Wisconsin Bills | MyRepTracker

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 1, 2026

AB 1212: Relating to: performing risk-limiting audits and eliminating the process for removing excess ballots from the vote count. (FE)

This bill modifies Wisconsin election procedures by replacing the random removal of excess ballots with risk-limiting audits for selected contests starting in 2026, expanding to all elections by 2027. It requires election officials to document ballot discrepancies in detail rather than randomly discarding surplus ballots, and mandates investigations if discrepancies exceed 0.5 percent of total ballots cast. The legislation also updates oath requirements for deputy election officials to include specific acknowledgments about absentee voting procedures and penalties for noncompliance. These changes directly affect election inspectors, canvassers, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which would oversee the implementation of audit standards and investigation protocols.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 24, 2026

SB 1085: Relating to: longevity bonuses for teachers in school districts. (FE)

This bill establishes a teacher longevity bonus program for Wisconsin school districts, providing a $7,000 payment to teachers who have been continuously licensed and employed by the same school board for five consecutive school years. The program begins in the 2031-32 school year and allows teachers to receive additional bonuses for each subsequent five-year period of continuous service, provided those years were not already used to qualify for a prior bonus. School boards must annually report eligible teacher names to the Department of Public Instruction, and the funding comes from a new state appropriation. The legislation amends existing statutes to create this new bonus structure and clarifies which school district provisions apply to first-class city school districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 24, 2026

SB 1184: Relating to: creating a journalism fellowship program in the University of Wisconsin System and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a journalism fellowship program within the University of Wisconsin System to place journalism graduates in local newsrooms. The program would create 25 one-year fellowships, each providing a $40,000 salary to individuals who hold degrees in journalism, media, communications, or related fields. A selection committee composed of university faculty and industry professionals would review applications and match fellows with participating newsrooms based on how the placements would improve access to quality local journalism and support media literacy. The legislation appropriates $1 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year to fund these positions and requires applicants to demonstrate how their participation will meet state residents' civic information needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 24, 2026

SB 1183: Relating to: creating a Civic Information Consortium Board and a grant program administered by a nonprofit corporation to support local journalism and media projects and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill creates a new Civic Information Consortium Board attached to the University of Wisconsin System to administer a grant program supporting local journalism and media projects across the state. The board would include representatives from the university system, local media organizations covering print, online, radio, and television, and two public members, with initial staggered terms to ensure continuity. The program would provide $20 million in 2025-26 and $1 million in 2026-27 to a nonprofit corporation that awards grants for projects addressing community information needs, media literacy, and civic engagement, with at least 30 percent of funding directed to rural areas. The bill includes safeguards requiring grant recipients to remain independent from state influence and mandates annual reporting on how funds were used and their impact on public information access.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 24, 2026

SB 1176: Relating to: a University of Wisconsin System nonresident tuition exemption. (FE)

This bill proposes to create a tuition exemption for certain nonresident students at University of Wisconsin System institutions. It would allow individuals with approved deferred action status under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to qualify for in-state tuition rates if they have lived in Wisconsin for 12 months before enrolling. The exemption would apply to students registering in semesters following the bill's effective date. This legislation directly affects eligible nonresident students and the state's higher education funding structure.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Immigration

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 22, 2026

AB 1102: Relating to: longevity bonuses for teachers in school districts. (FE)

This bill establishes a longevity bonus program for teachers in Wisconsin school districts, providing a $7,000 payment to educators who have been continuously licensed and employed by the same school board for five consecutive school years starting in the 2031-32 academic year. The program allows teachers to receive additional bonuses for each subsequent five-year period of continuous service, with school boards required to annually report eligible teacher names to the Department of Public Instruction. The legislation creates new statutory sections to authorize funding for these payments and defines eligibility requirements based on continuous licensure and employment history.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 21, 2026

AB 1150: Relating to: implementation of an individualized education program or services plan under the Special Needs Scholarship Program. (FE)

This bill amends Wisconsin's Special Needs Scholarship Program to require private schools to implement individualized education programs or services plans for students with disabilities, as modified by agreement between the school and the parent. It mandates that private schools provide all records related to these program implementations within five days of receiving a request from the resident school board. The changes take effect starting with the 2026-27 school year, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in how private schools serving students with disabilities manage their educational plans.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 21, 2026

SB 949: Relating to: going armed at a polling place and providing a penalty.

SB 949 prohibits carrying firearms within 100 feet of polling places during voting hours (one hour before opening to one hour after closing), defining this as a Class A misdemeanor. It directly affects voters, election workers, and anyone near polling locations during elections. Key exemptions include law enforcement officers, private property owners on their own land, and security personnel acting in their professional duties. The bill creates new criminal penalties for violations, specifically targeting firearm presence at voting sites to enhance polling place safety. This is a policy change focused on election security, not procedural or commemorative.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 21, 2026

AB 943: Relating to: going armed at a polling place and providing a penalty.

AB 943 creates a new law (Section 941.236) prohibiting people from carrying firearms within 100 feet of polling places during voting hours (one hour before opening to one hour after closing). It directly affects voters, election workers, and anyone near polling locations during elections. The law applies to all individuals except law enforcement officers, qualified out-of-state officers, former officers, property owners on their own land, and security personnel acting in their official duties. Violating this provision is a serious misdemeanor charge.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 21, 2026

SB 569: Relating to: implementation of an individualized education program or services plan under the Special Needs Scholarship Program. (FE)

SB 569 requires private schools participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program to implement each student's most recent individualized education program (IEP) or services plan, adjusted through agreement between the school and the student's parent. It also mandates that these schools share all IEP-related records with the student's public school district within 5 days of a formal request. The law directly affects private schools in the scholarship program, parents of students with disabilities, and public school districts seeking IEP documentation. These requirements will take effect for the 2026-27 school year. The bill focuses on ensuring consistent educational planning and record-sharing between private and public schools for scholarship program participants.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 17, 2026

AB 1207: Relating to: creating a Civic Information Consortium Board and a grant program administered by a nonprofit corporation to support local journalism and media projects and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill creates a new Civic Information Consortium Board within the University of Wisconsin System to oversee a grant program that supports local journalism and media projects across the state. The board will consist of representatives from the university system, local media organizations covering print, online, radio, and television, and public members, with funding of $20 million initially allocated for grants and operations. The nonprofit corporation established to administer the grants must ensure recipients remain independent from state influence, direct at least 30% of funding to rural communities, and prioritize projects that address underserved populations and improve media literacy. The program aims to strengthen access to quality local news and civic engagement while requiring annual reports on how funds are spent and their impact on the public.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 17, 2026

AB 1206: Relating to: creating a journalism fellowship program in the University of Wisconsin System and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill creates a journalism fellowship program within the University of Wisconsin System to place recent journalism graduates into local newsrooms. The program would establish a selection committee made up of university faculty and journalism industry professionals to review applications from candidates with degrees in journalism, media, or communications. Each year, the program would award 25 one-year fellowships providing $40,000 in salary to selected fellows, with funding appropriated for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. The bill also authorizes 25 full-time equivalent positions within the university system to administer the program starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education