AB 559 creates annual payments to municipalities and counties where energy storage facilities (like batteries or pumped hydro) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities are located. For energy storage facilities, payments equal $2,000 per megawatt of capacity, split between the local city/village/town and county. For LNG facilities, payments are based on 3-6 mills of the facility’s property value, also split between the local jurisdiction and county. The bill ensures these payments continue even if some facility units shut down, and funds come from a public utility account. It directly affects local governments hosting these facilities and utility companies owning them.
AB 653 creates a state-funded program to improve safety at high-risk intersections. It directs the Department of Transportation to provide local governments (cities and counties) with funding for safety upgrades at signalized and stop-sign intersections with excessive crash rates. The program prioritizes intersections in the 10% of counties with the worst crash records from 2019-2024 data, using $6 million in new annual funding. This directly affects local governments managing highways by enabling them to apply for grants or reimbursements for intersection safety improvements.
AB 637 requires private postsecondary schools in the state to derive at least 20% of their annual revenue from non-federal sources in two out of their three most recent fiscal years to enroll state residents. This applies directly to private colleges and universities seeking to admit students who live in the state. The bill defines "annual revenue" and "federal funds" specifically and grants the state education department authority to create implementing rules. The requirement will take effect for the 2028-29 academic year.
SB 409 updates traffic laws to require drivers to exercise caution when approaching stopped emergency or roadside service vehicles, or disabled vehicles (defined as vehicles showing warning lights, flares, or attended by people). Drivers must either safely change lanes away from the stopped vehicle if possible, or slow down and proceed at a reduced speed until clear. The law applies to all drivers approaching these stopped vehicles within 12 feet of a roadway. It creates clear, specific actions for drivers to improve safety around roadside stops without changing existing penalties.
AJR 115 is a non-binding resolution recognizing October 26, 2025, and 2026, as Intersex Awareness Day in Wisconsin. It honors the 1996 first public demonstration by intersex people at a medical conference and acknowledges intersex individuals - those born with variations in physical sex characteristics - as part of Wisconsin's diverse community. The resolution highlights ongoing challenges like discrimination and unnecessary medical procedures on intersex children, while affirming the importance of bodily autonomy and dignity. This symbolic gesture does not create new laws but formally supports awareness and respect for intersex people.
AB 638 requires private postsecondary schools seeking state approval (or renewal) to maintain a reserve fund equal to 25% of their highest annual revenue over the past five years (or projected first-year revenue for new schools). This fund protects students if schools commit fraud, fail to deliver promised education services, or close unexpectedly. Schools must also pay a $3 student protection fee for every $1,000 of their annual revenue, with fee collection stopping once the fund exceeds $5 million. The bill directly affects private colleges operating in the state, creating a financial safety net for students through mandatory reserves and a fee-based fund.
SB 199 focuses on two main areas: academic and career planning for students and data reporting for colleges. The bill aims to provide academic and career planning services to K-12 students to help them prepare for their futures. Additionally, it requires the reporting of specific data concerning college student costs and their outcomes after graduation. This would affect both pupils receiving planning services and higher education institutions responsible for collecting and reporting student financial and post-graduation information.
SB 97 requires public school boards, private school governing bodies, and charter school operators to notify parents or guardians when a report alleges sexual misconduct by a school staff member (as defined in Wisconsin law). Schools must provide this notification in person, by phone, or voicemail within specific timeframes - by 5 p.m. same day if reported before school ends, or by noon the next day otherwise. The law applies only to allegations involving staff members, not parents or guardians, and excludes reports received by unqualified school personnel. This bill directly affects parents of students in Wisconsin public, private, and charter schools by mandating timely communication about potential safety concerns involving school staff.
AB 551 establishes a program allowing hunters to drop off deer carcass parts at designated sampling stations - such as self-service kiosks - for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing. The Department of Natural Resources will administer these stations, which may contract with private entities to process samples. The bill appropriates $500,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $500,000 for 2026-27 to fund this program. It directly affects hunters who use the stations and the Department of Natural Resources, which will manage the sampling operations.
AB 632 imposes a moratorium on issuing permits for mining sulfide ore bodies (mineral deposits where metals mix with sulfide minerals) until two conditions are verified. Specifically, the department must confirm that similar mining operations in the U.S. or Canada have operated for at least 10 years without polluting groundwater or surface water from acid drainage or heavy metals, and that similar closed mines have remained pollution-free for 10 years. This applies to all permit applications, regardless of when they were submitted, and remains in effect until the verification requirements are met. The bill directly affects mining companies seeking permits for sulfide ore mining projects in the state.
SB 327 ensures landlords cannot deny housing to tenants with emotional support animals based solely on the animal's presence. It requires tenants to provide a letter or prescription from a healthcare provider to verify their need for the animal. The bill also establishes penalties for individuals who falsely claim their pet is a service animal to gain housing access. This directly affects landlords, tenants, and housing providers across the state.
SB 649 prohibits state-funded medical and research facilities from using genetic software or operational tools developed by foreign adversaries (as defined by federal regulations), and bans storing human genome data of state residents within foreign adversary countries. It directly affects facilities receiving state or federal funds for health services or genetic research, requiring them to keep all genomic data within the state and inaccessible to foreign adversaries. Key provisions include a $10,000 penalty per violation for noncompliance, enforced by the state attorney general, with exceptions for clinical trials under federal guidelines. The bill focuses on restricting data and software access from designated foreign entities to protect genomic information.
