Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 958: Relating to: creating the water fund for our future, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 958 creates a dedicated "Water Fund for Our Future" with $250 million transferred from the general fund for state water infrastructure and emergency response. It establishes a rapid response account within the fund to cover costs for natural disasters and public health emergencies, including remediation, relocation, and assistance for affected individuals. A joint legislative committee oversees fund spending, ensuring money is only used for clean water activities and requiring written recommendations for funding requests. The fund also includes provisions for transferring unspent balances to the budget stabilization fund during fiscal shortages.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1023: Relating to: admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions.

SB 1023 requires University of Wisconsin System institutions to base undergraduate admission decisions "predominantly" on standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, or equivalent) for the 2027-28 academic year onward. It applies directly to all UW System undergraduate applicants, excluding those admitted through the existing guaranteed admission program. The bill adds a new requirement to statutes, mandating that admission criteria prioritize objective test performance over other factors. This change modifies current policies but does not affect existing bans on race, religion, or sex-based admission tests. The law becomes effective for applications submitted for the 2027-28 academic year.

Topics ✗ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 137: Relating to: recognizing January 27, 2026, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

SJR 137 is a non-binding resolution recognizing January 27, 2026, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Wisconsin. It formally acknowledges the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and commemorates the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, along with millions of other persecuted groups. The resolution encourages Wisconsin citizens to reflect on Holocaust history, participate in educational activities, and support efforts to combat antisemitism and hatred. It does not create new laws, programs, or funding, but serves as a symbolic commitment to honoring survivors and preventing future atrocities through remembrance.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 979: Relating to: requirements for proposed administrative rules that impose costs. (FE)

SB 979 modifies state rules for reviewing proposed regulations that could impose significant costs. It lowers the cost threshold triggering a review from $10 million to $4 million over two years for businesses, local governments, and individuals. The bill specifically prevents agencies from avoiding this review by splitting a single rule into multiple rules or creating interdependent rules on the same topic. Agencies must halt work on rules exceeding the threshold or revise them to reduce costs, requiring a new economic analysis before proceeding. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and the entities subject to those rules.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 940: Relating to: the rule-making authority of agencies. (FE)

SB 940 limits state agencies' rule-making authority by requiring explicit and specific statutory permission for agencies to interpret or implement laws. It prohibits agencies from using policy statements, federal compliance plans, settlement agreements, or court orders as justification for creating rules. The bill also adds a new requirement that agencies must obtain approval from the governor and the relevant policy-making body before drafting new rules. This directly affects state agencies responsible for creating regulations, such as environmental or health departments, by tightening oversight of their regulatory actions.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 989: Relating to: funding for the Department of Financial Institutions for contributions to Trump accounts and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 989 increases funding for the Department of Financial Institutions by $60 million for each of fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. This appropriation would allow the department to make payments to "Trump accounts" if future legislation expressly authorizes such payments. The bill does not itself authorize payments but creates budget authority for them should they be permitted by other laws. It directly affects the state agency responsible for financial oversight and any entities designated as "Trump accounts" under subsequent statutes. The funding change is purely procedural, with no immediate policy impact until authorized by separate legislation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1044: Relating to: health insurance coverage of vaccines if recommended by certain organizations and consideration of recommendations of certain organizations regarding the state immunization program vaccination schedule.

This bill requires health insurance plans to cover vaccines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children under 6 years old. If the CDC withdraws its recommendations, insurers must instead cover vaccines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics or American Academy of Family Physicians. It applies to all health insurance plans, including self-insured state/local government plans, covering dependent children. The law ensures continuous vaccine coverage regardless of changes to CDC guidelines.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1050: Relating to: requiring school boards to compensate teachers for time spent on nonclassroom services. (FE)

SB 1050 requires school boards to pay teachers for time spent on nonclassroom duties, such as staff meetings, grading, or administrative tasks outside regular teaching hours. It directly affects public school teachers in Wisconsin school districts covered by collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts. The law prohibits school boards from mandating such nonclassroom work without providing compensation. This policy change applies to teachers when their current contracts expire or are renewed, starting from the effective date specified in the bill. The legislation aims to ensure fair payment for work outside standard classroom instruction.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1056: Relating to: speech-language pathologist licenses issued by the Department of Public Instruction and modifying administrative rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction. (FE)

SB 1056 modifies licensing rules for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in public schools. It requires the Department of Public Instruction to issue licenses to SLPs holding valid licenses from the Hearing and Speech Examining Board or a valid "compact privilege" (an interstate agreement), removing prior administrative barriers. This change directly affects SLPs seeking public school employment and streamlines their licensing process by recognizing existing credentials without requiring additional state-specific exams. The bill repeals outdated administrative rules (PI 34.026, PI 34.028, PI 34.0475) and updates the definition of qualifying licenses in PI 34.040.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1052: Relating to: paid preparation time for teachers. (FE)

SB 1052 requires Wisconsin school districts to include at least 45 minutes of daily self-directed preparation time in teachers' schedules, or one full class period if longer. This applies to teachers in 1st class city school districts under collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts. The requirement takes effect when current contracts expire or are renewed, whichever comes first. The bill establishes this as a new statutory standard (120.12(30)) without specifying funding or enforcement details.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1051: Relating to: establishing minimum salaries for public school teachers. (FE)

SB 1051 establishes minimum annual salaries for full-time public school teachers based on experience. It requires school boards to pay teachers at least the state legislator's annual salary (as defined in the bill), plus $15,000 for those with 10+ years of service, and a flat $100,000 for those with 20+ years. These salary requirements cannot be altered by collective bargaining agreements. The bill applies when current teacher contracts expire or are renewed.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 1059: Relating to: depositing tires on private property and providing a penalty.

SB 1059 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to intentionally deposit four or more tires on someone else's private property. This law directly affects property owners who have tires dumped on their land and individuals who dump tires. The bill requires violators to pay the property owner's actual cost for proper tire disposal through a restitution order. It creates two new statutes: one defining the misdemeanor offense (s. 943.018) and another mandating restitution (s. 973.20 (4r)). The bill is currently pending in the Judiciary and Public Safety committee.

Bill results