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Wisconsin Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 12,159 Active 7 In committee 9,574 Passed 998 Signed 1,132 Failed 8,245

signed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 9, 2026

AB 373: Relating to: creating a refundable individual income tax credit for the parent of a stillbirth and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 373 creates a refundable $2,000 individual income tax credit for parents who experience a stillbirth in the state, as documented by a fetal death report. The credit is refundable, meaning parents who owe less in income tax than the credit amount will receive the difference as a cash payment from state funds. Eligibility requires the stillbirth to meet state reporting criteria (per §69.18), and rules specify $2,000 for joint filers per stillbirth or $1,000 each for unmarried parents or separate filers. The credit must be claimed within the standard tax filing deadline and cannot be used by nonresidents or for partial tax years.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 181: Relating to: a levy limit exemption for regional emergency medical systems and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE)

SB 181 creates a levy limit exemption for local governments that fund regional emergency medical services (EMS). It allows counties or municipalities to count costs for regional EMS (via joint districts or agreements) toward their budget without triggering standard spending limits, provided the service area covers at least 232 square miles or 8+ municipalities. The bill requires that annual EMS funding increases stay within an inflation-adjusted cap (U.S. CPI plus 5%) and that the local government confirms a coordinated regional service area. This directly affects local governments operating regional EMS systems by making their funding more flexible under budget constraints. The exemption applies to costs for fire department-provided EMS and excludes these expenditures from standard spending limit calculations.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 248: Relating to: license eligibility and restriction extensions relating to ignition interlock devices.

SB 248 modifies Wisconsin's driver's license rules for individuals required to use ignition interlock devices (IIDs) after DUI convictions. It extends license restrictions by 180 days for specific IID violations, including three or more failed breath tests within 60 days, tampering with the device, or unauthorized removal. Drivers can dispute violations by providing documentation within 15 days, such as proof of device malfunction or an explanation for the incident. The bill also clarifies eligibility for a work driving license (occupational license) after 30-45 days of license suspension, contingent on IID installation and compliance with safety plans. These changes apply to drivers with multiple DUI convictions or license suspensions under existing law.

signed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 9, 2026

AB 601: Relating to: excluding certain event or sports wagers from the definition of “bet”.

AB 601 amends the statute to exclude certain sports wagers from the legal definition of "bet." Specifically, it exempts wagers made by people physically in the state using mobile devices if the server is on tribal lands and the wager follows an Indian gaming compact entered before April 1, 1993. This directly affects tribal gaming operations that operate under pre-1993 compacts. The bill clarifies that such wagers - conducted via tribal servers under existing agreements - are not considered "bets" under state gambling laws. This is a technical definition change, not a new policy or tax.

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 392: Relating to: driver education instruction related to school bus safety.

SB 392 requires all driver education courses to include specific safety instruction about school buses. It mandates teaching students how to properly cross in front of school buses, recognize school bus lights, and understand when drivers must stop for stopped school buses - including how road design affects these rules. This applies to all driver education courses starting on the bill's effective date. The law directly affects driver education curricula and students learning road safety.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 188: Relating to: reduction of penalty surcharge when certain fines or forfeitures reduced. (FE)

SB 188 changes how penalty surcharges are calculated when court fines or forfeitures are reduced. It requires that if a fine is suspended or reduced (in whole or part), the 26% penalty surcharge must be reduced proportionally. This applies to most fines for state law violations or local ordinances, but excludes nonmoving traffic violations, seatbelt offenses, and certain financial responsibility violations. The bill ensures that reduced fines directly lower the surcharge amount, affecting individuals paying fines and courts collecting these fees.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 366: Relating to: technical education equipment grants. (FE)

SB 366 amends rules for technical education equipment grants to clarify how funds can be used and require matching contributions. It allows grant recipients (primarily school districts) to use funds for facility improvements, tools, equipment, or instructional software in construction and advanced manufacturing programs. The bill requires recipients to provide matching funds equal to the grant amount, which can be cash or in-kind contributions like equipment or software. This change directly affects school districts seeking these grants by adding a funding match requirement.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 482: Relating to: increasing the carryover period of the research income tax credit. (FE)

SB 482 extends the carryover period for unused research income tax credits from 15 to 50 taxable years. This change directly affects businesses that claim research tax credits but cannot fully utilize them in a single tax year. The bill modifies multiple sections of tax law to allow these unused credits to be carried forward and applied against future tax liabilities over a longer timeframe. The key provision (Section 7) updates the specific timeframe for crediting unused amounts against Wisconsin income taxes in subsequent years.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 387: Relating to: indication of veteran status of certain service members on operators’ licenses or identification cards. (FE)

SB 387 amends state license and ID laws to allow veterans to indicate their service status on driver's licenses or state ID cards. It defines eligible veterans as former U.S. armed forces members discharged honorably, or reserve/guard members who completed their service with honorable conditions. This change directly affects veterans applying for or renewing licenses/ID cards in this state. The bill updates specific sections of the law (343.14 and 343.17) to implement this requirement, with no new benefits or costs specified.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 504: Relating to: dental provider network rental by insurance plans.

SB 504 requires insurance plans that rent their dental provider networks to disclose this practice to dentists. Specifically, plans must include rental notifications in contracts and inform dentists within 45 days if their contract is rented to another entity. The bill also mandates that any entity renting a dental network must honor the original contract terms, including discounted rates, between the dentist and the insurance plan. Dentists can terminate participation with the renting entity without ending their original contract with the insurance plan.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 531: Relating to: postloss assignment of rights or benefits under property insurance policies to residential contractors and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 531 allows residential contractors to directly receive insurance payments for repairs after property damage, rather than homeowners having to collect and pay contractors. It specifically covers repairs, replacements, or reconstruction of residential properties, including roof systems and tree removal/repair. The bill includes penalties for violations of these insurance payment rules. This change primarily affects homeowners and contractors dealing with property damage claims, streamlining how repair funds flow. The bill passed its final reading on November 18, 2025, and was sent to the governor.

signed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 480: Relating to: residential tax incremental districts. (FE)

SB 480 modifies Wisconsin's rules for residential tax incremental districts (TIDs), which are special tax zones used to fund local development projects. It allows towns with sewer systems to create residential TIDs using city-level powers (previously limited to cities), extends the standard TID lifespan to 20 years (up from 15), and adds conditions for extensions: cities must provide an independent audit proving they cannot repay project costs within 20 years to request a 3-year extension. The bill also clarifies that project costs for residential TIDs can include expenses for newly platted single-family homes and adjusts lot size requirements for residential developments. These changes apply to TIDs created on or after October 1, 2004, with specific adjustments for districts approved after March 3, 2016.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing