Wisconsin Bills

passed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 89: Relating to: recognizing October as Vaccine Injury Awareness Month in Wisconsin.

SJR 89 is a symbolic resolution recognizing October 2025 as "Vaccine Injury Awareness Month" in Wisconsin. It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the national observance of this month, which aims to support individuals and families affected by vaccine-related injuries. The resolution highlights the use of a black ribbon as a symbol for this awareness and notes concerns about the completeness of vaccine information provided in medical settings. It emphasizes the importance of accessing resources like VAERS and WHO's VigiAccess for informed consent. This resolution has no direct effect on healthcare practices or regulations.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 256: Relating to: a special observance day in schools for Armenian Genocide Awareness Day.

AB 256 designates April 24 as Armenian Genocide Awareness Day in Wisconsin public schools, to be observed annually as part of Genocide Awareness Month. The bill requires schools to recognize this day on their calendars but does not mandate specific curriculum or activities. It directly affects all public K-12 schools in Wisconsin, beginning with the school year after the law takes effect. The legislation creates a new statutory provision (118.02 (7d)) to formalize this observance without altering existing educational requirements.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 94: Relating to: prohibiting governmental entity discrimination (second consideration).

SJR 94 proposes adding Section 27 to the state constitution to prohibit government agencies from discriminating against or giving preferential treatment to individuals or groups based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. This would apply to public employment, education, contracting, and administration. The bill is a constitutional amendment requiring voter approval, with a ballot question scheduled for the November 2026 election. If approved by voters, it would create a new constitutional standard for state and local government actions. This is a second legislative attempt to submit this amendment to voters after a prior proposal in 2023.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 499: Relating to: coverage of nonopioid drug alternatives for the treatment and management of pain.

AB 499 requires health insurance plans and self-insured health plans to provide equal coverage for nonopioid pain treatments compared to opioids. Specifically, plans must cover at least two nonopioid prescription medications (not controlled substances) and three non-drug pain management options, without imposing stricter prior authorization or step therapy rules on nonopioid treatments than on opioids. The law prohibits designating nonopioid drugs as "nonpreferred" if opioids are listed and mandates annual public disclosure of pain management coverage details to enrollees and providers. This directly affects all health plans covering prescription drugs in Wisconsin, aiming to expand access to nonopioid pain management alternatives.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 228: Relating to: prohibiting school boards and independent charter schools from providing food containing certain ingredients in free or reduced-price meals.

SB 228 would prohibit public schools (including charter schools) and private schools participating in specific parental choice programs from serving school meals containing certain ingredients. It directly affects all schools providing meals under these programs by banning specific food components in every meal served, not just free or reduced-price options. The bill's key mechanism is a blanket restriction on meals containing the prohibited ingredients, applying to both public and participating private schools. This is a pending legislative proposal (not yet law) that would require schools to adjust meal menus to comply with the ingredient restrictions.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 470: Relating to: eliminating the right-to-work law. (FE)

AB 470 repeals the state's right-to-work law, which previously prohibited requiring employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. The bill eliminates section 111.04(3) and amends labor statutes to allow employers to collect union dues with employee consent (via written authorization) and to enter "all-union agreements" requiring membership in collective bargaining units where a majority of workers have voted in favor. This directly affects employees, employers, and labor organizations by removing restrictions on mandatory union membership and dues in unionized workplaces. The bill also establishes a new policy declaration emphasizing fair employment relations and collective bargaining rights.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AJR 94: Relating to: proclaiming January as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in the state of Wisconsin.

AJR 94 is a symbolic resolution that would officially recognize January as "Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month" across Wisconsin. It directly affects all Wisconsin residents by designating a specific month for statewide awareness efforts focused on human trafficking. The resolution has no binding legal requirements but serves as a formal declaration to encourage educational events, community outreach, and resource sharing related to human trafficking prevention during January. It does not create new laws or allocate funding.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AJR 104: Relating to: proclaiming November 2025 to be Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

This joint resolution (AJR 104) proclaims November 2025 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Wisconsin. It directly encourages all Wisconsin residents to increase awareness and education about pancreatic cancer and support services for patients. The resolution cites state-specific statistics, noting pancreatic cancer caused an estimated 1,060 deaths in Wisconsin in 2025 and may become the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the state. It does not create new laws or allocate funds but aims to raise public attention through official recognition.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 496: Relating to: verification of a pupil’s family income for participation in a parental choice program.

AB 496 changes income requirements for families using state-funded private school choice programs. It raises the income limit from 2.2 times the federal poverty level to 3.0 times for most districts (previously only 2.2x applied to some districts), while maintaining the lower 2.2x limit for specific school districts. The bill also simplifies income verification by removing outdated requirements for checking family income. This affects families applying for private school choice programs, with changes taking effect for the 2026-27 school year.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 497: Relating to: application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs.

AB 497 requires charter schools and private schools participating in state school choice programs to follow public records and open meeting laws, but explicitly excludes student records from public access. The bill amends statutes to define these schools as "authorities" under public records law (Section 1), while adding a specific provision (Section 2) that states pupil records at these schools cannot be inspected or copied by the public. Key mechanisms include mandating compliance with Chapter 19 (Sections 4-6) for open meetings and records, but preserving privacy for student data. This directly affects families, parents, and community members seeking access to student information at participating schools. The bill does not change access to other school records or operational details.

Topics ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 495: Relating to: application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs.

SB 495 would require charter schools and private schools participating in state school choice programs (under sections 115.7915, 118.60, or 119.23) to comply with Wisconsin's public records and open meetings laws. This means these schools would need to follow rules for public access to meetings and certain records, such as financial documents. However, the bill explicitly exempts student pupil records from public inspection under state law. The legislation expands the scope of existing public records statutes to include these schools as "authorities" and "governmental bodies" for compliance purposes. This change directly affects participating schools by adding transparency requirements while maintaining confidentiality for individual student records.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 93: Relating to: proclaiming November 2025 to be Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

SJR 93 is a ceremonial resolution designating November 2025 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Wisconsin. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but symbolically recognizes the impact of pancreatic cancer through official proclamation. The resolution cites statistics including an estimated 1,060 pancreatic cancer deaths in Wisconsin this year and notes pancreatic cancer could become the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the state by 2025. It encourages Wisconsin residents to increase awareness and education about pancreatic cancer and support services for patients. This resolution directly affects all Wisconsin citizens by formally acknowledging a public health issue through legislative recognition.

Bill results