Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 840: Relating to: the agricultural conservation easement purchase program and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 840 creates new funding streams to support Wisconsin's Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, which helps farmers protect working land by restricting development. The bill allocates funds from the "working lands fund" and "capital improvement fund" to cover costs for purchasing conservation easements, with a maximum $25 million public debt limit for these purchases. It directly affects farmers who participate in the program and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which administers the easement acquisitions. The legislation modifies existing statutes to establish these funding mechanisms and streamline payments related to easement agreements.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 817: Relating to: healthy food incentive program funding, payment processing equipment and services for farmers’ markets and farmers, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 817 creates a state program to provide electronic payment processing equipment and services (including SNAP/food stamp processing) to farmers' markets and farmers selling directly to consumers. It allocates $367,500 biennially for this purpose and increases the healthy food incentive program appropriation by $1 million annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. The bill requires payment processors to handle both SNAP transactions and local purchasing incentives funded by third parties. It directly affects farmers' markets, vendors, and SNAP participants by improving access to electronic payments. The program is administered by the Department of Health Services with new staffing support.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 823: Relating to: spending cap for the Wisconsin agricultural exports program and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 823 establishes specific spending limits for Wisconsin's agricultural exports program. It requires $2.5 million to be spent on one export objective, $1.25 million each for two other objectives, and caps total annual spending at $1 million. The bill also increases funding for the program by $1.07 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1.09 million for 2026-27. Additionally, it adds one administrative position (1.0 FTE) within the Department of Agriculture to manage the program. The bill directly affects the Center for International Agribusiness Marketing and the Department of Agriculture, which administer the program.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 829: Relating to: funding for Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants, the “Something Special from Wisconsin” promotion, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 829 increases state funding for two Wisconsin economic development programs. It adds $200,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to promote "Something Special from Wisconsin" (advertising the state's products), and $300,000 annually for the same periods to fund "Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin" grants. These grants support Wisconsin businesses selling locally produced goods, while the promotion campaign helps market Wisconsin-made products. The bill directly affects Wisconsin businesses participating in these programs and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which administers both initiatives.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 828: Relating to: grants for students enrolled in teacher education programs, school district revenue limits, the reimbursement rate for special education costs, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 828 creates a $10 million annual grant program for students enrolled in approved teacher education programs at Wisconsin institutions of higher education, requiring recipients to teach in Wisconsin public or tribal schools for at least four years after graduation. It reduces the state's reimbursement rate for special education costs from 100% to 90% of eligible expenses. The bill also adjusts annual revenue limits for school districts, increasing allowable funding growth for the 2023-2027 school years through revised calculation formulas. These changes affect teacher training programs, school districts, and special education funding mechanisms.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 841: Relating to: farmland preservation implementation grants, maximum acres of agricultural enterprise areas, indexing the farmland preservation tax credit for inflation, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 841 creates a program to fund local governments in Wisconsin to implement farmland preservation plans through grants. It establishes annual adjustments to the farmland preservation tax credit for inflation using agricultural price data, ensuring the credit amount increases with rising costs. The bill also sets maximum acreage limits for agricultural enterprise areas and authorizes funding for activities like zoning certification, farmland preservation agreements, and monitoring compliance. These changes directly affect Wisconsin farmers (through the tax credit) and local governments (through grant eligibility). The policy shifts focus to maintaining agricultural land by making preservation tools more adaptable to economic changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 847: Relating to: written resource guides informing inmates and juveniles in custody of their rights and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 847 requires state correctional institutions and juvenile facilities to create and maintain written "Know Your Rights" resource guides for inmates and juveniles. These guides must explain rights based on legal status, confinement type, and facility, and be updated annually or after legal changes. The guides must be posted in facilities, provided to new entrants or upon request, and explained by trained staff during intake or transfers. The bill appropriates $200,000 for developing these guides, with requirements to involve formerly incarcerated people in the process, and takes effect July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 871: Relating to: constructing laterals and service pipes without a landowner’s permission in the City of Milwaukee. (FE)

AB 871 allows Milwaukee’s city government to install water, gas, sewer, and heat utility pipes (laterals/service pipes) on private property without the landowner’s permission under specific conditions. It applies only to absentee owners (non-residents) after the city makes at least three documented contact attempts, and with tenant consent for the property. Crucially, the city cannot charge property owners for these installations - the costs remain with the city. This change affects Milwaukee homeowners with vacant properties and tenants, streamlining utility upgrades while shifting financial responsibility from residents to the city.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 806: Relating to: main street bounceback grants and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 806 creates a $25 million annual appropriation for "Main Street Bounceback Grants" to help businesses open new locations or expand operations in vacant commercial spaces. The grants, administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, directly assist eligible businesses (excluding nonprofits) seeking to revitalize underutilized downtown areas. The bill requires eligibility rules to mirror the existing Wisconsin Tomorrow Main Street Bounceback Grant program as of June 30, 2023. This provides a dedicated funding stream for business expansion in vacant commercial properties, with $25 million allocated for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 849: Relating to: defining “direct result” for purposes of the affirmative defense for victims of human trafficking.

AB 849 amends Wisconsin statute 939.46(1m) to define "direct result" for an affirmative defense available to victims of human trafficking. The bill clarifies that victims who commit offenses (like theft or assault) to escape or prevent trafficking under s. 940.302(2) or s. 948.051 may use this defense if the offense has a logical causal connection to the trafficking violation, occurs immediately afterward, and is necessary for escape. It directly affects trafficking victims facing criminal charges for actions taken while escaping exploitation. The law removes the requirement that the trafficking violation must have been prosecuted or convicted for the defense to apply.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 837: Relating to: placement of sexually violent persons on supervised release.

AB 837 modifies Wisconsin law to require that serious child sex offenders placed on supervised release must reside in housing not adjacent to properties where children primarily live. Specifically, it prohibits placement within 1,500 feet of a child’s primary residence, defining "adjacent" as properties sharing a boundary line without a road or alley. The bill also mandates that counties assess proposed residences for compliance with this rule before court approval and report findings to the court. Courts must then review this assessment and reject plans that fail to meet the safety standard, requiring revised housing options if needed. This directly affects serious child sex offenders on supervised release, the Department of Corrections, counties, and courts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 880: Relating to: who may purchase certain contractual services and technical changes to tax provisions related to qualified retirement plans and the film production services credit.

SB 880 modifies Wisconsin's tax code for retirement plan withdrawals and film production credits. It sets a $24,000 annual deduction limit for individuals aged 67+ (or $48,000 for married couples filing jointly) on qualified retirement plan distributions, effective 2025. The bill also clarifies film production tax credit eligibility by defining "production expenditures" to include in-state spending on music, travel, and insurance from Wisconsin-based businesses, while excluding marketing/distribution costs. Additionally, it requires background checks for contractors handling federal tax data accessed through state agencies. These changes directly affect Wisconsin retirees and film producers seeking tax credits.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

Bill results