AB 86 amends Wisconsin law to impose a life sentence without parole for individuals convicted of child trafficking involving three or more child victims. It specifically upgrades penalties under statutes 948.051(1)(b) and 948.051(2)(b), defining child trafficking as recruiting, transporting, or exploiting children for commercial sex acts. The bill requires courts to sentence offenders to life imprisonment without parole eligibility when three or more child victims are involved, affecting both traffickers and those who benefit from such crimes. This change applies to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date.
This bill corrects an error in 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 regarding vehicle registration fees. It adds a $6 fee per new vehicle registration plate (not replacement plates) starting October 1, 2025, to be collected in addition to existing fees. The fee applies to all new plates issued after that date and directly affects vehicle owners registering new vehicles. The bill does not change existing heavy vehicle fee structures or other registration requirements. It is a technical correction to ensure proper fee implementation under the original law.
AB 320 increases multiple court filing fees and requires these fees to be adjusted for inflation starting in 2030. It raises specific fees, such as the civil filing fee from $75 to $190 and the criminal case fee from $163 to $239, with future adjustments tied to the U.S. consumer price index. These changes directly affect individuals filing court cases (e.g., defendants in criminal matters, plaintiffs in civil or family cases) who pay these fees. The bill mandates that fee amounts be recalculated every five years based on inflation data, rounded up to the nearest dollar, and posted online by the state courts director. The adjustments apply to over 20 specific fee categories across criminal, civil, and family court proceedings.
AB 217 raises competitive bidding thresholds for local government contracts in the state. It increases the general public work bidding threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 and the notice threshold from $5,000 to $10,000. For highway contracts specifically, it sets a $25,000 bidding threshold and $5,000 notice threshold. The bill also requires these thresholds to automatically adjust every five years based on inflation, using the U.S. Consumer Price Index. This directly affects towns and local governments when contracting for public projects above these new dollar amounts.
AB 676 creates a tax credit for Wisconsin insurers who invest in community development entities (CDEs) that fund qualifying low-income community businesses. Insurers can claim a 10% credit (after an initial 0% period) against certain insurance regulatory fees for investments in CDEs that deploy capital to businesses with principal operations in Wisconsin - $125 million allocated for rural counties and $125 million for metro counties. The credit applies to investments meeting specific criteria, such as funding businesses with at least 60% of operations in Wisconsin and excluding those deriving significant income from real estate. This policy directly affects insurers and CDEs by incentivizing capital deployment to underserved communities through a structured, state-funded tax credit mechanism.
AB 530 restricts drone operations over school properties, directly affecting anyone flying drones near public, private, or tribal schools. The bill prohibits drones over school grounds without authorization, except for specific law enforcement or emergency purposes like search/rescue, locating escaped prisoners, or preventing imminent danger. Violations carry a maximum $5,000 penalty, and evidence from drone recordings related to violations must be handled by law enforcement or correctional authorities. The law clarifies definitions for "school" and "public protective services agency" to ensure consistent application.
AB 670 exempts businesses providing certain contract research services from state sales and use tax. It defines "contract research services" as research conducted for a client that would qualify as "qualified research" if done by the client’s own employees. The bill specifically includes research funded between companies in the same corporate group and research covered under federal tax rules for "contract research expenses." This exemption directly benefits research service providers in the state, reducing their tax burden for qualifying work. The bill aligns state tax treatment with federal research credit definitions under the Internal Revenue Code.
AB 685 allows Wisconsin taxpayers to subtract certain theft losses from their state income tax when those losses are already deductible under federal tax rules (specifically IRS Section 165(c)(2) or (3)). It directly affects individuals who experience qualifying theft losses, such as stolen property, that meet federal deduction criteria. The bill creates a new state tax subtraction provision (statute 71.05(6)(b)57) for these losses, while clarifying that taxpayers cannot claim both this subtraction and a separate casualty loss deduction for the same loss. This aligns Wisconsin's tax treatment with federal rules for theft-related deductions, without creating new federal standards.
This bill addresses the misclassification of employees by establishing penalties for employers who incorrectly label workers as independent contractors instead of employees. It repeals existing exemption provisions and creates two new penalty categories: a $500 fine for each negligent misclassification and a $25,000 fine for intentional misclassification or providing false information to evade requirements. The legislation also introduces a mechanism where employers with three or more negligent misclassification cases within five years may face escalated penalties for subsequent violations, and allows the department to publish a public list of penalized employers on its website.
This bill addresses three main areas of electric utility regulation. First, it prevents electric companies from charging customers for the profits they made on power plants that have already been retired. Second, it creates a public online dashboard to track the status of applications for permits needed to build large electric generating facilities. Third, it adds requirements for new large power facilities to show they will use at least 70% of their electricity for manufacturing or mining at the same location, and to agree to pay for connecting to the public power grid. These changes directly affect electric utilities, customers who pay utility rates, and developers seeking to build new power generation projects.
This bill requires school districts to include education about fentanyl and the use of opioid antagonists in their official educational goals. It amends existing state law to add specific awareness of fentanyl and naloxone to the list of required drug abuse prevention topics. The changes would first apply to the 2026-27 school year, ensuring students receive information about these specific opioid-related issues as part of their health education curriculum.
AB 884 amends Wisconsin's tax code with three key changes. It requires background checks for individuals handling federal tax data when contracted by state departments (affecting state agencies and contractors). It updates retirement plan tax benefits, allowing individuals aged 67+ to subtract up to $24,000 annually from taxable income (or $48,000 for married couples filing jointly), subject to specific rules. Finally, it clarifies film production credit eligibility by defining "production expenditures" to include local spending on Wisconsin-based music, travel agencies, and insurance services, while excluding marketing costs. These changes directly impact state agencies, retirees, and film productions seeking tax credits.
