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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 · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 385: Relating to: online credit card contributions and providing a penalty.

AB 385 requires political committees and parties to collect a credit card's verification code and a U.S. billing address when accepting online credit card donations. It allows exceptions for U.S. citizens living abroad, who must instead provide their U.S. voter registration address. Financial institutions processing such payments without these verifications face fines equal to the total amount of the unverified contributions. The bill directly affects political groups and payment processors handling campaign donations.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 10: Relating to: access to public high schools for military recruiters.

SB 10 requires Wisconsin public high school boards to allow military recruiters access to common areas (like hallways or cafeterias) during school visits and during school days or school-sanctioned events. It does not require access to classrooms during instructional time. The bill implements federal law (10 USC 503(c)) by mandating this access for all public high schools, directly affecting school boards and military recruiters. The law applies starting with the 2025-26 school year.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 424: Relating to: teacher preparatory programs.

SB 424 amends Wisconsin law to require all teacher preparatory programs in the state to mandate student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester or summer session, aligned with the cooperating school's daily schedule and calendar. This affects teacher preparation programs and applicants seeking teaching licenses in Wisconsin public schools. The bill specifies that the state superintendent must accept accreditation from U.S. Department of Education-recognized agencies for licensing or program approval purposes. Exceptions to the student teaching requirement are permitted only when institutional and school calendars conflict, as determined by the state superintendent.

Topics ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 270: Relating to: the right of appeal for complainants aggrieved by decisions of the Elections Commission concerning the conduct of election officials.

SB 270 (Wisconsin Senate Bill 270) gives people who file complaints about election official conduct the right to appeal the Elections Commission's decisions to circuit court. It allows any complainant - regardless of whether they suffered a specific legal injury - to appeal a Commission decision dismissing their complaint or denying requested relief. To appeal, a complainant must file within 30 days of the Commission's order, and the appeal does not automatically stop the Commission's decision unless a court orders it to. This bill directly affects individuals who have filed election-related complaints and disagree with the Commission's handling of their case.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 595: Relating to: compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act, voter registration data sharing agreements, removing ineligible voters from the official voter registration list, and fees for obtaining the official voter registration list. (FE)

AB 595 updates Wisconsin's voter registration system to better comply with federal voting laws. It requires the Elections Commission to verify U.S. citizenship for all voters by matching registration data with state databases from the Department of Transportation, State Registrar, and Department of Corrections. Municipal clerks must report monthly on voter status changes, including removals due to citizenship issues, and share audit results with election officials. The bill directly affects election administrators, state agencies handling voter data, and voters whose eligibility is verified through these new processes.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 652: Relating to: race-based higher education programs and requirements. (FE)

SB 652 removes race-based criteria from higher education programs by redefining "disadvantaged" students to focus solely on economic, familial, geographic, or personal hardship - not race, ethnicity, gender, or other identity factors. It repeals provisions requiring "minority" student programs and replaces them with "disadvantaged" student programs, while prohibiting state boards from considering race in admissions or financial aid decisions. Key changes include amending statutes to require annual recruitment and retention plans for disadvantaged students and modifying grant programs to prioritize economic hardship over racial identity. The bill directly affects public universities, technical colleges, and financial aid programs across the state by shifting eligibility criteria away from race-based classifications.

Topics ✗ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 277: Relating to: the expiration of administrative rules. (FE)

SB 277 establishes a 6-year expiration cycle for most Wisconsin administrative rules, requiring state agencies to proactively renew rules before they expire. It mandates that agencies submit renewal notices between January 1 and March 1 each year for rules expiring that year, including detailed justifications and statutory references. Rules not renewed through this process will automatically be removed from the Wisconsin Administrative Code on January 1 following expiration. This directly affects state agencies responsible for creating and maintaining administrative rules, ensuring regular legislative review of regulatory changes.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 12, 2026

AJR 147: Relating to: establishing an annual Education Foundation Day in Wisconsin.

This bill proposes establishing an annual Education Foundation Day in Wisconsin on May 13, 2026, to recognize the role of over 350 education foundations in supporting public schools. The legislation aims to acknowledge how these foundations provide supplemental funding for programs, build community connections, and create endowments that traditional budgets cannot support. It does not create new funding or change existing laws, but rather designates a specific date to honor the contributions of these organizations. The measure was introduced in the 2026 Wisconsin Legislature but failed to advance after being referred to the Committee on Rules.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate May 12, 2026

SJR 147: Relating to: establishing an annual Education Foundation Day in Wisconsin.

This bill proposes establishing an annual Education Foundation Day in Wisconsin to be held on May 13, 2026. The resolution formally recognizes the role of over 350 education foundations that support public schools through funding programs not covered by traditional budgets, building endowments, and connecting schools with community resources. It does not create new funding or change existing laws but instead serves as a commemorative measure to acknowledge the contributions of these organizations. The bill is procedural in nature and does not alter policy or affect specific groups beyond recognizing their work.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 7, 2026

AB 1188: Relating to: authorizing the creation of an emergency services district, authorizing an emergency services district to levy a property tax, and authorizing an emergency services district to impose special charges and issue debt. (FE)

This bill authorizes the creation of emergency services districts in Wisconsin and grants these districts the authority to levy property taxes and impose special charges to fund their operations. It also allows emergency services districts to issue debt to finance capital projects. The legislation amends state statutes to clarify how emergency services district board members are elected, specifying ballot procedures and candidate limits for these districts. Additionally, the bill outlines how election costs for emergency services districts are shared between the districts and local governments when voting occurs.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 1, 2026

AB 1141: Relating to: public financing of campaigns for the offices of justice of the supreme court, court of appeals judge, and circuit court judge, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a public financing system for judicial campaigns in Wisconsin, allowing candidates for supreme court justice, court of appeals judge, and circuit court judge positions to receive state funding if they meet specific contribution requirements. To qualify, candidates must collect at least 1,000 qualifying contributions totaling between $5,000 and $50,000 during a designated period, and they must file detailed receipts showing each contributor's name and address. The bill also limits anonymous contributions to $5 for public financing candidates and $10 for others, requiring any excess to be donated to schools or charities. Additionally, it creates a mechanism for transferring unspent public funds to replacement candidates when a vacancy occurs, with funds reverting to the state if no replacement is filed within seven days.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 1, 2026

AB 1165: Relating to: ranked-choice voting, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill would update Wisconsin election laws to implement ranked-choice voting for certain offices and establish procedures for resolving election ties. It directly affects state and local election officials, candidates, and voters by changing how votes are counted and how ties are handled. The bill creates new provisions allowing candidates to be ranked on ballots, grants rule-making authority to the Department of Justice for implementing ranked-choice voting systems, and provides funding to counties and municipalities to update equipment and software needed for administering the new voting method. Additionally, it establishes specific procedures for resolving ties when candidates receive equal numbers of votes, including the option for candidates to draw lots if present. The legislation also allows municipalities to combine voting wards to facilitate the use of common polling places.