SB 575 clarifies which medical costs related to sexual assault forensic exams are covered by state compensation. It defines "examination costs" to include medical tests, HIV prevention medication (prophylaxis), and STI treatment provided during the exam process if related to the assault. The bill explicitly excludes administrative fees, attorney costs, or unrelated medical expenses from coverage. This directly affects sexual assault victims seeking reimbursement for specific, exam-related medical care under the state's compensation program.
AB 699 creates a 20% tax credit for disability insurers who pay long-term care insurance assessments. The credit applies to the taxable year after the assessment is paid and the next four years, reducing taxes owed under Wisconsin law. It directly affects disability insurers (defined in the bill) who collect these assessments, not individual consumers. The credit cannot be claimed by partnerships or their members if the entity claims it, and unused credits are paid by the state from a dedicated fund. This bill establishes a new tax credit mechanism without changing insurance requirements for consumers.
AB 700 appropriates state funds to cover refundable credits for Wisconsin taxpayers who pay long-term care insurance assessments. It directly affects residents who pay these assessments by ensuring they receive the full credit amount through a dedicated budget appropriation. The bill amends statute 20.835(2)(de) to specify the funding needed for credits under existing laws (sections 71.07(12)(d)2., 71.28(12)(d)2., 71.47(12)(d)2., and 76.633(4)). This creates a permanent funding mechanism for the credits rather than relying on annual budget adjustments.
This bill requires state and local government agencies to prioritize purchasing materials manufactured in the United States when all other factors are equal, unless federal law or international agreements prohibit it. It mandates that contracts for public works projects include provisions requiring contractors to use domestically manufactured materials, while exempting purchases intended for commercial resale, stationery, and cases where foreign suppliers do not reciprocate in their own government procurement. The legislation also restricts municipalities from using bidding methods that favor bidders based on geographic location, except when using the United States manufacturing preference. These changes directly affect state departments, municipalities, and contractors bidding on public projects by establishing a preference for American-made goods in government procurement.
This bill establishes a program to eliminate medical debt for eligible Wisconsin residents by creating a $10 million annual appropriation for the Department of Health Services to purchase and cancel outstanding medical bills. To qualify, residents must either have household income at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty line or owe medical debt equal to at least 5 percent of their annual household income. The department will identify eligible individuals, negotiate with healthcare providers and debt collectors to buy their outstanding balances, and then formally abolish the debt while minimizing tax consequences for recipients. The program prioritizes purchasing debt from providers serving low-income populations and those in areas disproportionately affected by medical debt, with annual reporting required to track the number of debts eliminated and demographic information of affected residents.
This bill creates a state income tax credit for property taxes paid by senior citizens aged 65 and older who own and live in their principal dwelling. The credit allows eligible claimants to offset 75% of their annual property taxes against their state income tax liability, with any unused portion potentially refunded through a state appropriation. To qualify, a household's income must be under $24,500 and the home's assessed value must be below $300,000, while also excluding those who already receive other property tax credits or live in leased properties. The legislation also establishes administrative procedures for claiming the credit through state tax forms and limits eligibility to Wisconsin residents who file by the standard deadline.
This bill establishes a state program to eliminate medical debt for eligible residents by purchasing and forgiving outstanding healthcare bills. It allocates $10 million annually for 2025-26 and 2026-27 to fund the program, which targets individuals earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty line or those with medical debt equal to at least 5 percent of their household income. The state Department of Health Services or a contracted nonprofit would identify eligible residents, negotiate with healthcare providers and debt collectors to buy their debts, and then cancel the obligations while minimizing tax consequences for recipients. The bill requires annual reporting on the amount of debt abolished, the number of residents helped, and demographic data about participants and healthcare providers involved.
This bill modifies Wisconsin statutes to allow local governments to set residency requirements for specific administrative and leadership roles within their departments. It permits police, fire, and protective services departments to require their chiefs to live within the jurisdiction, while cities, villages, and certain counties can impose similar requirements on their administrators. Additionally, the bill enables cities and villages that have or are selecting a city manager to require that manager to reside locally. The changes apply only to individuals hired on or after the effective date of the legislation, leaving existing employees unaffected.
This bill allows local governments to require that certain top administrative employees live within their jurisdiction. It specifically permits police and fire departments to set residency rules for their chiefs, cities and villages to apply them to administrators, counties without elected executives to apply them to county administrators, and school boards to apply them to school district administrators. Additionally, cities and villages that have or are electing a city manager may require that manager to live locally. The changes take effect only for individuals hired after the bill becomes law, meaning existing employees are not affected.
SB 379 creates a $2,000 refundable individual income tax credit for Wisconsin parents who experience a stillbirth (defined as a birth requiring a fetal death report under state law). The credit applies to the taxable year of the stillbirth and is refundable, meaning parents who owe less in taxes than $2,000 will receive the difference as a cash payment from the state. Eligibility requires being a Wisconsin resident filing a joint or separate return, with specific limits: $2,000 total for married couples filing jointly, $1,000 each for unmarried parents or separate returns. Proof of eligibility, such as a fetal death report, must be submitted with the tax return.
This bill creates a new state program called WisEARNS designed to help workers in Wisconsin who do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans save for their future. The legislation establishes a WisEARNS board with members representing investors, small business owners, employees, employers, and financial experts to oversee the program's implementation. The program would automatically enroll eligible employees who work in Wisconsin and lack retirement savings options into a state-managed retirement savings account, with the board responsible for selecting a vendor to administer the plan. The bill also authorizes the state treasurer to make rules for the program and includes an appropriation to fund its initial operations.
This bill creates a grant program to help school districts install or upgrade emergency notification systems that are accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. It authorizes $1 million in funding for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years to reimburse school districts for the costs of making these systems accessible. The bill establishes that grants cannot exceed the actual amount a district spends on installation or upgrades. Although the bill was introduced in March 2026, it failed to pass the Senate and did not become law.
