each county collected. This bill also requires any county that retains real estate transfer fee moneys to establish a real property recording notification system to be administered by the county[s register of deeds. Upon application by a person, such a system monitors publicly recorded real property records for activity and changes related to properties owned by a specific person or a specific property, and, upon the recording of a new document against a monitored property, notifies the person who applied for monitoring. The bill specifies that no fee may be charged to an applicant for application, monitoring, or notification under such a system. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SJR53 | Designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Wisconsin. | Relating to: designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Wisconsin. | In Committee |
| AB43 | Permitting pharmacists to prescribe certain contraceptives, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE) | This bill permits a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives, subject to limitations described as follows. The bill requires the Pharmacy Examining Board, after consultation with the Medical Examining Board, the Board of Nursing, and the Department of Health Services, to promulgate rules to establish standard procedures for the prescribing of contraceptives by pharmacists under the bill. The rules must require that pharmacists use a self-assessment questionnaire, developed in consideration of guidelines established by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, when prescribing a contraceptive. questionnaire must state and the patient must acknowledge on the self-assessment questionnaire that a hormonal contraceptive patch or a self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive is not protection against sexually transmitted diseases, and that it is strongly recommended that the patient annually meet with a physician or other medical professional to discuss the patient[s prescribed hormonal contraceptive treatment and other routine preventive care. Under the bill, the rules promulgated by the Pharmacy Examining Board establishing standard procedures for the prescribing of contraceptives by pharmacists must include certain requirements for pharmacists such as requiring that the pharmacist report to the patient[s primary health care practitioner following a prescription and requiring that the contraceptive be dispensed as soon as practicable after the pharmacist issues the prescription order. Further, the rules must prohibit a pharmacist from prescribing or dispensing a contraceptive to a patient unless the patient has responded to the self-assessment questionnaire and undergone a blood pressure screening and unless the use of the contraceptive is not contraindicated based upon the results of the questionnaire and screening. A pharmacist who prescribes contraceptives as permitted under the bill must comply with those rules, as well as any other rules promulgated by the Pharmacy Examining Board. A pharmacist may only prescribe a contraceptive to a person who is at least 18 years of age. The bill requires any pharmacist who prescribes hormonal contraceptives as provided in the bill to have in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage in the amounts specified for other health care providers under current law. Finally, the bill requires that DHS ensure any contraceptives or contraceptive services that are covered under the Medical Assistance program are covered and reimbursed when prescribed, if a prescription is required under federal law, or provided by a pharmacist acting within the scope of his or her practice. The Medical Assistance program is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The bill also requires DHS to certify pharmacists as providers of Medical Assistance services for the purposes of covering and reimbursing prescribed hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Crossed Over |
| AB137 | Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE) | AN ACT to create 66.1105 (6) (a) 22., 66.1105 (6) (g) 7., 66.1105 (7) (am) 10. and 66.1105 (17) (h) of the statutes; relating to: maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. This bill creates exceptions to two aspects of the statutes governing tax incremental financing (TIF) for a tax incremental district (TIDs) located in the village of DeForest. Under current law, cities and villages may use TIF to encourage development in the city or village. In general, under TIF, a city or village pays for improvements in a TID and then collects tax moneys attributable to all taxing jurisdictions on the increased property value in the TID for a certain period of time to pay for the improvements. Ideally, after the period of time, the city or village will have been repaid for its initial investment and the property tax base in the TID will have permanently increased in value. In general and in brief, a city or village makes use of TIF using the following procedure: 1. The city or village designates an area as a TID and creates a project plan laying out the expenditures that the city or village will make within the TID. 2. DOR establishes the Xbase valueY of the TID. This value is the equalized value of all taxable property within the TID at the time of its creation. 3. Each year thereafter, the Xvalue incrementY of the property within the TID is determined by subtracting the base value from the current value of property within the TID. The portion of taxes collected on any positive value increment (Xtax incrementY) is collected by the city or village for use solely for the project costs of the TID. The tax increment includes the taxes that would have been collected by other taxing jurisdictions, such as counties or school districts, were the TID not created. 4. Tax increments are collected until the city or village has recovered all of the TID[s project costs or until the TID reaches its statutory termination date. TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest was created as a mixed-use TID in September 2017. Under current law, the unextended termination date of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest is 20 years. Under this bill, the life of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest is extended, and tax increments may continue to be allocated, for up to 30 years after the TID[s creation. Under current law, the equalized value of taxable property of a new or amended TID plus the value increment of all existing TIDs in a city or village may not exceed 12 percent of the total equalized value of taxable property in the city or village. Under the bill, the 12 percent rule does not apply to one amendment of the project plan of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest. Also under current law, a city or village may extend the life of a TID for up to one year for housing stock improvement if all of the following occur: 1. The city or village pays off all of the TID[s project costs. 2. The city or village adopts a resolution stating that it intends to extend the life of the TID, the number of months it intends to do so, and how it intends to improve housing stock. 3. The city or village notifies DOR. Under the bill, a housing stock improvement extension may not be exercised with regard to TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Crossed Over |
| SB133 | Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE) | AN ACT to create 66.1105 (6) (a) 22., 66.1105 (6) (g) 7., 66.1105 (7) (am) 10. and 66.1105 (17) (h) of the statutes; relating to: maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. This bill creates exceptions to two aspects of the statutes governing tax incremental financing (TIF) for a tax incremental district (TIDs) located in the village of DeForest. Under current law, cities and villages may use TIF to encourage development in the city or village. In general, under TIF, a city or village pays for improvements in a TID and then collects tax moneys attributable to all taxing jurisdictions on the increased property value in the TID for a certain period of time to pay for the improvements. Ideally, after the period of time, the city or village will have been repaid for its initial investment and the property tax base in the TID will have permanently increased in value. In general and in brief, a city or village makes use of TIF using the following procedure: 1. The city or village designates an area as a TID and creates a project plan laying out the expenditures that the city or village will make within the TID. LRB-2363/1 EVM:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 133 2. DOR establishes the Xbase valueY of the TID. This value is the equalized value of all taxable property within the TID at the time of its creation. 3. Each year thereafter, the Xvalue incrementY of the property within the TID is determined by subtracting the base value from the current value of property within the TID. The portion of taxes collected on any positive value increment (Xtax incrementY) is collected by the city or village for use solely for the project costs of the TID. The tax increment includes the taxes that would have been collected by other taxing jurisdictions, such as counties or school districts, were the TID not created. 4. Tax increments are collected until the city or village has recovered all of the TID[s project costs or until the TID reaches its statutory termination date. TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest was created as a mixed-use TID in September 2017. Under current law, the unextended termination date of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest is 20 years. Under this bill, the life of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest is extended, and tax increments may continue to be allocated, for up to 30 years after the TID[s creation. Under current law, the equalized value of taxable property of a new or amended TID plus the value increment of all existing TIDs in a city or village may not exceed 12 percent of the total equalized value of taxable property in the city or village. Under the bill, the 12 percent rule does not apply to one amendment of the project plan of TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest. Also under current law, a city or village may extend the life of a TID for up to one year for housing stock improvement if all of the following occur: 1. The city or village pays off all of the TID[s project costs. 2. The city or village adopts a resolution stating that it intends to extend the life of the TID, the number of months it intends to do so, and how it intends to improve housing stock. 3. The city or village notifies DOR. Under the bill, a housing stock improvement extension may not be exercised with regard to TID Number 9 in the village of DeForest. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB168 | Changing the conditions of liability for worker’s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff. (FE) | This bill makes changes to the conditions of liability for worker[s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff members, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff members who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Under current law, if a law enforcement officer or full-time firefighter is diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist, and the mental injury that resulted in that diagnosis is not accompanied by a physical injury, that LRB-0062/1 MIM:amn 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 168 law enforcement officer or firefighter can bring a claim for worker[s compensation benefits if the conditions of liability are proven by the preponderance of the evidence and the mental injury is not the result of a good faith employment action by the person[s employer. Also under current law, liability for such treatment for a mental injury is limited to no more than 32 weeks after the injury is first reported. Under current law, an injured emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member who does not have an accompanying physical injury must demonstrate a diagnosis based on unusual stress of greater dimensions than the day-to-day emotional strain and tension experienced by all employees as required under School District No. 1 v. DILHR, 62 Wis. 2d 370, 215 N.W.2d 373 (1974) in order to receive worker[s compensation benefits for PTSD. Under the bill, such an injured emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member is not required to demonstrate a diagnosis based on that standard, and instead must demonstrate a diagnosis based on the same standard as law enforcement officers and firefighters. Finally, under the bill, an emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member is restricted to compensation for a mental injury that is not accompanied by a physical injury and that results in a diagnosis of PTSD three times in his or her lifetime irrespective of a change of employer or employment in the same manner as law enforcement officers and firefighters. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB170 | Rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE) | Under current law, certain people who receive a retirement or disability annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) and who are hired by an employer that participates in the WRS must suspend that annuity and may not receive a WRS annuity payment until they are no longer in a WRS-covered position. This suspension applies to an annuitant who 1) has reached his or her normal retirement date; 2) is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer; and 3) is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. This bill allows such an annuitant who is hired by a WRS-participating employer as an employee or to provide employee services to not suspend his or her annuity for up to 60 months. The bill also requires WRS-participating employers that hire such annuitants to make payments to ETF equal to what they would have paid as required contributions for each rehired annuitant if the rehired annuitant LRB-2369/1 MIM:wlj 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 170 had suspended his or her annuity. Under the bill, these payments are deposited into the employer reserve account. If the annuitant does not suspend the annuity and does not become an active WRS-participating employee, in the case of state employment, the annuitant is not eligible for group insurance benefits provided to active WRS-participating employees and may not use any of his or her service in the new position for any WRS purposes. If the annuitant opts to again become an active WRS-participating employee, the annuitant is eligible for all group insurance benefits provided to other participating employees and may accumulate additional years of creditable service under the WRS for the new period of WRS-covered employment. The bill also repeals two obsolete provisions related to WRS annuitants returning to WRS-covered employment during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order 72, which ended on May 13, 2020. Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB158 | Changing the conditions of liability for worker’s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff. (FE) | This bill makes changes to the conditions of liability for worker[s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff members, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff members who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Under current law, if a law enforcement officer or full-time firefighter is diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist, and the mental injury that resulted in that diagnosis is not accompanied by a physical injury, that law enforcement officer or firefighter can bring a claim for worker[s compensation benefits if the conditions of liability are proven by the preponderance of the evidence and the mental injury is not the result of a good faith employment action by the person[s employer. Also under current law, liability for such treatment for a mental injury is limited to no more than 32 weeks after the injury is first reported. Under current law, an injured emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member who does not have an accompanying physical injury must demonstrate a diagnosis based on unusual stress of greater dimensions than the day-to-day emotional strain and tension experienced by all employees as required under School District No. 1 v. DILHR, 62 Wis. 2d 370, 215 N.W.2d 373 (1974) in order to receive worker[s compensation benefits for PTSD. Under the bill, such an injured emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member is not required to demonstrate a diagnosis based on that standard, and instead must demonstrate a diagnosis based on the same standard as law enforcement officers and firefighters. Finally, under the bill, an emergency medical responder, emergency medical services practitioner, volunteer firefighter, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, coroner, coroner staff member, medical examiner, or medical examiner staff member is restricted to compensation for a mental injury that is not accompanied by a physical injury and that results in a diagnosis of PTSD three times in his or her lifetime irrespective of a change of employer or employment in the same manner as law enforcement officers and firefighters. Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB42 | Permitting pharmacists to prescribe certain contraceptives, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE) | This bill permits a pharmacist to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives, subject to limitations described as follows. The bill requires the Pharmacy Examining Board, after consultation with the Medical Examining Board, the Board of Nursing, and the Department of Health Services, to promulgate rules to establish standard procedures for the prescribing of contraceptives by pharmacists under the bill. The rules must require that pharmacists use a self-assessment questionnaire, developed in consideration of guidelines established by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, when prescribing a contraceptive. LRB-2068/1 JPC:cdc The self-assessment 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 42 questionnaire must state and the patient must acknowledge on the self-assessment questionnaire that a hormonal contraceptive patch or a self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive is not protection against sexually transmitted diseases, and that it is strongly recommended that the patient annually meet with a physician or other medical professional to discuss the patient[s prescribed hormonal contraceptive treatment and other routine preventive care. Under the bill, the rules promulgated by the Pharmacy Examining Board establishing standard procedures for the prescribing of contraceptives by pharmacists must include certain requirements for pharmacists such as requiring that the pharmacist report to the patient[s primary health care practitioner following a prescription and requiring that the contraceptive be dispensed as soon as practicable after the pharmacist issues the prescription order. Further, the rules must prohibit a pharmacist from prescribing or dispensing a contraceptive to a patient unless the patient has responded to the self-assessment questionnaire and undergone a blood pressure screening and unless the use of the contraceptive is not contraindicated based upon the results of the questionnaire and screening. A pharmacist who prescribes contraceptives as permitted under the bill must comply with those rules, as well as any other rules promulgated by the Pharmacy Examining Board. A pharmacist may only prescribe a contraceptive to a person who is at least 18 years of age. The bill requires any pharmacist who prescribes hormonal contraceptives as provided in the bill to have in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage in the amounts specified for other health care providers under current law. Finally, the bill requires that DHS ensure any contraceptives or contraceptive services that are covered under the Medical Assistance program are covered and reimbursed when prescribed, if a prescription is required under federal law, or provided by a pharmacist acting within the scope of his or her practice. The Medical Assistance program is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The bill also requires DHS to certify pharmacists as providers of Medical Assistance services for the purposes of covering and reimbursing prescribed hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB21 | Creating an employee ownership conversion costs tax credit, a deduction for capital gains from the transfer of a business to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program. (FE) | This bill creates tax incentives related to businesses in this state converting to an employee ownership business structure and requires the Department of Revenue to establish an outreach and education program to promote employee ownership business structures. Employee ownership conversion costs tax credit Under the bill, DOR may certify a business to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit for an amount equal to 70 percent of costs related to converting the business to a worker-owned cooperative or 50 percent of the costs related to LRB-1413/1 KP:cdc&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 21 converting the business to an employee stock ownership plan. The credit is limited to a maximum amount of $100,000. A business is qualified to receive the credit if the business is subject to income and franchise taxes in this state and, at the time the business receives the credit, does not have an employee stock ownership plan and is not, in whole or in part, a worker-owned cooperative. Capital gain deduction The bill also creates an individual income tax subtraction and a corporate income and franchise tax deduction for the amount of the capital gain realized from the transfer of ownership of a business in this state to an employee stock ownership plan or worker-owned cooperative. Employee ownership outreach and education Finally, the bill directs DOR to establish an economic development program for the purpose of promoting employee ownership business structures, including the business structures of employee stock ownership plans and worker-owned cooperatives, through education, outreach, technical assistance, and training related to converting existing businesses to an employee ownership business structure or starting new businesses with an employee ownership business structure. The bill directs DOR to submit an application to the U.S. secretary of labor for a grant under 29 USC 3228 for use in administering the program created in the bill. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB22 | Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in, and the lifespan of, a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Middleton. (FE) | Under current law, the equalized value of taxable property of a new or amended tax incremental district (TID) plus the value increment of all existing TIDs in a city or village may not exceed 12 percent of the total equalized value of taxable property in the city or village. Under this bill, the 12 percent rule does not apply to TID Number 6 created by the city of Middleton if the district is created before June 1, 2025. Also under current law, a city or village may extend the life of a TID for up to one year for housing stock improvement if all of the following occur: 1. The city or village pays off all of the TID[s project costs. 2. The city or village adopts a resolution stating that it intends to extend the life of the TID, the number of months it intends to do so, and how it intends to improve housing stock. 3. The city or village notifies DOR. Under the bill, a housing stock improvement extension may not be exercised with regard to TID Number 6 in the city of Middleton. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB208 | An income and franchise tax exemption for broadband expansion grants and for federal high-cost program funding for broadband expansion. (FE) | This bill exempts from state income and franchise taxes income received in the form of a grant issued by this state; a city, village, town, or county of this state; a tribal government in this state; or the federal government for broadband expansion in this state. The bill also exempts from income and franchise taxes income received in the form of funding from the federal government for any high-cost universal service funding for broadband expansion. Current law provides an income and franchise tax exemption for income received in the form of allocations issued by this state with moneys received from the federal coronavirus relief fund to be used for broadband expansion. The bill prohibits claiming the exemptions under the bill and the exemption under current law for the same grant. Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AJR50 | Recognizing the United States Army’s 250th birthday. | Relating to: recognizing the United States Army[s 250th birthday. | In Committee |
| SB213 | A tax credit for rail infrastructure modernization. (FE) | This bill creates an income and franchise tax credit for railroads that make rail infrastructure and railroad maintenance expenditures. Under the bill, a claimant that is classified by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board as a class II or class III railroad may claim a rail infrastructure modernization credit that is equal to the sum of the following amounts: 1. Fifty percent of the qualified short line railroad maintenance expenditures made by the railroad. This portion of the credit is limited to an amount equal to $5,000 multiplied by the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the railroad. The bill defines Xqualified short line railroad maintenance expendituresY as gross expenditures for railroad infrastructure rehabilitation or maintenance improvements located in this state. 2. Fifty percent of the railroad[s qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures. This portion of the credit is limited to $2,000,000 per project. The bill defines Xqualified new rail infrastructure expendituresY as expenditures for rail LRB-1305/1 KP:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 213 infrastructure and improvements in this state placed in service after December 31, 2024. A claimant that owns or leases a rail siding, industrial spur, or industry track may claim the portion of the credit described above for the claimant[s qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures. Before claiming a credit under the bill, a claimant must first apply to and receive approval from the Department of Revenue to claim the credit. DOR may approve up to $10,000,000 in total credits for qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures for each tax year, and DOR must approve applications for credits on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB141 | Provisional social worker certificates and licenses. | Current law prohibits a person from using the title Xsocial workerY without holding a social worker certificate, and similarly prohibits the use of other titles corresponding to higher levels of social work practice without a corresponding credential for that level of social work practice. Those higher levels of social work practice include advanced practice social work, independent social work, and clinical social work. Current law further prohibits the practice of clinical social work without a clinical social worker license. Current law specifies requirements for obtaining these social worker credentials, all of which include a requirement of passage of an examination. This bill provides for an alternative pathway to obtain a social work credential without passage of a national examination. Under the bill, an individual who has taken the examination corresponding to a particular category of social work credential and has not passed the examination, but who otherwise satisfies the requirements for the credential, may obtain a provisional credential. With the provisional credential, the individual is allowed to practice the corresponding level of social work, may use the corresponding title, and is considered to be that level of social worker, but the individual must obtain at least three hours of supervision during every 160 hours of practice, in accordance with the bill and rules promulgated by the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board and subject to periodic evaluation. Upon successful completion of the supervised practice requirement, the individual must receive a final evaluation and may obtain a corresponding nonprovisional social worker credential without passage of the examination. | In Committee |
| SB140 | Provisional social worker certificates and licenses. | Current law prohibits a person from using the title Xsocial workerY without holding a social worker certificate, and similarly prohibits the use of other titles corresponding to higher levels of social work practice without a corresponding credential for that level of social work practice. Those higher levels of social work practice include advanced practice social work, independent social work, and clinical social work. Current law further prohibits the practice of clinical social work without a clinical social worker license. Current law specifies requirements for obtaining these social worker credentials, all of which include a requirement of passage of an examination. This bill provides for an alternative pathway to obtain a social work credential without passage of a national examination. Under the bill, an individual who has taken the examination corresponding to a particular category of social work credential and has not passed the examination, but who otherwise satisfies the requirements for the credential, may obtain a provisional credential. With the provisional credential, the individual is allowed to practice the corresponding level of social work, may use the corresponding title, and is considered to be that level of LRB-2171/1 MED:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 140 social worker, but the individual must obtain at least three hours of supervision during every 160 hours of practice, in accordance with the bill and rules promulgated by the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board and subject to periodic evaluation. Upon successful completion of the supervised practice requirement, the individual must receive a final evaluation and may obtain a corresponding nonprovisional social worker credential without passage of the examination. | In Committee |
| SB180 | Modifications to housing programs under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. (FE) | This bill makes modifications to three housing programs administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority: the residential housing infrastructure revolving loan program, also known as the Infrastructure Access Program; the main street housing rehabilitation revolving loan program, also known as the Restore Main Street Program; and the commercial-to-housing conversion revolving loan program, also known as the Vacancy-to-Vitality Program. For the Infrastructure Access Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to a developer to provide up to 33 percent of total project costs and a loan to a governmental unit to provide up to 25 percent of total project costs. Under current law, a loan to a developer may provide up to 20 percent of total project costs and a loan to a governmental unit may provide up to 10 percent of total project costs. 2. Allows tribal housing authorities or business entities created by a tribal council to receive loans as developers of eligible projects. For the Restore Main Street Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to provide up to $50,000 per dwelling unit or 33 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. Under current law, a loan may provide up to $20,000 per dwelling unit or 25 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. 2. Requires WHEDA to divide the state into regions based on the service jurisdiction of each regional planning commission constituted under current law, with the counties not served by a regional planning commission constituting collectively one region. Under the bill, of the moneys appropriated to the program[s revolving loan fund in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, WHEDA must expend any remaining unencumbered moneys in such a way that no region receives in loans more than 12.5 percent of the total amount of the moneys appropriated in the 2023- 25 fiscal biennium. 3. Allows loans to be awarded to projects under the jurisdiction of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band. For the Vacancy-to-Vitality Program, the bill does all of the following: 1. Allows a loan to provide up to 33 percent of total project costs related to constructing residential housing and eliminates the dollar amount cap on loans. Under current law, a loan may provide up to $1,000,000 per project or 20 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. 2. Permits housing developments with four or more dwelling units to be eligible for a loan if the housing development is located in a governmental unit with a population of 10,000 or less. Under current law, an eligible housing development must have 16 or more dwelling units. 3. Allows a project converting a vacant commercial building to a mixed-use development that contains residential housing to be eligible for a loan under the LRB-1325/1 MDE:klm&cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 180 program. Under current law, to be eligible for a loan, a construction project must convert a vacant commercial building to residential housing. Under the bill, a loan awarded for the conversion of a vacant commercial building to a mixed-use development must be for costs associated with constructing residential housing within the mixed-use development. 