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Wisconsin Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 12,159 Active 7 In committee 9,574 Passed 998 Signed 1,132 Failed 8,245

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 432: Relating to: mandatory reporting requirements and referring cases of threatened or suspected child abuse to law enforcement. (FE)

SB 432 requires certain professionals, including social workers and agency employees who interact directly with children or handle child welfare cases, to report suspected or threatened child abuse to law enforcement. It mandates that county departments, the state department, and licensed child welfare agencies refer most abuse cases to police within 12 hours (excluding weekends/holidays) and adopt written policies for reporting specific types of abuse or neglect defined in state law. The bill adds a new reporting category for child welfare employees and clarifies when written policies must be created for certain abuse cases. This changes existing procedures by expanding who must report and requiring standardized policies for specific scenarios.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 366: Relating to: emotional support animals in housing; falsely claiming that an animal is a service animal; and providing a penalty. (FE)

AB 366 requires individuals seeking housing with an emotional support animal to provide documentation from a licensed health professional confirming a disability and a disability-related need for the animal. It imposes a minimum $500 fine for falsely claiming a disability or providing false documentation to obtain housing, and similarly penalizes health professionals who issue such documentation without a 30-day patient-provider relationship. The bill clarifies that "service animals" must be trained to perform specific tasks (like guiding or alerting) and creates penalties for falsely claiming a service animal in public places, including fines up to $500 or community service. It also mandates that businesses receive educational materials about service animal laws to help them respond appropriately to service animal requests without violating the law.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 518: Relating to: allowing individuals who hold a substitute teaching permit to substitute teach at private schools participating in a parental choice program.

AB 518 allows private schools participating in state parental choice programs (like voucher systems) to hire substitute teachers who hold a state-issued substitute teaching permit. Currently, these schools must employ teachers with full teaching licenses or bachelor's degrees. The bill creates a specific exception to that requirement for substitute permit holders at eligible schools. This directly affects private schools in choice programs and substitute teachers seeking positions in those settings.

Topics ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 602: Relating to: participating in the federal tax credit program for contributions to scholarship granting organizations.

AB 602 requires the state department to annually submit a list of qualifying scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) to the U.S. Treasury and certify the state's authority to participate in the federal tax credit program for donations to these organizations. It mandates that the governor must decide by July 1, 2026, whether to join this federal program, which would allow residents to claim tax credits for contributions to SGOs starting in 2027. The bill directly affects state administrative processes, scholarship organizations, and donors who may qualify for federal tax benefits. It does not create new tax credits but establishes the state's procedural framework for eligibility under existing federal law (26 USC 25F).

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 169: Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)

AB 169 amends Wisconsin's unemployment insurance law to strengthen work search requirements for claimants. It requires individuals receiving benefits to document at least four weekly job search actions (such as interviews or job offers) and provide verification to the department, including records of all offers received. The bill also creates new employer reporting obligations, allowing employers to notify the department if claimants decline interviews, fail to respond, or cancel interviews without rescheduling. However, the bill was vetoed by the governor on October 31, 2025, and did not become law.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 582: Relating to: dual enrollment programs, creating the Council on Dual Enrollment, and transfer of postsecondary course credits. (FE)

AB 582 creates a Council on Dual Enrollment to oversee credit transfer policies, with members representing universities, technical colleges, school districts, tribal colleges, and state education leaders. It requires public colleges to make 72 core general education credits transferable between institutions by September 1, 2026, and private colleges to make 36 such credits transferable starting in 2027-28. The bill mandates agreements ensuring high school students’ dual enrollment credits for core courses (e.g., math, English) satisfy college requirements at participating institutions. This directly affects high school students in dual enrollment programs, public and private colleges, and tribal colleges across Wisconsin.

Topics ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 225: Relating to: determination of where a defendant resides or does substantial business for purposes of venue.

AB 225 clarifies venue rules for civil cases involving businesses. It states that courts cannot count insurers or other joined parties when deciding if a county is the proper location for a case. For businesses, the bill defines "residence" as the state or country where they were incorporated, and "substantial business" as only occurring in their main county of operation. This directly affects corporations, LLCs, and civil lawsuits where venue is contested, simplifying how courts determine case locations. The law passed in November 2025 and is now in effect.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 168: Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)

AB 168 would have updated Wisconsin's unemployment insurance law with several key changes. It required stronger identity verification for claimants filing benefits and operating a dedicated call center with extended hours during emergencies or high call volumes. The bill also mandated training materials for employers and required the unemployment department to notify lawmakers and the governor before changing fraud detection methods. This bill was vetoed by the governor on October 31, 2025, so these provisions did not become law.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 674: Relating to: prohibiting knowingly covering organ transplantation and related care under health insurance policies and the Medical Assistance program if the organ is transplanted in or originates from a country known to have participated in forced organ harvesting. (FE)

AB 674 prohibits health insurance plans and the Medical Assistance program from covering organ transplants or related care if the organ was transplanted in or originated from a country designated by the department as participating in forced organ harvesting. The bill applies to disability insurance, self-insured health plans, and Medical Assistance. It defines "forced organ harvesting" as removal via coercion, deception, or abuse of power, and requires the department to designate affected countries. Life-saving post-transplant care remains covered even if the transplant itself is prohibited under the bill.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 614: Relating to: a teacher’s authority to manage the teacher’s class, parental notification of disruptive or violent behavior at school, and a school district’s code of conduct. (FE)

AB 614 clarifies teachers' authority to manage classrooms and addresses student behavior incidents. It defines key terms like "disruptive behavior" and "violent incident," requiring teachers to immediately notify school principals when removing a student for safety concerns or classroom disruptions. The bill mandates that students can only return to a classroom after removal if a behavior intervention plan is in place for serious incidents, and it prohibits school districts from retaliating against teachers who enforce classroom rules or report disruptive behavior. This directly affects teachers (by protecting their actions), students (through new placement rules), and school administrators (by requiring specific procedures for student removals). The bill passed the Assembly on November 19, 2025, with 54 votes in favor.

Topics ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 248: Relating to: vacancies in appointive state offices.

AB 248 creates a new statutory section (17.03(10m)) clarifying how vacancies are handled in appointive state offices with fixed terms. It defines "appointive state office" to include positions in state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and authorities (but excludes the legislature and courts). The bill specifies that when an appointee's fixed term expires, the vacancy is filled under existing procedures - without changing current rules. This is a procedural clarification, not a policy change, affecting state government appointees but not altering how vacancies are currently managed.

signed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 650: Relating to: funding for identity verification under the unemployment insurance law and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 650 amends state law to require that unused funds for identity verification in unemployment claims - specifically for costs not covered by federal funding - be transferred biennially to the unemployment program integrity fund. This affects the administration of unemployment benefits, ensuring unspent resources for verifying claimants' identities are redirected to strengthen program oversight. The bill establishes a clear process for handling these funds, directing the transfer of unencumbered balances from the unemployment insurance budget to the integrity fund on June 30 of each odd-numbered year. It does not create new benefits or eligibility rules but streamlines the management of existing funding for identity verification. The bill is currently in committee review following its introduction on November 13, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes