This bill creates a new state grant program to help school districts provide safe transportation for high school students attending school-sponsored events. It allocates $500,000 for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years, with funding distributed through the Department of Public Instruction. The grants are intended to support transportation methods that ensure student safety during events organized by schools. The program is set to expire on June 30, 2027, after which no new grants may be awarded under this provision.
This bill establishes a state grant program to help school districts pay student teachers an hourly wage of at least $15 for their teaching hours during the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The funding comes from a state appropriation, with the Department of Public Instruction calculating and distributing payments to school boards based on the number of hours each student teacher worked in their district. The legislation also gives the department authority to create rules for administering the program and defines student teachers as individuals enrolled in approved teacher preparation programs who are completing their student teaching component.
This bill updates Wisconsin's licensing requirements for speech-language pathologists working in public schools by allowing the Department of Public Instruction to issue licenses to individuals who already hold valid licenses from the state's hearing and speech examining board or possess a valid compact privilege. The legislation modifies existing statutes and administrative rules to streamline the licensing process, ensuring that qualified professionals can transition from clinical practice to school employment without redundant certification steps. Additionally, the bill includes broader changes to teacher licensing standards, such as requiring full semester student teaching for all teacher preparation programs, including those outside the state. These provisions aim to align school-based speech-language pathology credentials with established professional standards while maintaining oversight through the state superintendent.
AB 1004 prohibits school boards, charter school governing boards, and participating private school entities (referred to as "education employers") from entering agreements that suppress information about alleged immoral conduct by employees, hinder reporting of such conduct, or require removing substantiated allegations from records. The bill also grants civil immunity to education employers who provide information about an employee’s conduct - including alleged immoral conduct - to a prospective employer upon request. This immunity supplements existing legal protections for employment references. The law aims to ensure transparency in employee conduct records while protecting schools from liability when sharing verified information with new employers.
AB 1025 sets maximum fees for earned wage access (EWA) services, which allow workers to receive early access to earned wages from employers. It limits fees to $5 for advances of $75 or less and $7.50 for larger advances, with automatic 5-year adjustments based on the U.S. consumer price index starting in 2030. The bill also clarifies that EWA services provided by licensed providers are exempt from certain existing financial regulations. This directly affects EWA providers and workers who use these services, creating a standardized fee structure and regulatory clarity.
AB 1076 modifies rules for sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits in Wisconsin. It directs $7 from each permit fee toward managing the species and funding research (Section 1). The bill updates the permit allocation system: applicants earn preference points for past unissued permits, with random selection within categories if demand exceeds supply (Section 2), and requires the department to allocate permits between residents and nonresidents based on applicant numbers (Section 3). It also adjusts permit processing fees to $2.75 for some licenses and $9.75 for sharp-tailed grouse permits (Sections 4-5).
AB 866 revises rules for county sheriff offices and undersheriff appointments across the state. It creates new requirements for appointing an undersheriff (who must be a certified law enforcement officer and county resident), clarifies succession rules when the sheriff is absent or incapacitated, and ensures deputies returning from undersheriff roles retain their prior pay and seniority. The bill directly affects county sheriffs, undersheriffs, county clerks handling vacancy procedures, and deputy sheriffs. Key provisions include mandating written appointment records, defining when an undersheriff acts as sheriff, and requiring counties to return deputies to their previous positions after undersheriff service.
AB 907 updates state lottery drawing procedures by requiring all drawings to use random selection methods (via mechanical, electrical, or computerized systems) and mandating annual independent audits. The bill repeals outdated rules and creates new requirements for the lottery department to ensure drawing randomness and security. These changes directly affect the state lottery operations, requiring them to verify processes through external audits each year. The law focuses on transparency and technical safeguards without altering lottery prizes or participation rules.
AB 905 creates a new penalty for threatening healthcare providers, staff, or their family members when the threat is related to their work. It specifically targets threats made knowing the victim is a healthcare worker (current or former) or a family member, and the threat occurs in response to actions taken at a healthcare facility or by a provider acting in their official capacity. The bill defines "health care facility" and "health care provider" using existing statutory terms to clarify the scope of protection. This law directly affects healthcare workers and their families by establishing criminal penalties for targeted threats connected to their professional roles.
AB 856 repeals and amends specific sections of state law related to operating while intoxicated (OWI) that were deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill primarily affects drivers of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility terrain vehicles, and motorboats who face penalties for OWI or refusal to submit to chemical tests. Key changes include adjusting penalty tiers for repeat offenses (e.g., fines of $300-$1,100 for one prior conviction, up to $2,000 for four or more), clarifying when refusal constitutes a violation, and adding provisions for "additional chemical tests" for ATV/boat operators involved in accidents. The bill also revises procedures for law enforcement officers requesting tests and providing required information. These changes aim to align the statutes with constitutional standards while maintaining enforcement mechanisms for impaired operation.
AB 751 modifies how electric utilities calculate fuel costs for their rate plans. It requires utilities to account for the cost of purchasing electricity and revenue from selling generation capacity that meets Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) requirements when calculating fuel costs. This change affects electric utilities and their customers by adjusting how fuel cost differences (under- or over-collections) are handled in rate adjustments. The bill creates a new definition for "Midcontinent independent system operation" to align with existing MISO terminology.
AB 768 restricts drone operations near critical utility facilities by prohibiting flights below 300 feet within 500 feet of water reclamation plants, power plants/substations, telecom facilities, or public water systems. Exceptions allow facility owners, local governments, and commercial operators (complying with FAA rules) to operate drones for maintenance, inspections, or official business. The bill also requires law enforcement to seize drone footage during violations and transfer it to relevant local agencies for enforcement. This directly affects drone operators near these infrastructure sites while aiming to protect public safety and facility security.
