Wisconsin Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 21, 2026

AB 80: Relating to: ratification of the Social Work Licensure Compact. (FE)

AB 80 would allow social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors licensed in this state to practice in other states that join the Social Work Licensure Compact without needing separate state licenses. The bill amends existing statutes to align state definitions and requirements with the compact framework, ensuring professionals certified under Chapter 457 can work across participating states. It directly affects licensed social work professionals seeking to practice in multiple states and changes how their credentials are recognized in statutes related to child welfare, mental health, and professional practice. The compact aims to streamline licensure for these professionals while maintaining state-specific standards.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Ben Franklin (R) Barbara Dittrich (R) Dan Knodl (R) Alex Joers (D) Tara Johnson (D)

failed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 1177: Relating to: performing risk-limiting audits and eliminating the process for removing excess ballots from the vote count. (FE)

This bill would modify Wisconsin election procedures by replacing the current method of randomly discarding excess ballots with a system that documents discrepancies and incorporates them into risk-limiting audits. It directly affects election inspectors and canvassers who count ballots, as well as voters whose ballots might be affected by these counting procedures. The key provision eliminates the random removal of excess ballots and instead requires detailed documentation of ballot discrepancies, with audits investigating any discrepancies exceeding 0.5 percent of total ballots cast. The changes would take effect in phases, starting with selected contests in January 2026 and expanding to all elections by April 2027.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 1130: Relating to: ranked-choice voting, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill would establish ranked-choice voting for certain Wisconsin elections and provides funding to help local governments implement the system. It directly affects voters, election officials, and municipalities by changing how ballots are counted and how ties are resolved. The key provisions allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, require tie-breaking by lot when candidates receive equal votes, and authorize grants to counties and cities for updating voting equipment and software. The bill also gives municipalities flexibility in combining polling wards to facilitate ranked-choice voting while maintaining separate vote counts for reporting purposes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 1148: Relating to: authorizing the creation of an emergency services district, authorizing an emergency services district to levy a property tax, and authorizing an emergency services district to impose special charges and issue debt. (FE)

This bill authorizes the creation of emergency services districts and grants them the authority to levy property taxes, impose special charges, and issue debt to fund local emergency response services. It directly affects local governments and residents within areas where these districts are established by modifying existing statutes related to district formation and financial powers. The legislation includes provisions for how emergency services district board members are elected, specifying ballot arrangements and candidate limits during primary elections. Additionally, it clarifies which entities are responsible for paying election-related costs, such as ballots and voting materials, when emergency services districts hold elections.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 1005: Relating to: admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions.

AB 1005 requires University of Wisconsin System institutions to base undergraduate admission decisions "predominantly" on standardized test scores like the ACT or SAT, rather than other factors. It applies to all applicants except those admitted through the guaranteed admission program. The bill amends statutes to mandate that objective test performance become the primary factor in admission decisions, effective for the 2027-28 academic year. This change directly affects prospective undergraduate students applying to UW System campuses.

Topics ✗ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 998: Relating to: recommendations made by the council on early literacy curricula.

AB 998 requires the Council on Early Literacy Curricula to annually recommend early literacy curricula and materials for kindergarten through third grade (K-3) starting in the 2025-26 school year. The Department of Education must then submit these recommendations, along with its own, to legislative committees within 14 days. If the legislature’s finance committee does not schedule a review meeting within 14 days, the recommendations automatically take effect for the next school year. This bill directly affects the Council, the Department of Education, and legislative committees by establishing a clear timeline for adopting literacy materials.

Topics ✓ Education

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 1027: Relating to: requiring information relating to the food stamp program to be compiled and provided to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (FE)

AB 1027 requires the state's Department of Health Services to compile and share specific data about the food stamp program (SNAP) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) within six months of the bill's effective date. The data must cover individuals who received, are receiving, or applied for benefits under SNAP since January 1, 2020, as specified in a July 2025 USDA letter implementing a federal executive order. This law directly affects the state agency responsible for administering SNAP, mandating a formal data-sharing process with federal authorities. The bill does not change eligibility or benefits but establishes a new administrative requirement for state-federal data coordination.

signed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 1034: Relating to: name, image, and likeness rights for University of Wisconsin System student athletes; maintenance costs for University of Wisconsin–Madison intercollegiate athletic facilities; and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 1034 creates a $14.6 million annual appropriation for maintaining University of Wisconsin-Madison intercollegiate athletic facilities, plus $200,000 each for the Klotsche Center (UW-Milwaukee) and Green Bay soccer complex. It also establishes new rules allowing student athletes to earn compensation for use of their name, image, or likeness (NIL) through third-party agreements, while requiring disclosure of such agreements to the university. The bill prohibits using general state funds to create or support NIL opportunities and clarifies that NIL compensation does not make student athletes employees. These provisions aim to formalize NIL rights and facility funding within the University of Wisconsin System.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 1032: Relating to: the sale of property under Department of Natural Resources jurisdiction to prevent the spread of avian flu.

AB 1032 allows the Natural Resources Board to sell state-owned lands adjacent to or within one mile of commercial egg farms. This policy change directly affects state property under the Department of Natural Resources and commercial egg farms by enabling land sales to create buffers against avian flu spread. The key provision authorizes the board to sell these specific properties without requiring additional approvals under existing statutes. The bill aims to prevent disease transmission through strategic land management, focusing on concrete property transactions rather than broader regulatory changes. It passed the legislature on February 19, 2026, and is now awaiting the governor's signature.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 880: Relating to: nuisance actions against racing facilities.

AB 880 prevents certain nuisance lawsuits against racing facilities by restricting who can file them. It allows only property owners within a 5-mile radius who owned their land *before* the racetrack was built or expanded to sue. The law blocks these lawsuits if the racetrack was legally operating at the time the plaintiff acquired the property, regardless of later changes to the facility (like size or technology), as long as those changes followed existing laws. This directly affects racetracks and nearby landowners who might seek legal action over noise or other issues.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 903: Relating to: termination of parental rights under the safe haven law. (FE)

AB 903 modifies Wisconsin law regarding parental rights termination for newborns voluntarily relinquished under the safe haven law (s. 48.195). It requires the district attorney or designated official to file a petition to terminate parental rights within 30-60 days after a court finds probable cause that the parent relinquished custody. This directly affects parents who use the safe haven program and child welfare officials handling these cases, ensuring timely legal proceedings for newborns placed in care. The bill focuses on procedural timing, not policy outcomes.

vetoed · Wisconsin · Assembly May 13, 2026

AB 956: Relating to: exempting certain agricultural warehouses from automatic fire sprinkler requirements.

AB 956 exempts specific agricultural warehouses storing crop protection products (like fertilizers and pesticides) from mandatory automatic fire sprinkler systems. It applies to warehouses designed primarily for storing these chemicals, provided they meet conditions such as using secondary containment for liquid products or using dry bulk storage. Owners must notify local fire departments about stored chemicals and update this information if changes occur. The exemption does not apply to office areas within the warehouse, changes in warehouse use, or other fire safety requirements beyond sprinklers. This bill directly affects agricultural businesses storing these products in qualifying facilities.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment