AB 458 modifies standards for admitting expert witness testimony in court cases. It directly affects courts, lawyers, and parties involved in legal disputes where expert opinions are used, such as medical malpractice or accident investigations. The bill establishes new criteria for determining whether an expert's qualifications and methodology meet legal standards before testimony is allowed. This would require courts to evaluate the reliability and relevance of expert evidence more rigorously during pretrial proceedings. The bill is currently pending in the Judiciary Committee after its introduction and public hearing.
AB 245 modifies the state's sales and use tax exemption for businesses operating qualified data centers. It defines a "qualified data center" as buildings (or connected buildings) owned, leased, or operated by a single business entity, designed to house server computers for processing, storing, or managing data. The bill adds provisions allowing data centers to offer rental space, utilities, and infrastructure services to tenants, while explicitly excluding cryptocurrency-related facilities from the tax exemption. This directly affects data center operators and their tenants by clarifying eligibility for tax benefits and expanding allowable services.
SB 243 changes the age limit for safely surrendering infants under Wisconsin's safe haven law from 72 hours to 30 days. This means parents can now safely surrender a baby at a hospital or emergency facility within the first 30 days of life, instead of only the first 3 days. The bill updates three key statutes (48.195, 48.355, and 48.415) to reflect this extended timeframe, ensuring the surrender process aligns with the new age window. It directly affects parents seeking to relinquish custody safely and the child welfare system handling these surrenders.
SB 410 allocates $450,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 from the Department of Health Services' budget to fund statewide falls prevention awareness and initiatives. The grant will be awarded to the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging to support programs reducing falls among older adults. This bill increases the department's appropriation by $450,000 each year to cover these specific grants. The funding supports education and community outreach efforts, not new regulations or direct services for individuals.
This bill creates a new exception for certain retired Wisconsin Retirement System members. It allows former county jailers (not protective occupation) and protective occupation retirees to return to work for a participating employer without automatically becoming active retirement system participants. To qualify, they must not have a prior agreement to return, must formally elect not to rejoin the system using a department-provided form, and must have terminated employment without an agreement to return. The change specifically applies to rehires after the bill's effective date, giving these workers a clear path to return to work without automatic retirement system re-enrollment.
SB 570 creates a statewide registry to collect anonymized data on Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders (parkinsonisms) in Wisconsin. Health care providers and facilities must report patient diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Population Health Sciences by a specified deadline. The registry will store this data securely, remove identifying information, and share it only for research or public health purposes with strict confidentiality safeguards. The state must publish annual reports on disease incidence and prevalence through a public website, making this data accessible to the public and researchers. This bill directly affects health care providers who must submit reports and Wisconsin residents living with Parkinson’s disease or parkinsonisms.
SB 586 creates a new "Tuition Promise Grant Program" to help Wisconsin residents cover the gap between other financial aid and the full cost of academic fees and course-related fees at University of Wisconsin campuses (excluding Madison). It directly affects eligible undergraduate students who are Wisconsin residents, enrolled in their first bachelor’s program at a non-Madison UW campus, and have household income at or below $71,000 annually. The program provides grants for up to 8 consecutive semesters (for freshmen) or 4 consecutive semesters (for transfer students), with initial funding of $11.86 million for 2025-26 and $28.11 million for 2026-27. The UW Board of Regents will administer the program and set rules, but grants cannot cover summer terms or be awarded to students with unaddressed child support liens or selective service registration issues.
AB 138 modifies Wisconsin Retirement System rules for retirees who return to work. It specifically allows former jailers and protective occupation retirees (who previously received retirement benefits) to opt out of rejoining the retirement system if they are rehired by a participating employer within 75 days of leaving their prior job. To qualify, they must not have a pre-existing agreement to return and must formally decline re-enrollment using a department-provided form. This change applies only to those retiring from these specific roles and does not alter other retirement eligibility rules.
AB 600 establishes new rules for faculty tenure and probationary appointments at University of Wisconsin System institutions. It defines "probationary appointments" as temporary positions (capped at 7 consecutive academic years, excluding approved leaves) and "tenure appointments" as permanent roles. The bill requires tenure decisions to follow a multi-step process: a chancellor's recommendation, a committee review if the academic department rejects tenure, and adherence to board-defined rules prohibiting discriminatory or irrelevant factors in decisions. It also clarifies that tenure is institution-specific and mandates procedural safeguards, including due process for dismissals, for both tenured and probationary faculty.
Senate Bill 587 modifies the process for remitting educational fees for veterans and their dependents attending University of Wisconsin System institutions or technical colleges. It establishes a "sum sufficient" appropriation, ensuring that the state provides the necessary funds to fully reimburse these educational institutions for all remitted fees. The bill removes previous limitations on the amount the state's Higher Educational Aids Board can reimburse the universities and
AB 591 modifies Wisconsin's fee remission program for veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System or technical colleges. It removes outdated provisions (like sections 36.27 (3n) (bm) 2. and 39.50 (3m)) and clarifies that the state will reimburse institutions for waived tuition and fees, with proration if funds are insufficient. This directly affects veterans and dependents who qualify for fee waivers, ensuring they receive proportional reimbursement when state funds fall short. The changes take effect for students enrolled in Fall 2026.
AB 615 requires all public school districts and independent charter schools (K-8) to implement math screening tests three times yearly to identify students at-risk of not meeting grade-level math standards. Schools must then provide "quality math tutoring" (aligned with classroom instruction, offered 3 days weekly or 50 hours annually by state-approved providers) and develop personalized math plans for at-risk students within 30 days of identification. The bill also mandates schools with low 4th-grade math proficiency to create evidence-based achievement plans by 2026, including professional development for teachers. This law directly affects K-8 students identified as needing math support and schools serving those students.