4. Requires WHEDA to divide the state into regions based on the service jurisdiction of each regional planning commission constituted under current law, with the counties not served by a regional planning commission constituting collectively one region. Under the bill, of the moneys appropriated to the program[s revolving loan fund in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, WHEDA must expend any remaining unencumbered moneys in such a way that no region receives in loans more than 12.5 percent of the total amount of the moneys appropriated in the 2023- 25 fiscal biennium. 5. Allows tribal housing authorities or business entities created by a tribal council to receive loans as developers of eligible projects. For all three of the programs, the bill does all of the following: 1. Permits eligible projects to benefit from a tax incremental district and to use historic tax credits. Under current law, eligible projects may not benefit from a tax incremental district or use historic tax credits. 2. Allows a loan to be awarded for projects on tribal reservation or trust lands not subject to property taxes in this state if the land is designated as tribal reservation or trust lands on the effective date of the bill. 3. In applying for a loan, requires that, in addition to the current law requirement that a governmental unit establish that it has reduced the cost of housing in connection with the eligible project, a governmental unit establish that it has reduced the cost of housing within the governmental unit, generally. 4. Allows a governmental unit to satisfy the loan eligibility condition that it update the housing element of the statutorily required local government comprehensive plan if, within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the loan application, the governmental unit adopts an ordinance or resolution certifying that the housing element of the governmental unit[s current comprehensive plan provides an adequate housing supply that meets existing and forecasted housing demand in the governmental unit. 5. Allows a loan to be secured by a corporate guarantee. Under current law, a loan under any of the three programs must be secured by a personal guarantee. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB243 | The age at which an infant is covered under the safe haven law. | Under current law, commonly referred to as the Xsafe haven law,Y a child whom a law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member reasonably believes to be 72 hours old or younger (newborn infant) may be taken into custody under circumstances in which a parent of the newborn infant relinquishes custody of the newborn infant to the law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member and does not express an intent to return for the newborn infant or in which a parent of the newborn infant leaves the child in a newborn infant safety device installed in a supporting wall of a hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency. Under current law, a parent who relinquishes custody of a child under the safe haven law and any person who assists the parent in that relinquishment are immune from any civil or criminal liability for any good faith act or omission in connection with the relinquishment. This bill changes the maximum age at which a newborn infant falls under the safe haven law from 72 hours old to 30 days old. LRB-2839/1 EHS:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 243 | In Committee |
| SB238 | Harassment of search and rescue dogs and providing a penalty. | Under current law, no person may do any of the following to any animal that is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties: frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass the animal; strike, shove, kick or otherwise subject the animal to physical contact; or strike the animal by using a dangerous weapon. Under current law, any person who does any of those actions is subject to a Class B forfeiture, or, if the person knows the animal is a police or fire dog, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes injury to the animal is guilty of a Class I felony, and any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes death of the animal is guilty of a Class H felony. Additionally, for such a violation, a sentencing court must require a criminal violator to pay restitution, including veterinary care expenses or the value of a replacement animal. This bill expands this prohibition to include search and rescue dogs in addition to animals that are used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties. Under the bill, Xsearch and rescue dogY means a dog that has been trained or is being trained by a state or LRB-2887/1 MJW:cdc 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 238 nationally recognized search and rescue agency to locate lost or missing individuals and victims of disasters in search and rescue activities. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | In Committee |
| SB188 | Reduction of penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures reduced. (FE) | Under current law, when a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for certain violations of state law or municipal or county ordinances, a penalty surcharge in the amount of 26 percent of the amount of the fine or forfeiture is also imposed. Current law provides that when a fine or forfeiture is suspended in whole or in part, the penalty surcharge must be reduced in proportion to the suspension. This bill requires the same rule to be applied for reduction of a fine or forfeiture. Under the bill, when a fine or forfeiture to which the penalty surcharge applies is reduced, the penalty surcharge must also be reduced in proportion to the reduction. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB179 | Applying the motor vehicle fuel tax supplier’s administrative allowance to diesel fuel, a motor vehicle fuel tax refund for evaporation losses, and making an appropriation. (FE) | Administrative allowance of the motor vehicle fuel tax Current law allows a motor vehicle fuel supplier to retain as an administrative allowance 1.35 percent of the motor vehicle fuel tax the supplier collects on the first sale of gasoline in this state. This bill allows a motor vehicle fuel supplier to retain the same administrative allowance for the motor vehicle fuel tax the supplier collects on the first sale of diesel fuel in this state. Retailer refund for motor vehicle fuel evaporation The bill allows a retailer who sells gasoline, diesel fuel, or both (motor vehicle fuel) in this state to claim a refund equal to 0.5 percent of the state motor vehicle fuel tax paid on the retailer[s purchase of the motor vehicle fuel to compensate for motor vehicle fuel stored on site that is lost by shrinkage or evaporation. A claim for a refund under the bill must be made to the Department of Revenue no later than 12 months after the date on which the retailer purchased the motor vehicle fuel and must be accompanied with invoices prepared by the motor vehicle fuel supplier or a LRB-2510/1 JK:skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 179 list of purchases prepared by the retailer. Prior to 2019, the state provided such refunds to compensate gasoline retailers for shrinkage and evaporation losses. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB155 | Designating the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway. (FE) | This bill directs the Department of Transportation to designate and mark USH 12 in the village of Lake Delton in Sauk County as the XTom Diehl Memorial Highway.Y For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB148 | Interpreter action by telephone or live audiovisual means in civil or criminal proceedings. | Under current law, in any civil or criminal proceeding other than a trial, a court may permit an interpreter to act by telephone or live audiovisual means. This bill removes the exclusion for trials, so that an interpreter may act by telephone or live audiovisual means in any civil or criminal proceeding. | In Committee |
| SB105 | Jailers and protective occupation annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE) | Under current law, certain persons who receive a retirement or disability annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System and who are hired by an employer that participates in the WRS must suspend that annuity and may not receive a WRS annuity payment until the employee is no longer in a WRS-covered position. This suspension applies to a person who 1) has reached his or her normal retirement date; 2) is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer or provides employee services to a WRS-participating employer; and 3) is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. This bill creates an exception to this suspension for an annuitant who retired from employment with a participating employer and who is subsequently rehired or provides employee services after retirement if 1) at the time the annuitant initially retires from covered employment with a participating employer, the annuitant does not have an agreement with any participating employer to return to employment; 2) LRB-2167/1 MIM:klm&emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 105 the annuitant elects to not become a participating employee at the time the annuitant is rehired or enters into a contract after retirement; and 3) either the annuitant retired as a protective occupation participant or the annuitant retired as a county jailer who was not a protective occupation participant under the WRS. Under current law, a county jailer has the opportunity to opt out of becoming a protective occupation participant under the WRS. The bill treats county jailers who opt out of becoming a protective occupation participant in the same manner as county jailers who are protective occupation participants. Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB188 | Reduction of penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures reduced. (FE) | Under current law, when a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for certain violations of state law or municipal or county ordinances, a penalty surcharge in the amount of 26 percent of the amount of the fine or forfeiture is also imposed. Current law provides that when a fine or forfeiture is suspended in whole or in part, the penalty surcharge must be reduced in proportion to the suspension. This bill requires the same rule to be applied for reduction of a fine or forfeiture. Under the bill, when a fine or forfeiture to which the penalty surcharge applies is reduced, the penalty surcharge must also be reduced in proportion to the reduction. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB219 | A tax credit for rail infrastructure modernization. (FE) | This bill creates an income and franchise tax credit for railroads that make rail infrastructure and railroad maintenance expenditures. Under the bill, a claimant that is classified by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board as a class II or class III railroad may claim a rail infrastructure modernization credit that is equal to the sum of the following amounts: 1. Fifty percent of the qualified short line railroad maintenance expenditures made by the railroad. This portion of the credit is limited to an amount equal to $5,000 multiplied by the number of miles of railroad track owned or leased by the railroad. The bill defines Xqualified short line railroad maintenance expendituresY as gross expenditures for railroad infrastructure rehabilitation or maintenance improvements located in this state. 2. Fifty percent of the railroad[s qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures. This portion of the credit is limited to $2,000,000 per project. The bill defines Xqualified new rail infrastructure expendituresY as expenditures for rail infrastructure and improvements in this state placed in service after December 31, 2024. A claimant that owns or leases a rail siding, industrial spur, or industry track may claim the portion of the credit described above for the claimant[s qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures. Before claiming a credit under the bill, a claimant must first apply to and receive approval from the Department of Revenue to claim the credit. DOR may approve up to $10,000,000 in total credits for qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures for each tax year, and DOR must approve applications for credits on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB26 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty. | Under current law, the crime of battery is defined as intentionally causing another person bodily harm and is a Class A misdemeanor. Under current law, if the battery is a special circumstance battery—for example, the battery is committed against an individual because of the individual[s status as a law enforcement officer, witness in a trial, or juror—the penalty is increased to a Class H felony. Under this bill, a threat or battery against a juror or a threat or battery against a family member of a juror is a Class H felony. Current law also allows a judge, upon sentencing a person for a crime, to prohibit the person from contacting a victim of or witness to the person[s crime during any part of the person[s sentence or probation. The bill allows a judge to prohibit a person who is convicted of a crime from contacting, for any part of the person[s sentence or probation, a juror who served at any proceeding related to the person[s crime. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | In Committee |
| SB113 | A transition to grazing pilot program and making an appropriation. (FE) | This bill creates a Xtransition to grazing pilot programY in the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to provide support and grants to farmers who are implementing livestock forage-based managed grazing systems and farmers and agribusinesses in the grazing-fed livestock business. Under the bill the department may award up to $40,000 to each grantee, and may disperse up to 75 percent of the grant in the first year following the department[s decision to grant the award and may disperse up to 12.5 percent of the award in each of the second and third years following the department[s decision to grant the award. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB118 | A transition to grazing pilot program and making an appropriation. (FE) | This bill creates a Xtransition to grazing pilot programY in the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to provide support and grants to farmers who are implementing livestock forage-based managed grazing systems and farmers and agribusinesses in the grazing-fed livestock business. Under the bill the department may award up to $40,000 to each grantee, and may disperse up to 75 percent of the grant in the first year following the department[s decision to grant the award and may disperse up to 12.5 percent of the award in each of the second and third years following the department[s decision to grant the award. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB205 | Information provided to voters concerning proposed constitutional amendments and other statewide referenda. (FE) | Current law requires that each proposed constitutional amendment, contingent referendum, advisory referendum, or other proposal requiring a statewide referendum that is passed by the legislature include a complete statement of the ballot question to be voted on at the referendum. The ballot question may not be worded in such a manner as to require a negative vote to approve a proposition or an affirmative vote to disapprove a proposition. Also under current law, the attorney general must prepare an explanatory statement for each proposed constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum describing the effect of either a XyesY or XnoY vote on each ballot question. This bill eliminates the requirement that the attorney general prepare such an explanatory statement. Instead, the bill requires that each proposal for a constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum that passes both houses of the legislature contain a complete state referendum disclosure notice that includes all of the following: 1. The date of the referendum. LRB-2640/1 MPG:wlj 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 205 2. The entire text of the ballot question and proposed constitutional amendment or enactment, if any. 3. To the extent applicable, a plain language summary of current law. 4. An explanation in plain language of the effect of the proposed constitutional amendment or other statewide referendum. 5. An explanation in plain language of the effect of a XyesY vote and the effect of a XnoY vote. Under the bill, the content under items 3 to 5 combined may not exceed one page on paper not less than 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches and printed in at least 12- point font. Under the bill, the complete state referendum disclosure notice agreed to by both houses of the legislature must be included in the type C notice entitled XNotice of ReferendumY that each county clerk must provide prior to any referendum. Current law requires that the text of the type C notice be posted at polling places on election day in such a manner as to be readily observed by voters entering the polling place or waiting in line to vote. As such, the complete state referendum disclosure notice must be so posted at the polls on election day. Additionally, for at least 30 days prior to the date of a statewide referendum, the complete state referendum disclosure notice must be published by the Elections Commission on the website used for voter registration, currently titled MyVote Wisconsin, or other voter public access website maintained by the commission and must be posted by each county clerk at the county clerk[s office and published by the county clerk on the county clerk[s website. Finally, the notice must be included with absentee ballots provided to voters for voting in a statewide referendum. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB239 | Harassment of search and rescue dogs and providing a penalty. | Under current law, no person may do any of the following to any animal that is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties: frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass the animal; strike, shove, kick or otherwise subject the animal to physical contact; or strike the animal by using a dangerous weapon. Under current law, any person who does any of those actions is subject to a Class B forfeiture, or, if the person knows the animal is a police or fire dog, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes injury to the animal is guilty of a Class I felony, and any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes death of the animal is guilty of a Class H felony. Additionally, for such a violation, a sentencing court must require a criminal violator to pay restitution, including veterinary care expenses or the value of a replacement animal. This bill expands this prohibition to include search and rescue dogs in addition to animals that are used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties. Under the bill, Xsearch and rescue dogY means a dog that has been trained or is being trained by a state or nationally recognized search and rescue agency to locate lost or missing individuals and victims of disasters in search and rescue activities. Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report. | In Committee |
| SB160 | Designating the Tom Diehl Memorial Highway. (FE) | This bill directs the Department of Transportation to designate and mark USH 12 in the village of Lake Delton in Sauk County as the XTom Diehl Memorial Highway.Y For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB119 | Positions for the Office of School Safety. (FE) | Under current law, there is an Office of School Safety in the Department of Justice. The office has 14.2 project positions that will expire on October 1, 2025; the purpose of these positions is to support and enhance school safety initiatives. Under current law, the positions are funded by fees that DOJ receives for performing background checks for handgun sales and for issuing licenses to carry a concealed weapon. This bill creates the positions as permanent positions and funds them with general purpose revenue beginning on October 1, 2025, when the project positions expire. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB120 | Positions for the Office of School Safety. (FE) | Under current law, there is an Office of School Safety in the Department of Justice. The office has 14.2 project positions that will expire on October 1, 2025; the purpose of these positions is to support and enhance school safety initiatives. Under current law, the positions are funded by fees that DOJ receives for performing background checks for handgun sales and for issuing licenses to carry a concealed weapon. This bill creates the positions as permanent positions and funds them with general purpose revenue beginning on October 1, 2025, when the project positions expire. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AR3 | Observing February 28, 2025, as Rare Disease Day in Wisconsin. | Relating to: observing February 28, 2025, as Rare Disease Day in Wisconsin. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR23 | Designating April 2025 and April 2026 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Months. | Relating to: designating April 2025 and April 2026 as Parkinson[s Disease Awareness Months. | In Committee |
| AB200 | Applying the motor vehicle fuel tax supplier’s administrative allowance to diesel fuel, a motor vehicle fuel tax refund for evaporation losses, and making an appropriation. (FE) | Administrative allowance of the motor vehicle fuel tax Current law allows a motor vehicle fuel supplier to retain as an administrative allowance 1.35 percent of the motor vehicle fuel tax the supplier collects on the first sale of gasoline in this state. This bill allows a motor vehicle fuel supplier to retain the same administrative allowance for the motor vehicle fuel tax the supplier collects on the first sale of diesel fuel in this state. Retailer refund for motor vehicle fuel evaporation The bill allows a retailer who sells gasoline, diesel fuel, or both (motor vehicle fuel) in this state to claim a refund equal to 0.5 percent of the state motor vehicle fuel tax paid on the retailer[s purchase of the motor vehicle fuel to compensate for motor vehicle fuel stored on site that is lost by shrinkage or evaporation. A claim for a refund under the bill must be made to the Department of Revenue no later than 12 months after the date on which the retailer purchased the motor vehicle fuel and must be accompanied with invoices prepared by the motor vehicle fuel supplier or a list of purchases prepared by the retailer. Prior to 2019, the state provided such refunds to compensate gasoline retailers for shrinkage and evaporation losses. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SJR29 | Designating April 2025 and April 2026 as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Months. | Relating to: designating April 2025 and April 2026 as Parkinson[s Disease Awareness Months. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR28 | Reaffirming Wisconsin’s commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Wisconsin and Taiwan; reaffirming Wisconsin’s support for the Taiwan Relations Act; supporting Taiwan’s signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States; and continuing support for increasing Taiwan’s international profile. | Relating to: reaffirming Wisconsin[s commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Wisconsin and Taiwan; reaffirming Wisconsin[s support for the Taiwan Relations Act; supporting Taiwan[s signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States; and continuing support for increasing Taiwan[s international profile. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AB161 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device. | Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict 1) the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle, or 2) the use or sale of any other device on the basis of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the device. | In Committee |
| SJR14 | Honoring the life and public service of Representative David O. Martin. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Representative David O. Martin. | In Committee |
| AJR24 | Reaffirming Wisconsin’s commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Wisconsin and Taiwan; reaffirming Wisconsin’s support for the Taiwan Relations Act; supporting Taiwan’s signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States; and continuing support for increasing Taiwan’s international profile. | Relating to: reaffirming Wisconsin[s commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Wisconsin and Taiwan; reaffirming Wisconsin[s support for the Taiwan Relations Act; supporting Taiwan[s signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States; and continuing support for increasing Taiwan[s international profile. | In Committee |
| AB78 | Impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE) | Under current law, a political subdivision may enact an ordinance authorizing law enforcement officers to impound vehicles used in reckless driving offenses if the person cited for reckless driving is the owner of the vehicle and the person has a prior reckless driving conviction for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not been fully paid. Under this bill, such an ordinance may authorize the impoundment of any vehicle used in a reckless driving offense regardless of ownership of the vehicle or prior record of the operator. The bill also provides that a local ordinance may authorize impounding such a vehicle until outstanding fines and forfeitures owed by the vehicle[s owner are fully paid. Also under the bill, upon impounding a vehicle under such an ordinance, the law enforcement officer must attempt to determine if the vehicle has been reported as stolen, and if so, the officer or the impounding political subdivision must attempt to contact the owner. If the vehicle is reported as stolen, the vehicle must be released to the owner without the payment of a fee or charge. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Crossed Over |
| SB65 | Impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE) | Under current law, a political subdivision may enact an ordinance authorizing law enforcement officers to impound vehicles used in reckless driving offenses if the person cited for reckless driving is the owner of the vehicle and the person has a prior reckless driving conviction for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not been fully paid. Under this bill, such an ordinance may authorize the impoundment of any vehicle used in a reckless driving offense regardless of ownership of the vehicle or prior record of the operator. The bill also provides that a local ordinance may authorize impounding such a vehicle until outstanding fines and forfeitures owed by the vehicle[s owner are fully paid. Also under the bill, upon impounding a vehicle under such an ordinance, the law enforcement officer must attempt to determine if the vehicle has been reported as stolen, and if so, the officer or the impounding political subdivision must attempt to contact the owner. If the vehicle is reported as stolen, the vehicle must be released to the owner without the payment of a fee or charge. LRB-2000/1 EVM:emw&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 65 For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB97 | Extension of eligibility under the Medical Assistance program for postpartum women. (FE) | This bill requires the Department of Health Services to seek approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to extend until the last day of the month in which the 365th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls Medical Assistance benefits to women who are eligible for those benefits when pregnant. Currently, postpartum women are eligible for Medical Assistance benefits until the last day of the month in which the 60th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls. 2021 Wisconsin Act 58 required DHS to seek approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to extend these postpartum Medical Assistance benefits until the last day of the month in which the 90th day after the last day of the pregnancy falls. On June 3, 2022, DHS filed a Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver application with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend postpartum coverage for eligible Medical Assistance recipients, as required by 2021 Wisconsin Act 58. The Medical Assistance program is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB1 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) | Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction is required to annually publish a school and school district accountability report, commonly known as school and school district report cards, for the previous school year. To measure school performance and school district improvement for purposes of the report cards, particularly measures related to pupil achievement in reading and math, DPI uses data derived from pupil performance on assessments administered in the previous school year, including assessments commonly referred to as the Wisconsin Student Assessment System, which includes the Wisconsin Forward Exam, PreACT, the ACT with Writing, and Dynamic Learning Maps. Under the bill, beginning with report cards published for the school year in which the bill becomes law, for the index system to identify school and school district performance and improvement, also known as the accountability rating categories, DPI must use the same cut scores, score ranges, and corresponding qualitative descriptions that DPI used for report cards published in the 2019-20 school year. In addition, beginning with the WSAS administered in the school year in which the bill becomes law, DPI must do the following: 1. For the Wisconsin Forward exam in English Language Arts and Mathematics, align cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories to the cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 2. For the PreACT and ACT with Writing in English, Reading, and Mathematics, use the same cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories that DPI used for the same assessments administered in the 2021-22 school year. The bill specifically requires DPI to use the terms “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient,” and “advanced” for pupil performance categories on these assessments. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Vetoed |
| SB104 | Providing safe drinking water in public and private schools. (FE) | By no later than approximately 15 months after the date this bill becomes law, the governing body of each public and private school in this state must develop a drinking water management plan for the private or public school. Under the bill, each drinking water management plan must 1) specify the locations of filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets maintained to deliver water for human consumption, of water outlets maintained for purposes other than for human consumption, and of water outlets that are shut off or permanently inoperable; 2) provide at least one filtered bottle-filling station for every 100 occupants of the school; 3) provide for the installation of a filtered faucet only when the installation of a filtered bottle-filling station is not feasible and a water outlet for human consumption is necessary; and 4) provide a schedule for water sampling and testing at each filtered bottle-filling station and filtered faucet in the school for lead, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and a schedule for replacing filter cartridges used in filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets. Under the bill, if water testing under a drinking water management plan indicates lead at a concentration between one part per billion and five parts per billion, the governing body of a public or private school must take certain actions, LRB-1713/1 FFK:cjs 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 104 including checking water filters, ensuring that the filtered bottle-filling station or faucet is properly installed, and retesting the filtered water. If water testing under a drinking water management plan indicates lead at a concentration that is more than five parts per billion or the presence of PFOA or PFOS at a level that exceeds a state or federal standard, the governing body of a public or private school must immediately shut off the water outlet, post a sign stating that the water outlet is shut off due to the high concentration of lead, PFOA, or PFOS, whichever applies, replace the water filters, and retest the water. If the subsequent water testing continues to indicate lead, PFOA, or PFOS that exceeds the relevant threshold, the governing body of the public or private school must 1) within 30 days, send a copy of the test results and information provided by the Department of Natural Resources about childhood exposure to lead or PFOA and PFOS, whichever is applicable, to parents and guardians of pupils who attend the school and to the Department of Public Instruction and 2) develop a remediation plan in consultation with DPI. Under the bill, all water testing must be conducted at a laboratory certified for lead and copper testing using the method approved by the federal environmental protection agency. By August 1, 2027, the bill requires the governing body of each public and private school to install filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets in accordance with the school[s drinking water management plan, and to shut off all water outlets that provide water for human consumption that are not filtered bottle- filling stations or filtered faucets. Beginning approximately 15 months after the bill becomes law, the bill prohibits the installation of a drinking fountain that is not a filtered bottle-filling station in a public or private school. The bill requires DPI to assist governing bodies of public and private schools to comply with the requirements created in the bill. Specifically, the bill requires DPI to develop a drinking water management plan template, to make annual training available related to water sampling and testing protocols and other activities relevant to complying with the requirements created in the bill, and to provide various information related to filtered bottle-filling stations, filtered faucets, and filter cartridges. Finally, the bill authorizes DPI to award grants to governing bodies of public and private schools to assist with the costs of complying with the requirements in the bill. The bill does not provide funding for these grants but does require DPI to submit a request for supplemental funding to the Joint Committee on Finance. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB100 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) | Current law requires, beginning January 1, 2024, the school board of a first class city school district (currently only Milwaukee Public Schools) to ensure that at least 25 school resource officers are present at schools within the school district (SRO requirement). Under current law, a Xschool resource officerY is a law enforcement officer who is deployed in community-oriented policing and assigned by the law enforcement agency that employs him or her to work in a full-time capacity in collaboration with a school district. Current law also requires MPS and the City of Milwaukee to agree on how to apportion the costs of meeting the SRO requirement between the two entities. On October 8, 2024, a complaint was filed in Milwaukee County that alleged MPS is failing to comply with the SRO requirement and asked for a writ of mandamus to require compliance. On January 23, 2025, a Milwaukee County judge ordered MPS to comply with the SRO requirement on or before February 17, 2025. On February 17, 2025, the same Milwaukee County judge gave MPS an additional 10 days to comply with the January 23, 2025 order. LRB-1376/1 FFK&KP:emw&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 100 This bill requires MPS and the City of Milwaukee to apportion 75 percent of the costs of complying with the SRO requirement to MPS and 25 percent to the City of Milwaukee. The bill further requires that by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law 1) MPS and the City of Milwaukee must enter into an agreement on how they will implement compliance with the SRO requirement and 2) MPS and the City of Milwaukee must jointly certify to the Joint Committee on Finance that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. Under the bill, a similar certification process is required if the initial agreement between MPS and the City of Milwaukee is terminated. First, MPS and the City of Milwaukee must enter into an agreement on how they will implement compliance with the SRO requirement within 30 days of the termination of the agreement. Second, by no later than 30 days after entering into the agreement, the City of Milwaukee must certify to JCF that at least 25 law enforcement officers are trained and available to be placed in MPS schools. Lastly, by no later than 30 days after the certification is made to JCF, MPS must certify to JCF that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. The bill also creates financial consequences for both the City of Milwaukee and MPS if these requirements are not met. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Administration to withhold 10 percent of the supplemental county and municipal aid to the City of Milwaukee if evidence is not provided of an agreement between the city and MPS or if the City of Milwaukee fails to certify to JCF, by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law, that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools and, if a new agreement is entered into in the future, that 25 law enforcement officers are trained and available to be placed in MPS schools. Similarly, the bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to withhold 20 percent of the per pupil categorical aid payment owed to MPS if evidence is not provided of an agreement between the City of Milwaukee and MPS or if MPS fails to certify to JCF by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law and, if required in the future due to a new agreement, that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB129 | Providing safe drinking water in public and private schools. (FE) | By no later than approximately 15 months after the date this bill becomes law, the governing body of each public and private school in this state must develop a drinking water management plan for the private or public school. Under the bill, each drinking water management plan must 1) specify the locations of filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets maintained to deliver water for human consumption, of water outlets maintained for purposes other than for human consumption, and of water outlets that are shut off or permanently inoperable; 2) provide at least one filtered bottle-filling station for every 100 occupants of the school; 3) provide for the installation of a filtered faucet only when the installation of a filtered bottle-filling station is not feasible and a water outlet for human consumption is necessary; and 4) provide a schedule for water sampling and testing at each filtered bottle-filling station and filtered faucet in the school for lead, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and a schedule for replacing filter cartridges used in filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets. Under the bill, if water testing under a drinking water management plan indicates lead at a concentration between one part per billion and five parts per billion, the governing body of a public or private school must take certain actions, including checking water filters, ensuring that the filtered bottle-filling station or faucet is properly installed, and retesting the filtered water. If water testing under a drinking water management plan indicates lead at a concentration that is more than five parts per billion or the presence of PFOA or PFOS at a level that exceeds a state or federal standard, the governing body of a public or private school must immediately shut off the water outlet, post a sign stating that the water outlet is shut off due to the high concentration of lead, PFOA, or PFOS, whichever applies, replace the water filters, and retest the water. If the subsequent water testing continues to indicate lead, PFOA, or PFOS that exceeds the relevant threshold, the governing body of the public or private school must 1) within 30 days, send a copy of the test results and information provided by the Department of Natural Resources about childhood exposure to lead or PFOA and PFOS, whichever is applicable, to parents and guardians of pupils who attend the school and to the Department of Public Instruction and 2) develop a remediation plan in consultation with DPI. Under the bill, all water testing must be conducted at a laboratory certified for lead and copper testing using the method approved by the federal environmental protection agency. By August 1, 2027, the bill requires the governing body of each public and private school to install filtered bottle-filling stations and filtered faucets in accordance with the school[s drinking water management plan, and to shut off all water outlets that provide water for human consumption that are not filtered bottle- filling stations or filtered faucets. Beginning approximately 15 months after the bill becomes law, the bill prohibits the installation of a drinking fountain that is not a filtered bottle-filling station in a public or private school. The bill requires DPI to assist governing bodies of public and private schools to comply with the requirements created in the bill. Specifically, the bill requires DPI to develop a drinking water management plan template, to make annual training available related to water sampling and testing protocols and other activities relevant to complying with the requirements created in the bill, and to provide various information related to filtered bottle-filling stations, filtered faucets, and filter cartridges. Finally, the bill authorizes DPI to award grants to governing bodies of public and private schools to assist with the costs of complying with the requirements in the bill. The bill does not provide funding for these grants but does require DPI to submit a request for supplemental funding to the Joint Committee on Finance. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SJR6 | Honoring the life and enduring legacy of Robert George Uecker. | Relating to: honoring the life and enduring legacy of Robert George Uecker. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR9 | Honoring the life and enduring legacy of Robert George Uecker. | Relating to: honoring the life and enduring legacy of Robert George Uecker. | In Committee |
| AB91 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) | Current law requires, beginning January 1, 2024, the school board of a first class city school district (currently only Milwaukee Public Schools) to ensure that at least 25 school resource officers are present at schools within the school district (SRO requirement). Under current law, a Xschool resource officerY is a law enforcement officer who is deployed in community-oriented policing and assigned by the law enforcement agency that employs him or her to work in a full-time capacity in collaboration with a school district. Current law also requires MPS and the City of Milwaukee to agree on how to apportion the costs of meeting the SRO requirement between the two entities. On October 8, 2024, a complaint was filed in Milwaukee County that alleged MPS is failing to comply with the SRO requirement and asked for a writ of mandamus to require compliance. On January 23, 2025, a Milwaukee County judge ordered MPS to comply with the SRO requirement on or before February 17, 2025. On February 17, 2025, the same Milwaukee County judge gave MPS an additional 10 days to comply with the January 23, 2025 order. This bill requires MPS and the City of Milwaukee to apportion 75 percent of the costs of complying with the SRO requirement to MPS and 25 percent to the City of Milwaukee. The bill further requires that by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law 1) MPS and the City of Milwaukee must enter into an agreement on how they will implement compliance with the SRO requirement and 2) MPS and the City of Milwaukee must jointly certify to the Joint Committee on Finance that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. Under the bill, a similar certification process is required if the initial agreement between MPS and the City of Milwaukee is terminated. First, MPS and the City of Milwaukee must enter into an agreement on how they will implement compliance with the SRO requirement within 30 days of the termination of the agreement. Second, by no later than 30 days after entering into the agreement, the City of Milwaukee must certify to JCF that at least 25 law enforcement officers are trained and available to be placed in MPS schools. Lastly, by no later than 30 days after the certification is made to JCF, MPS must certify to JCF that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. The bill also creates financial consequences for both the City of Milwaukee and MPS if these requirements are not met. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Administration to withhold 10 percent of the supplemental county and municipal aid to the City of Milwaukee if evidence is not provided of an agreement between the city and MPS or if the City of Milwaukee fails to certify to JCF, by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law, that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools and, if a new agreement is entered into in the future, that 25 law enforcement officers are trained and available to be placed in MPS schools. Similarly, the bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to withhold 20 percent of the per pupil categorical aid payment owed to MPS if evidence is not provided of an agreement between the City of Milwaukee and MPS or if MPS fails to certify to JCF by no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law and, if required in the future due to a new agreement, that at least 25 school resource officers are present in MPS schools. For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | Crossed Over |
| SB127 | Exempting certain persons from PFAS enforcement actions under the spills law. (FE) | Under current law provisions known as the Xspills law,Y a person that possesses or controls a hazardous substance or that causes the discharge of a hazardous substance must notify the Department of Natural Resources immediately, restore the environment to the extent practicable, and minimize the harmful effects from the discharge. If action is not being adequately taken, or the identity of the person responsible for the discharge is unknown, DNR may take emergency action to contain or remove the hazardous substance; the person that possessed or controlled the hazardous substance that was discharged or that caused the discharge of the hazardous substance must then reimburse DNR for expenses DNR incurred in taking such emergency actions. The spills law allows DNR to enter property to take emergency action if entry is necessary to prevent increased environmental damages, and to inspect any record relating to a hazardous substance for the purpose of determining compliance with the spills law. DNR may also require that preventive measures be taken by any person possessing or having control over a hazardous substance if existing control measures are inadequate to prevent discharges. The bill exempts the following persons from all of these provisions under the spills law, if the person grants DNR permission to remediate the land at DNR[s expense: LRB-2170/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 127 1. A person that spread biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS in compliance with any applicable license or permit. 2. A person that owns land upon which biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS were spread in compliance with any applicable license or permit. 3. A fire department, public-use airport, or municipality that responded to emergencies that required the use of PFAS or that conducted training for such emergencies in compliance with applicable federal regulations. 4. A solid waste disposal facility that accepted PFAS. 5. A person that owns, leases, manages, or contracts for property on which the PFAS contamination did not originate, unless the person also owns, leases, manages, or contracts for the property on which the PFAS discharge originated. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB128 | Programs and requirements to address PFAS. | This bill creates several new programs and requirements relating to PFAS, which is defined in the bill to mean any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance. Municipal PFAS grant program The bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to create a municipal PFAS grant program, which applies only to types of PFAS for which there is a state or federal standard, a public health recommendation from the Department of Health Services, or a health advisory issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Under the bill, the municipal PFAS grant program provides all of the following grants: 1. Grants to municipalities (defined under current law as a city, town, village, county, county utility district, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, or metropolitan sewage district) for PFAS testing at municipal water systems and municipal wastewater treatment facilities, or for reimbursement for such testing if performed at properties owned, leased, managed, LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 or contracted for by municipalities and if there are promulgated standards for those types of PFAS. 2. Grants to nonmunicipal entities regulated as public or community water systems, distributed in equal shares up to $1,800, to test their drinking water supply for PFAS, if required to do so by DNR, or for reimbursement for such testing. 3. Grants to privately owned landfills, in equal shares up to $15,000, to test for the presence of PFAS in leachate. 4. Grants to municipalities to test for PFAS levels at municipally owned, leased, managed, or contracted locations where PFAS may be present, including testing for PFAS levels in leachate at landfills. If the property to be tested is not owned by the municipality, DNR may not issue a grant unless the property owner gives the municipality written consent to enter the property and conduct testing. These grants are not available to municipalities that receive a grant under this program to test for PFAS at municipal water systems and municipal wastewater treatment facilities. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant. 5. Grants to municipalities and privately owned landfills to dispose of PFAS- containing biosolids or leachate at facilities that accept such biosolids or leachate or to purchase and install on-site treatment systems to address PFAS contained in biosolids or leachate. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant and the grants may not be used for costs associated with landspreading. 6. Grants for capital costs or debt service, including for facility upgrades or new infrastructure, to municipalities that are small or disadvantaged or in which rates for water or wastewater utilities will increase by more than 20 percent as a direct result of steps taken to address PFAS contamination. When issuing these grants, DNR must give priority to projects that are necessary to address an exceedence of an applicable state or federal standard. 7. Grants to municipalities for capital costs or other costs related to PFAS that are not otherwise paid from the segregated environmental improvement fund, including costs for addressing landfills or other contaminated lands owned, leased, managed, or contracted for by municipalities or costs incurred by fire departments; grants to municipalities for the preparation and implementation of pollutant minimization plans; and grants to municipalities for costs incurred by public utilities or metropolitan sewerage districts for pretreatment or other PFAS reduction measures in certain circumstances. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant. For all of the grants provided under the municipal PFAS grant program, DNR may not require a grant recipient to take any action to address PFAS unless PFAS levels exceed any applicable standard under state or federal law. The bill also prohibits DNR from publicly disclosing the results of any PFAS testing conducted under this grant program unless DNR notifies the grant recipient at least 72 hours before publicly disclosing any test result, with certain exceptions. LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 Current law provides that whenever a state agency is authorized to provide state funds to any county, city, village, or town for any purpose, funds may also be granted by that agency to any federally recognized tribal governing body for the same purpose. Innocent landowner grant program The bill also requires DNR to create an innocent landowner grant program, which applies only to types of PFAS for which there is a state or federal standard, a public health recommendation from the Department of Health Services, or a health advisory issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Under the program, DNR may provide grants to an eligible person or to a person who is applying on behalf of multiple eligible persons that are located in the same geographic region, if the applicant will be the entity performing any authorized activities. Under the program, an Xeligible personY is 1) a person that spread biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS in compliance with any applicable license or permit, 2) a person that owns land upon which biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS were spread in compliance with any applicable license or permit, 3) a fire department, public-use airport, or municipality that responded to emergencies that required the use of PFAS or that conducted training for such emergencies in compliance with applicable federal regulations, 4) a solid waste disposal facility that accepted PFAS, and 5) a person that owns, leases, manages, or contracts for property on which the PFAS contamination did not originate, unless the person also owns, leases, manages, or contracts for the property on which the PFAS discharge originated. The total amount of grants awarded to each eligible person may not exceed $250,000 and DNR may require grant recipients to provide matching funds of not more than 5 percent of the grant amount. Under current law provisions known as the Xspills law,Y a person that possesses or controls a hazardous substance or that causes the discharge of a hazardous substance must notify DNR immediately, restore the environment to the extent practicable, and minimize the harmful effects from the discharge. If action is not being adequately taken, or the identity of the person responsible for the discharge is unknown, DNR may take emergency action to contain or remove the hazardous substance; the person that possessed or controlled the hazardous substance that was discharged or that caused the discharge of the hazardous substance must then reimburse DNR for expenses DNR incurred in taking such emergency actions. The spills law allows DNR to enter property to take emergency action if entry is necessary to prevent increased environmental damages, and to inspect any record relating to a hazardous substance for the purpose of determining compliance with the spills law. DNR may also require that preventive measures be taken by any person possessing or having control over a hazardous substance if existing control measures are inadequate to prevent discharges. Spills law exemptions Under the bill, if a person is eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 grant program, the person is exempt from all of the provisions under the spills law described above with respect to PFAS contamination, if the person grants DNR permission to remediate the land at DNR[s expense. If a person is not eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program, the person is exempt from all of the provisions under the spills law described above, based on the results of any PFAS testing conducted on samples taken from lands not owned by the state, unless PFAS levels violate any applicable state or federal law, including any standard promulgated under state or federal law. Limitations on DNR actions relating to PFAS Under the bill, DNR may not prevent, delay, or otherwise impede any construction project or project of public works based on a presence of PFAS contamination unless DNR determines that 1) the project poses a substantial risk to public health or welfare, 2) there is a substantial risk that the project will create worsening environmental conditions, 3) the entity proposing to complete the project is responsible for the original contamination, as a result of conduct that was reckless or was done with the intent to discharge PFAS into the environment, or 4) DNR is specifically required under the federal Clean Water Act to prevent, delay, or otherwise impede the project. XPublic worksY is defined to mean the physical structures and facilities developed or acquired by a local unit of government or a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state to provide services and functions for the benefit and use of the public, including water, sewerage, waste disposal, utilities, and transportation, and privately owned landfills that accept residential waste. In addition, under the bill, if DNR seeks to collect samples from lands not owned by the state based on permission from the landowner, such permission must be in writing, and DNR must notify the landowner that such permission includes the authority to collect samples, to test those samples, and to publicly disclose the results of that testing. The landowner may revoke such permission at any time prior to the collection of samples. Under the bill, DNR also may not publicly disclose such PFAS testing results unless it notifies the landowner of the test results at least 72 hours before publicly disclosing them. The bill also requires DNR, or a third-party contract by DNR, to respond in a timely manner to requests from any person to conduct PFAS testing on samples taken from the person[s property if practicable and if funds are available to do so, if there is a reasonable belief that PFAS contamination may be present on the property, and if existing information such as public water supply testing data is not available. The bill also requires DNR, in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium, to increase its voluntary PFAS testing activities. Firefighting foam The bill requires DNR to survey or resurvey local fire departments about their use and possession of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, send communications and LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 information regarding PFAS-containing firefighting foam, and contract with a third party to voluntarily collect PFAS-containing firefighting foam. Well compensation grant program Under current law, an individual owner or renter of a contaminated private well, subject to eligibility requirements, may apply for a grant from DNR to cover a portion of the costs to treat the water, reconstruct the well, construct a new well, connect to a public water supply, or fill and seal the well. The bill provides that a grant for costs to treat the water may be used to cover the cost of a filtration device and up to two replacement filters. In addition, under the bill, if DNR determines that a claimant who is applying for a grant under the well compensation grant program on the basis of PFAS contamination would be eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program created under the bill, and funding under that program is available, DNR must refer the claimant[s application to that program instead of processing it under the well compensation grant program. If the claimant is denied under the innocent landowner grant program, DNR must refer the claim back to the well compensation grant program. Portable water treatment system pilot project The bill requires DNR to contract with an entity to conduct a pilot project in which PFAS-contaminated surface water is partially or fully diverted to a portable treatment system and treated water is returned to the surface water. DNR and the entity must conduct tests to evaluate the success of the pilot project. Remedial action at sites contaminated by PFAS The bill allows DNR, or a contracted third party, to begin response and remedial actions, including site investigations, at any PFAS-contaminated site where a responsible party has not been identified or where the responsible party qualifies for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program. The bill directs DNR to prioritize response and remedial actions at sites that have the highest levels of PFAS contamination and sites with the greatest threats to public health or the environment because of PFAS. Assistance for testing laboratories The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure that the state laboratory of hygiene provides guidance and other materials, conducts training, and provides assistance to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for contaminants other than PFAS in order for them to become certified to test for PFAS, and to assist laboratories certified to test for PFAS in this state to reduce their testing costs and shorten the timeline for receiving test results. Under the bill, the Board of Regents, in coordination with DNR, may provide grants to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for PFAS, or that are seeking such certification, to assist with up to 40 percent of the costs of purchasing equipment necessary for testing for PFAS. LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 The bill requires the state laboratory of hygiene to prepare a report on these efforts and provide the report to the legislature. PFAS studies and reporting The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to 1) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different methods of treating PFAS before they are released into a water system or water body; 2) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of different options for disposing of biosolids or sludge that contains or may contain PFAS; 3) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different destruction and disposal methods for PFAS; 4) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different methods for remediating PFAS that leave the contaminated medium in place and methods that remove the contaminated medium; 5) study and analyze the migration of PFAS into the bay of Green Bay; 6) study and analyze the migration of PFAS into the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries; 7) conduct any additional studies related to PFAS, as approved by the Joint Committee on Finance; and 8) create a comprehensive, interactive map showing all available PFAS testing data and, for each data point, whether it exceeds any applicable state or federal standard for PFAS. Such data may not contain any personally identifiable information unless the entity to which the data applies is a municipal entity that is required to test and disclose its results under state law. DNR reporting requirements The bill requires DNR to report to the legislature once every six months for a period of three years to provide a detailed description of DNR[s expenditures under the bill and a detailed description of DNR[s progress in implementing the provisions of the bill. Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program Under current law, the Department of Administration and DNR administer the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP), which provides financial assistance to municipalities, and to the private owners of community water systems that serve municipalities, for projects that will help the municipalities comply with federal drinking water standards. DNR establishes a funding priority list for SDWLP projects, and DOA allocates funding for those projects. Also under current law, DNR administers the Clean Water Fund Program (CWFP), which provides financial assistance to municipalities for projects to control water pollution, such as sewage treatment plants. Under the bill, if DNR, when ranking SDWLP or CWFP projects or determining an applicant[s eligibility for assistance under those programs, considers whether an applicant that intends to extend service outside municipal boundaries because of water contamination is XsmallY or Xdisadvantaged,Y DNR must determine the applicant to be small or disadvantaged if the area receiving the extended service would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged, LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 regardless of whether the existing service area would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged. Public water utility projects Under current law, a public utility may not engage in certain construction, expansion, or other projects unless the Public Service Commission grants a certificate of authority (CA) for the proposed project. Under the bill, if a water public utility or a combined water and sewer public utility (water utility) fails to obtain a CA before commencing a project for which one is required, PSC may not investigate, impose a penalty against, or bring an action to enjoin the water utility if 1) the water utility undertook the project in response to a public health concern caused by PFAS, the presence of which was unknown to the water utility until shortly before it commenced the project, and the water utility provides evidence showing that the utility has exceeded or is likely to exceed the applicable state or federal standard for that type of PFAS; 2) the water utility promptly notifies PSC of the work and, within 30 days after commencing the work, submits the appropriate application and supporting documentation to PSC; and 3) the total cost of the project is not greater than $2,000,000. In the PSC administrative code, the bill adds an emergency resulting from water supply contamination to the circumstances under which PSC authorization is not necessary prior to a utility beginning necessary repair work. The current administrative code limits this to an emergency resulting from the failure of power supply or from fire, storm, or similar events. Use of revenue for PFAS source reduction measures The bill authorizes a municipal public utility or metropolitan sewerage district to use revenues from its water or sewerage services for up to half of the cost of pretreatment or other PFAS source reduction measures for an interconnected customer or other regular customer if the costs incurred are less than the costs of the upgrades otherwise required at the endpoint treatment facility and if the costs are approved by the governing body of the municipality or the metropolitan sewerage district. Test wells for community water systems Under rules promulgated by DNR relating to community water systems (a system for providing piped water for human consumption to the public and that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents), DNR must preapprove any test wells that will be converted into permanent wells and any test wells that will pump at least 70 gallons per minute for more than 72 hours. DNR rules require test wells to be drilled for permanent wells for community water systems to determine geologic formation information and water quality and quantity data. DNR rules also allow DNR to designate special well casing depth areas within which wells must be drilled to a greater depth and meet other requirements to avoid contamination. This bill provides that test wells for community water systems must also be LRB-2168/1 MCP:skw/wlj/emw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 128 approved by DNR if they are located in special well casing depth areas that have been designated based in whole or in part on the presence of PFAS. | In Committee |
| AB130 | Exempting certain persons from PFAS enforcement actions under the spills law. (FE) | Under current law provisions known as the Xspills law,Y a person that possesses or controls a hazardous substance or that causes the discharge of a hazardous substance must notify the Department of Natural Resources immediately, restore the environment to the extent practicable, and minimize the harmful effects from the discharge. If action is not being adequately taken, or the identity of the person responsible for the discharge is unknown, DNR may take emergency action to contain or remove the hazardous substance; the person that possessed or controlled the hazardous substance that was discharged or that caused the discharge of the hazardous substance must then reimburse DNR for expenses DNR incurred in taking such emergency actions. The spills law allows DNR to enter property to take emergency action if entry is necessary to prevent increased environmental damages, and to inspect any record relating to a hazardous substance for the purpose of determining compliance with the spills law. DNR may also require that preventive measures be taken by any person possessing or having control over a hazardous substance if existing control measures are inadequate to prevent discharges. The bill exempts the following persons from all of these provisions under the spills law, if the person grants DNR permission to remediate the land at DNR[s expense: 1. A person that spread biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS in compliance with any applicable license or permit. 2. A person that owns land upon which biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS were spread in compliance with any applicable license or permit. 3. A fire department, public-use airport, or municipality that responded to emergencies that required the use of PFAS or that conducted training for such emergencies in compliance with applicable federal regulations. 4. A solid waste disposal facility that accepted PFAS. 5. A person that owns, leases, manages, or contracts for property on which the PFAS contamination did not originate, unless the person also owns, leases, manages, or contracts for the property on which the PFAS discharge originated. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| SB18 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) | Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction is required to annually publish a school and school district accountability report, commonly known as school and school district report cards, for the previous school year. To measure school performance and school district improvement for purposes of the report cards, particularly measures related to pupil achievement in reading and math, DPI uses data derived from pupil performance on assessments administered in the previous school year, including assessments commonly referred to as the Wisconsin Student Assessment System, which includes the Wisconsin Forward Exam, PreACT, the ACT with Writing, and Dynamic Learning Maps. Under the bill, beginning with report cards published for the school year in which the bill becomes law, for the index system to identify school and school district performance and improvement, also known as the accountability rating categories, DPI must use the same cut scores, score ranges, and corresponding qualitative descriptions that DPI used for report cards published in the 2019-20 LRB-0976/4 FFK:cjs&skw 2025 - 2026 Legislature SENATE BILL 18 school year. In addition, beginning with the WSAS administered in the school year in which the bill becomes law, DPI must do the following: 1. For the Wisconsin Forward exam in English Language Arts and Mathematics, align cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories to the cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 2. For the PreACT and ACT with Writing in English, Reading, and Mathematics, use the same cut scores, score ranges, and pupil performance categories that DPI used for the same assessments administered in the 2021-22 school year. The bill specifically requires DPI to use the terms Xbelow basic,Y Xbasic,Y Xproficient,Y and XadvancedY for pupil performance categories on these assessments. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill. | In Committee |
| AB131 | Programs and requirements to address PFAS. | This bill creates several new programs and requirements relating to PFAS, which is defined in the bill to mean any perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance. Municipal PFAS grant program The bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to create a municipal PFAS grant program, which applies only to types of PFAS for which there is a state or federal standard, a public health recommendation from the Department of Health Services, or a health advisory issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Under the bill, the municipal PFAS grant program provides all of the following grants: 1. Grants to municipalities (defined under current law as a city, town, village, county, county utility district, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, or metropolitan sewage district) for PFAS testing at municipal water systems and municipal wastewater treatment facilities, or for reimbursement for such testing if performed at properties owned, leased, managed, or contracted for by municipalities and if there are promulgated standards for those types of PFAS. 2. Grants to nonmunicipal entities regulated as public or community water systems, distributed in equal shares up to $1,800, to test their drinking water supply for PFAS, if required to do so by DNR, or for reimbursement for such testing. 3. Grants to privately owned landfills, in equal shares up to $15,000, to test for the presence of PFAS in leachate. 4. Grants to municipalities to test for PFAS levels at municipally owned, leased, managed, or contracted locations where PFAS may be present, including testing for PFAS levels in leachate at landfills. If the property to be tested is not owned by the municipality, DNR may not issue a grant unless the property owner gives the municipality written consent to enter the property and conduct testing. These grants are not available to municipalities that receive a grant under this program to test for PFAS at municipal water systems and municipal wastewater treatment facilities. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant. 5. Grants to municipalities and privately owned landfills to dispose of PFAS- containing biosolids or leachate at facilities that accept such biosolids or leachate or to purchase and install on-site treatment systems to address PFAS contained in biosolids or leachate. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant and the grants may not be used for costs associated with landspreading. 6. Grants for capital costs or debt service, including for facility upgrades or new infrastructure, to municipalities that are small or disadvantaged or in which rates for water or wastewater utilities will increase by more than 20 percent as a direct result of steps taken to address PFAS contamination. When issuing these grants, DNR must give priority to projects that are necessary to address an exceedence of an applicable state or federal standard. 7. Grants to municipalities for capital costs or other costs related to PFAS that are not otherwise paid from the segregated environmental improvement fund, including costs for addressing landfills or other contaminated lands owned, leased, managed, or contracted for by municipalities or costs incurred by fire departments; grants to municipalities for the preparation and implementation of pollutant minimization plans; and grants to municipalities for costs incurred by public utilities or metropolitan sewerage districts for pretreatment or other PFAS reduction measures in certain circumstances. For these grants, DNR may require matching funds of up to 20 percent from the applicant. For all of the grants provided under the municipal PFAS grant program, DNR may not require a grant recipient to take any action to address PFAS unless PFAS levels exceed any applicable standard under state or federal law. The bill also prohibits DNR from publicly disclosing the results of any PFAS testing conducted under this grant program unless DNR notifies the grant recipient at least 72 hours before publicly disclosing any test result, with certain exceptions. Current law provides that whenever a state agency is authorized to provide state funds to any county, city, village, or town for any purpose, funds may also be granted by that agency to any federally recognized tribal governing body for the same purpose. Innocent landowner grant program The bill also requires DNR to create an innocent landowner grant program, which applies only to types of PFAS for which there is a state or federal standard, a public health recommendation from the Department of Health Services, or a health advisory issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Under the program, DNR may provide grants to an eligible person or to a person who is applying on behalf of multiple eligible persons that are located in the same geographic region, if the applicant will be the entity performing any authorized activities. Under the program, an Xeligible personY is 1) a person that spread biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS in compliance with any applicable license or permit, 2) a person that owns land upon which biosolids or wastewater residuals contaminated by PFAS were spread in compliance with any applicable license or permit, 3) a fire department, public-use airport, or municipality that responded to emergencies that required the use of PFAS or that conducted training for such emergencies in compliance with applicable federal regulations, 4) a solid waste disposal facility that accepted PFAS, and 5) a person that owns, leases, manages, or contracts for property on which the PFAS contamination did not originate, unless the person also owns, leases, manages, or contracts for the property on which the PFAS discharge originated. The total amount of grants awarded to each eligible person may not exceed $250,000 and DNR may require grant recipients to provide matching funds of not more than 5 percent of the grant amount. Under current law provisions known as the Xspills law,Y a person that possesses or controls a hazardous substance or that causes the discharge of a hazardous substance must notify DNR immediately, restore the environment to the extent practicable, and minimize the harmful effects from the discharge. If action is not being adequately taken, or the identity of the person responsible for the discharge is unknown, DNR may take emergency action to contain or remove the hazardous substance; the person that possessed or controlled the hazardous substance that was discharged or that caused the discharge of the hazardous substance must then reimburse DNR for expenses DNR incurred in taking such emergency actions. The spills law allows DNR to enter property to take emergency action if entry is necessary to prevent increased environmental damages, and to inspect any record relating to a hazardous substance for the purpose of determining compliance with the spills law. DNR may also require that preventive measures be taken by any person possessing or having control over a hazardous substance if existing control measures are inadequate to prevent discharges. Spills law exemptions Under the bill, if a person is eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program, the person is exempt from all of the provisions under the spills law described above with respect to PFAS contamination, if the person grants DNR permission to remediate the land at DNR[s expense. If a person is not eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program, the person is exempt from all of the provisions under the spills law described above, based on the results of any PFAS testing conducted on samples taken from lands not owned by the state, unless PFAS levels violate any applicable state or federal law, including any standard promulgated under state or federal law. Limitations on DNR actions relating to PFAS Under the bill, DNR may not prevent, delay, or otherwise impede any construction project or project of public works based on a presence of PFAS contamination unless DNR determines that 1) the project poses a substantial risk to public health or welfare, 2) there is a substantial risk that the project will create worsening environmental conditions, 3) the entity proposing to complete the project is responsible for the original contamination, as a result of conduct that was reckless or was done with the intent to discharge PFAS into the environment, or 4) DNR is specifically required under the federal Clean Water Act to prevent, delay, or otherwise impede the project. XPublic worksY is defined to mean the physical structures and facilities developed or acquired by a local unit of government or a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state to provide services and functions for the benefit and use of the public, including water, sewerage, waste disposal, utilities, and transportation, and privately owned landfills that accept residential waste. In addition, under the bill, if DNR seeks to collect samples from lands not owned by the state based on permission from the landowner, such permission must be in writing, and DNR must notify the landowner that such permission includes the authority to collect samples, to test those samples, and to publicly disclose the results of that testing. The landowner may revoke such permission at any time prior to the collection of samples. Under the bill, DNR also may not publicly disclose such PFAS testing results unless it notifies the landowner of the test results at least 72 hours before publicly disclosing them. The bill also requires DNR, or a third-party contract by DNR, to respond in a timely manner to requests from any person to conduct PFAS testing on samples taken from the person[s property if practicable and if funds are available to do so, if there is a reasonable belief that PFAS contamination may be present on the property, and if existing information such as public water supply testing data is not available. The bill also requires DNR, in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium, to increase its voluntary PFAS testing activities. Firefighting foam The bill requires DNR to survey or resurvey local fire departments about their use and possession of PFAS-containing firefighting foam, send communications and information regarding PFAS-containing firefighting foam, and contract with a third party to voluntarily collect PFAS-containing firefighting foam. Well compensation grant program Under current law, an individual owner or renter of a contaminated private well, subject to eligibility requirements, may apply for a grant from DNR to cover a portion of the costs to treat the water, reconstruct the well, construct a new well, connect to a public water supply, or fill and seal the well. The bill provides that a grant for costs to treat the water may be used to cover the cost of a filtration device and up to two replacement filters. In addition, under the bill, if DNR determines that a claimant who is applying for a grant under the well compensation grant program on the basis of PFAS contamination would be eligible for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program created under the bill, and funding under that program is available, DNR must refer the claimant[s application to that program instead of processing it under the well compensation grant program. If the claimant is denied under the innocent landowner grant program, DNR must refer the claim back to the well compensation grant program. Portable water treatment system pilot project The bill requires DNR to contract with an entity to conduct a pilot project in which PFAS-contaminated surface water is partially or fully diverted to a portable treatment system and treated water is returned to the surface water. DNR and the entity must conduct tests to evaluate the success of the pilot project. Remedial action at sites contaminated by PFAS The bill allows DNR, or a contracted third party, to begin response and remedial actions, including site investigations, at any PFAS-contaminated site where a responsible party has not been identified or where the responsible party qualifies for a grant under the innocent landowner grant program. The bill directs DNR to prioritize response and remedial actions at sites that have the highest levels of PFAS contamination and sites with the greatest threats to public health or the environment because of PFAS. Assistance for testing laboratories The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure that the state laboratory of hygiene provides guidance and other materials, conducts training, and provides assistance to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for contaminants other than PFAS in order for them to become certified to test for PFAS, and to assist laboratories certified to test for PFAS in this state to reduce their testing costs and shorten the timeline for receiving test results. Under the bill, the Board of Regents, in coordination with DNR, may provide grants to laboratories in this state that are certified to test for PFAS, or that are seeking such certification, to assist with up to 40 percent of the costs of purchasing equipment necessary for testing for PFAS. The bill requires the state laboratory of hygiene to prepare a report on these efforts and provide the report to the legislature. PFAS studies and reporting The bill requires DNR and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to enter into a memorandum of understanding to 1) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different methods of treating PFAS before they are released into a water system or water body; 2) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of different options for disposing of biosolids or sludge that contains or may contain PFAS; 3) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different destruction and disposal methods for PFAS; 4) study and analyze the cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of different methods for remediating PFAS that leave the contaminated medium in place and methods that remove the contaminated medium; 5) study and analyze the migration of PFAS into the bay of Green Bay; 6) study and analyze the migration of PFAS into the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries; 7) conduct any additional studies related to PFAS, as approved by the Joint Committee on Finance; and 8) create a comprehensive, interactive map showing all available PFAS testing data and, for each data point, whether it exceeds any applicable state or federal standard for PFAS. Such data may not contain any personally identifiable information unless the entity to which the data applies is a municipal entity that is required to test and disclose its results under state law. DNR reporting requirements The bill requires DNR to report to the legislature once every six months for a period of three years to provide a detailed description of DNR[s expenditures under the bill and a detailed description of DNR[s progress in implementing the provisions of the bill. Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program Under current law, the Department of Administration and DNR administer the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP), which provides financial assistance to municipalities, and to the private owners of community water systems that serve municipalities, for projects that will help the municipalities comply with federal drinking water standards. DNR establishes a funding priority list for SDWLP projects, and DOA allocates funding for those projects. Also under current law, DNR administers the Clean Water Fund Program (CWFP), which provides financial assistance to municipalities for projects to control water pollution, such as sewage treatment plants. Under the bill, if DNR, when ranking SDWLP or CWFP projects or determining an applicant[s eligibility for assistance under those programs, considers whether an applicant that intends to extend service outside municipal boundaries because of water contamination is XsmallY or Xdisadvantaged,Y DNR must determine the applicant to be small or disadvantaged if the area receiving the extended service would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged, regardless of whether the existing service area would normally be determined to be small or disadvantaged. Public water utility projects Under current law, a public utility may not engage in certain construction, expansion, or other projects unless the Public Service Commission grants a certificate of authority (CA) for the proposed project. Under the bill, if a water public utility or a combined water and sewer public utility (water utility) fails to obtain a CA before commencing a project for which one is required, PSC may not investigate, impose a penalty against, or bring an action to enjoin the water utility if 1) the water utility undertook the project in response to a public health concern caused by PFAS, the presence of which was unknown to the water utility until shortly before it commenced the project, and the water utility provides evidence showing that the utility has exceeded or is likely to exceed the applicable state or federal standard for that type of PFAS; 2) the water utility promptly notifies PSC of the work and, within 30 days after commencing the work, submits the appropriate application and supporting documentation to PSC; and 3) the total cost of the project is not greater than $2,000,000. In the PSC administrative code, the bill adds an emergency resulting from water supply contamination to the circumstances under which PSC authorization is not necessary prior to a utility beginning necessary repair work. The current administrative code limits this to an emergency resulting from the failure of power supply or from fire, storm, or similar events. Use of revenue for PFAS source reduction measures The bill authorizes a municipal public utility or metropolitan sewerage district to use revenues from its water or sewerage services for up to half of the cost of pretreatment or other PFAS source reduction measures for an interconnected customer or other regular customer if the costs incurred are less than the costs of the upgrades otherwise required at the endpoint treatment facility and if the costs are approved by the governing body of the municipality or the metropolitan sewerage district. Test wells for community water systems Under rules promulgated by DNR relating to community water systems (a system for providing piped water for human consumption to the public and that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents), DNR must preapprove any test wells that will be converted into permanent wells and any test wells that will pump at least 70 gallons per minute for more than 72 hours. DNR rules require test wells to be drilled for permanent wells for community water systems to determine geologic formation information and water quality and quantity data. DNR rules also allow DNR to designate special well casing depth areas within which wells must be drilled to a greater depth and meet other requirements to avoid contamination. This bill provides that test wells for community water systems must also be approved by DNR if they are located in special well casing depth areas that have been designated based in whole or in part on the presence of PFAS. | In Committee |
| SJR13 | Honoring the life and public service of Assembly Chief Clerk Patrick Fuller. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Assembly Chief Clerk Patrick Fuller. | In Committee |
| AB83 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device. | Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict 1) the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle, or 2) the use or sale of any other device on the basis of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the device. | In Committee |
| SB82 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device. | Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict 1) the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle, or 2) the use or sale of any other device on the basis of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the device. | In Committee |
| SJR9 | Honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr. | Relating to: honoring the life and public service of Justice David T. Prosser Jr. | In Committee |
| AJR3 | Proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin. | Relating to: proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin. | In Committee |
| SJR3 | Proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin. | Relating to: proclaiming January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin. | In Committee |
| AJR1 | Requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration). | To create section 1m of article III of the constitution; Relating to: requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration). | In Committee |
| Bill | Bill Name | Motion | Vote Date | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB24 | Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in, and the lifespan of, a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Middleton. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and concurred in | 05/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB23 | Establishment of a Palliative Care Council. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 05/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB43 | Permitting pharmacists to prescribe certain contraceptives, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 05/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB137 | Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 05/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB140 | Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Port Washington. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 05/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB73 | Statutory recognition of specialized treatment court and commercial court dockets. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB164 | Various changes to the unemployment insurance law and federal Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment grants. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB165 | Local guaranteed income programs. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB166 | Academic and career planning services provided to pupils and requiring the reporting of certain data on college student costs and outcomes. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB162 | Workforce metrics. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB168 | Various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB169 | Various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB167 | Various changes to the unemployment insurance law and requiring approval by the Joint Committee on Finance of certain federally authorized unemployment benefits. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 04/22/2025 | Yea |
| AB102 | Designating University of Wisconsin and technical college sports and athletic teams based on the sex of the participants. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/20/2025 | Yea |
| AB100 | Designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex of the participants. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/20/2025 | Yea |
| AB103 | School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/20/2025 | Yea |
| AB104 | Prohibiting gender transition medical intervention for individuals under 18 years of age. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/20/2025 | Yea |
| AB105 | The distribution of certain material on the Internet. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/20/2025 | Yea |
| AB24 | County sheriff assistance with certain federal immigration functions. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/18/2025 | Yea |
| AB96 | Ratification of the agreement negotiated between the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin State Building Trades Negotiating Committee, for the 2024-25 fiscal year, covering employees in the building trades crafts collective bargaining unit, and authorizing an expenditure of funds. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/18/2025 | Yea |
| AB94 | Ratification of the agreement negotiated between the State of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin State Building Trades Negotiating Committee, for the 2024-25 fiscal year, covering employees in the building trades crafts collective bargaining unit, and authorizing an expenditure of funds. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/18/2025 | Yea |
| AB95 | Ratification of the agreement negotiated between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin State Building Trades Negotiating Committee, for the 2024-25 fiscal year, covering employees in the building trades crafts collective bargaining unit, and authorizing an expenditure of funds. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/18/2025 | Yea |
| AB14 | The suspension of a rule of the Elections Commission. | Assembly: Referred to Campaigns and Elections | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB15 | The suspension of a rule of the Elections Commission. | Assembly: Referred to Campaigns and Elections | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB16 | Repealing an administrative rule of the Department of Natural Resources related to the possession of firearms. | Assembly: Referred to Environment | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB13 | The suspension of a rule of the Elections Commission. | Assembly: Referred to Campaigns and Elections | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB66 | Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB66 | Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes. | Assembly: Decision of the Chair upheld | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB75 | Department of Justice collection and reporting of certain criminal case data. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB85 | Recommendation to revoke extended supervision, parole, or probation if a person is charged with a crime. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB85 | Recommendation to revoke extended supervision, parole, or probation if a person is charged with a crime. (FE) | Assembly: Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB89 | Theft crimes and providing a penalty. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB91 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB91 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) | Assembly: Decision of the Chair upheld | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB87 | Restitution orders following a conviction for human trafficking and restoration of the right to vote to a person barred from voting as a result of a felony conviction. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 03/13/2025 | Yea |
| AB1 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB5 | Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB3 | Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB4 | Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB4 | Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE) | Assembly: Decision of the Chair upheld | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB2 | Requiring school boards to adopt policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time. | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB6 | Requiring a school board to spend at least 70 percent of its operating expenditures on direct classroom expenditures and annual pay increases for school administrators. (FE) | Assembly: Read a third time and passed | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| AB6 | Requiring a school board to spend at least 70 percent of its operating expenditures on direct classroom expenditures and annual pay increases for school administrators. (FE) | Assembly: Decision of the Chair upheld | 02/19/2025 | Yea |
| SJR2 | Requiring photographic identification to vote in any election (second consideration). | Assembly: Read a third time and concurred in | 01/14/2025 | Yea |
| AR1 | Notifying the senate and the governor that the 2025-2026 assembly is organized. | Assembly: Adopted | 01/06/2025 | Yea |
| SJR1 | The session schedule for the 2025-2026 biennial session period. | Assembly: Concurred in | 01/06/2025 | Yea |
| AR2 | Establishing the assembly committee structure and names for the 2025-2026 legislative session. | Assembly: Adopted | 01/06/2025 | Yea |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WI | Wisconsin Assembly District 51 | Assembly | Republican | In Office | 01/03/2015 |