Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1169: Relating to: a state minimum wage, allowing the enactment of local minimum wage ordinances, and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

This bill establishes a state minimum wage of $15 per hour while allowing local governments to enact their own minimum wage ordinances. It creates a rule-making authority for the state department to set lower minimum wages for specific groups including agricultural workers, camp counselors, and students, and to exempt certain casual employment situations. The bill also requires annual adjustments to the minimum wage based on the consumer price index, with automatic increases unless inflation shows no growth. Additionally, it prohibits the state from setting different minimum wages for men and women.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1139: Relating to: disposition of property left behind by a tenant and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

This bill modifies how landlords handle personal property left behind by tenants who move out or are evicted. It allows landlords to presume abandoned property is abandoned unless the tenant provides written notice or agreement stating otherwise, giving landlords discretion to dispose of such items. The bill also limits fees landlords can charge tenants for storage, removal, or disposal of abandoned property, requiring these costs to be set at reasonable rates by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Topics ✗ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1119: Relating to: rent abatement and retaliatory conduct and granting rule-making authority.

This bill modifies Wisconsin's residential tenancy laws to strengthen protections for tenants facing unsafe living conditions and retaliatory actions by landlords. It requires landlords to provide a rent abatement schedule when repairs for health or safety issues cause tenants to lose full use of their homes, while also clarifying that tenants cannot withhold all rent if they stay in the property. The legislation creates a legal presumption that certain landlord actions, such as rent increases or lease nonrenewals, are retaliatory if they occur within 12 months of a tenant exercising their rights. Additionally, it grants the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection the authority to establish specific rules for calculating rent reductions based on various conditions.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1213: Relating to: a dairy agriculture resilience investment now grant pilot program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a pilot program to provide grants to small dairy farms with fewer than 1,000 milking cows, aiming to help them improve operational efficiency and resilience. The program would be funded by a $1.5 million appropriation and administered by the Department of Agriculture, which would have the authority to create rules for managing the grants. Eligible dairy producers could use the funding for projects designed to strengthen their farms against economic or environmental challenges. The legislation creates two new sections in the state statutes to outline the program's structure and funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1164: Relating to: permitting certain qualified individuals to make a request for medication for the purpose of ending their lives and providing a penalty. (FE)

This bill establishes a legal process for medical aid in dying, allowing mentally capable adults with terminal illnesses and a life expectancy of six months or less to request medication to end their lives. The law requires multiple steps including oral and written requests, confirmation from two medical providers, and thorough counseling about alternatives and risks before a prescription can be issued. It defines key terms such as "qualified individual" and "terminal disease," while also outlining protections against coercion and specifying that providers may decline participation without penalty. The legislation creates a new chapter in state statutes titled the "Our Care, Our Options Act" and includes provisions for penalties related to violations of the process.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1224: Relating to: establishing a publicly financed health care plan for residents of this state, creating the office of the ombudsman for patient advocacy, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.

This bill proposes creating a publicly financed health care plan for Wisconsin residents and establishes a new Office of the Ombudsman for Patient Advocacy within the Department of Health Services. The ombudsman would be appointed by the health secretary to advocate for patients, and the bill creates a separate health plan fund to manage money for the program, including federal payments and donations. The legislation defines key terms like "enrollee" and "medically necessary" care, authorizes the department to seek federal waivers to implement the plan, and sets up rules for how health care providers are classified and compensated. However, the bill failed to pass in the Senate on March 23, 2026, so these changes have not been enacted.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1170: Relating to: prescription drug cost reporting by manufacturers, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty. (FE)

This bill requires prescription drug manufacturers to report price increases and new drug introductions to state health officials, affecting pharmaceutical companies selling drugs in the state. Manufacturers must notify the department and insurance office at least 30 days before raising drug prices by more than 25% over two years or introducing high-cost brand-name drugs, providing justification including cost-effectiveness data and comparisons to similar medications. The law also mandates annual reports on manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs and price concessions given to pharmacy benefit managers, with penalties of up to $10,000 per day for noncompliance. State health officials will publish the justification documents and conduct public hearings to analyze drug pricing trends.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1138: Relating to: procedures in eviction actions for noncompliance with stipulated judgments of dismissal. (FE)

This bill modifies court procedures for eviction cases where landlords and tenants agree to a dismissal agreement that includes conditions for compliance. It requires landlords to provide written notice to tenants before a court can cancel a dismissal agreement and reinstate an eviction if the tenant fails to meet the agreed terms. Additionally, the bill mandates that courts hold an evidentiary hearing before entering any unsatisfied portion of the agreement, ensuring both parties have a chance to present evidence. These changes directly affect landlords, tenants, and judges handling eviction cases by adding procedural safeguards to the enforcement of dismissal agreements.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1237: Relating to: restoring private individual authority to bring a qui tam claim against a person for making a false claim for medical assistance, actions by the attorney general against a person for making a false claim for medical assistance, and providing a penalty. (FE)

This bill allows private individuals to file lawsuits against people who knowingly submit false claims for medical assistance, such as Medicaid. It establishes penalties requiring violators to pay three times the amount of damages caused to the state, plus additional fines. The law gives private citizens the right to bring these claims in the name of the state, while the attorney general decides whether to join the lawsuit or let the private individual proceed. If the attorney general chooses to intervene, they take primary responsibility for handling the case, though the private individual can remain a party to the action.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1113: Relating to: modifications to the property tax exemption for nonprofit organizations that sell property to low-income persons. (FE)

This bill modifies property tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations that sell homes to low-income buyers. It allows nonprofits to qualify for tax breaks only if they either offer zero-interest loans or restrict sales to households earning less than 120 percent of the area median income. The changes apply to property tax assessments starting January 1, 2026, and affect nonprofits that rehabilitate, redevelop, or construct housing for low-income residents. The legislation removes a previous provision that allowed broader exemptions without income restrictions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1192: Relating to: penalties imposed on owners of mobile or manufactured home communities, grants for mobile homes and manufactured homes, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a grant program to help owners of mobile and manufactured home communities meet licensing standards and to assist individual homeowners with repairs and improvements. It creates a new penalty system that allows the Department of Safety and Professional Services to impose a $5,000 forfeiture annually on community owners who fail to comply with reporting or other requirements. The collected penalties are designated to fund the grant program, and unpaid forfeitures create liens on the property until resolved. The legislation defines key terms such as manufactured homes and mobile home communities to clarify who qualifies for assistance and under what rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 1173: Relating to: spectacle lens prescriptions provided by optometrists and professional disciplinary actions by the optometry examining board. (FE)

This bill modifies Wisconsin's optometry laws to strengthen penalties for optometrists who fail to provide patients with their eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions at no cost. It creates a new provision requiring that all prescriptions include a measurement of the patient's pupillary distance and allows the optometry examining board to impose fines of up to $1,000 for each violation. The changes directly affect optometrists and their patients by ensuring prescription access and establishing clearer standards for disciplinary actions.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results