Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 159: Relating to: creating a rural creative economy development grant program. (FE)

AB 159 creates a grant program to support rural creative economy development in Wisconsin. It provides competitive grants of up to $50,000 to eligible applicants - including rural cities, tribes, nonprofits, and economic development organizations - for projects like renovating public spaces, supporting public arts, and promoting local creative businesses. Applicants must secure matching funds from nonstate sources (with no more than 25% in-kind), and grants must directly benefit rural areas defined as populations under 10,000 or non-urbanized regions. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation must report on the program's effectiveness by May 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Francesca Hong (D) Tara Johnson (D) Mike Bare (D) Ron Tusler (R) Rick Gundrum (R)

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 116: Relating to: transportation of minors for emergency detention.

AB 116 creates a new reimbursement program for county governments to cover transportation costs when moving minors into emergency detention for safety reasons. It directly affects counties handling youth detention, minors receiving medical assistance, and third-party transportation providers (like ambulances or contracted vendors) who transport minors. The bill requires counties to use the least restrictive transportation method possible (like non-law enforcement vendors when feasible) and establishes that state reimbursement through the Medical Assistance program will only occur if federal approval is secured. This is a procedural change to clarify funding mechanisms, not a policy shift on detention standards.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 212: Relating to: the form of referendum questions.

SB 212 requires ballot questions for referendums and constitutional amendments to be written in plain language and avoid misleading phrasing (e.g., requiring a "no" vote to approve a proposal). It mandates that questions clearly state whether any part of a constitutional amendment is already part of current law. This bill affects all future voter referendums in the state by standardizing ballot language to improve clarity for voters.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 173: Relating to: creating a rural creative economy development grant program. (FE)

SB 173 creates a grant program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to support rural creative economies. It provides competitive grants (max $50,000) to eligible applicants like small towns, counties, tribes, or nonprofits in rural areas (defined as towns under 10,000 people, non-urban areas, or counties under 55,000 people). Grants must fund tourism, public arts, space renovations, arts education, or business support for creative enterprises, requiring applicants to secure matching funds equal to the grant amount. The program requires an effectiveness report to the legislature by May 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 114: Relating to: clinician initiation of emergency detention of a minor and providing a penalty.

AB 114 allows licensed clinicians (such as psychologists, psychiatrists, or clinical social workers) in counties with fewer than 750,000 residents to initiate emergency detentions for minors who are mentally ill, drug-dependent, or developmentally disabled. Clinicians must complete county-approved training, document specific reasons (including why detention is the least restrictive option), and obtain county department approval before initiating detention. The county department must arrange transport to a treatment facility and file documentation with the court within 24 hours. This bill does not apply to large counties (750,000+ population) and replaces existing law for clinician-initiated detentions.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 112: Relating to: consent to mental health treatment by minors who are age 14 or older.

AB 112 allows minors aged 14 or older to consent to inpatient mental health treatment without parental or guardian approval, directly affecting these minors, their parents/guardians, and mental health facilities. The bill amends statutes to let minors 14+ sign treatment applications themselves, and if parents refuse consent or cannot be found, minors may petition a court for approval. Facilities must now inform minors and parents (if available) of their rights, including the right to an independent evaluation and court hearings. The law requires facilities to file court petitions within 3 days if a minor aged 14+ refuses to join a treatment application. This bill focuses on expanding minor autonomy in mental health care decisions while maintaining court oversight.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 107: Relating to: consent to mental health treatment by minors who are age 14 or older.

SB 107 allows minors aged 14 or older to consent to their own inpatient mental health treatment for mental illness or developmental disability without parental permission. It amends statutes to require minors 14+ to sign admission applications directly, with parents/guardians only needing to sign if the minor refuses. If a minor 14+ seeks treatment but parents refuse or cannot be found, the minor may petition a court for approval within 3 days. The bill also mandates facilities to inform minors and parents of their rights, including court review options, and sets a 5-day timeline for courts to decide on admission petitions. This directly affects minors 14+, their families, and mental health facilities.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 109: Relating to: clinician initiation of emergency detention of a minor and providing a penalty.

SB 109 allows licensed mental health clinicians (like psychologists, psychiatrists, or clinical social workers) in counties with fewer than 750,000 residents to initiate emergency detentions for minors under specific conditions. To qualify, clinicians must complete county-approved training, document their belief that a minor is mentally ill, drug-dependent, or developmentally disabled, and confirm that custody is the least restrictive option. The county department of community programs must approve the detention before a minor can be taken into custody and transported to a treatment facility. This bill directly affects clinicians who may now initiate such detentions, minors in crisis, and county departments responsible for oversight and transportation.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 36: Relating to: law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE)

AB 36 allows retired law enforcement officers and firefighters in Wisconsin to opt out of rejoining the state retirement system if they return to work for a local government employer. It specifically applies to those who retire and later get rehired by a participating employer (like a city or county fire department). The bill requires three conditions: the retiree must not have a prior agreement to return to that employer, must not have a pending employment contract, and must actively choose not to rejoin the retirement system using a department-provided form. This prevents automatic re-enrollment in the retirement system for these specific retirees who choose to opt out.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 124: Relating to: prohibiting persons who have been convicted of a violent crime from changing their name and providing a penalty.

AB 124 prohibits individuals convicted of a violent crime from changing their name, with violations punishable as a Class H felony. The bill amends existing state laws to explicitly block all name change requests - whether through court orders or vital records updates - for people with such convictions. This applies to all name change processes, including those for birth records, marriage records, or court-ordered changes. The law does not affect name changes for individuals without violent crime convictions.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 295: Relating to: the use of artificial intelligence or other machine assisted translation in court proceedings and of telephone or live audiovisual interpretation in criminal trials. (FE)

This bill permits courts to use artificial intelligence translation tools instead of or alongside human interpreters in both civil and criminal court proceedings. It applies to all court settings requiring language assistance, including municipal courts and criminal trials. The key change is that courts no longer need to obtain waivers from parties to use AI translation, which differs from current rules for human interpreters. It directly affects non-English speakers accessing court services and court staff managing interpretation needs.

Topics ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 292: Relating to: the use of artificial intelligence or other machine assisted translation in court proceedings and of telephone or live audiovisual interpretation in criminal trials. (FE)

AB 292 allows courts to use artificial intelligence or machine-assisted translation services instead of or alongside human interpreters in both civil and criminal court proceedings. It also updates rules to permit telephone or live audiovisual interpretation in criminal trials (beyond just non-trial stages) and clarifies that using AI translation does not require a waiver that would normally be needed for alternative interpretation methods. This bill directly affects court proceedings involving language barriers, expanding options for language assistance without mandating AI use. The law amends specific statutes to implement these changes, focusing on procedural flexibility for courts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

Bill results