Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 967: Relating to: funding for the Family Foundations home visitation program for social media education and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 967 increases funding by $500,000 for Wisconsin's Family Foundations home visitation program to provide parental education about social media's effects on children and healthy social media practices. It directly affects parents eligible for Medical Assistance who are assessed as at-risk for child abuse or neglect under the existing program. The bill modifies the Department of Children and Families' budget to allocate these funds specifically for social media education components within home visitation services. This is a concrete policy change expanding an existing program's educational focus, not a new initiative.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Barbara Dittrich (R) Maureen McCarville (D) Alex Joers (D) Dave Armstrong (R) Christine Sinicki (D)

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 838: Relating to: a human trafficking victim services grant program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 838 creates a state grant program providing $1.25 million biennially to fund support services for human trafficking victims. Nonprofit organizations (tax-exempt under IRS 501(c)(3)) must submit applications, provide 50% private matching funds, and coordinate with law enforcement to qualify. Grants are capped at $125,000 per biennium for organizations offering housing services or $50,000 for other support services like advocacy, medical care, or job training. The Department of Justice will administer the program, prioritizing applicants with strong law enforcement partnerships and capacity to serve many victims.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 816: Relating to: making a grant for dredging of the Deerskin River in the town of Washington in Vilas County and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 816 allocates $1.75 million from the environmental fund to the town of Washington in Vilas County for dredging the Deerskin River. The grant covers direct costs like permits, testing, dredging, and sediment transport, but requires the town to repay the full amount if the project isn't completed by December 31, 2028, or return unspent funds if costs are lower. This bill directly affects the town of Washington by providing state funding for a specific river maintenance project. The law creates new statutory provisions to formalize the grant and repayment terms.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 862: Relating to: the administration of the office of county sheriff and the appointment of county medical examiners. (FE)

SB 862 revises Wisconsin statutes governing county sheriff offices and medical examiner appointments. It primarily updates rules for appointing and removing undersheriffs (including civil service considerations), clarifies who acts as sheriff during vacancies or incapacity (requiring county board petitions for incapacity declarations), and adds new provisions for service of process when the sheriff is a party. The bill directly affects county sheriffs, undersheriffs, county clerks, and circuit courts in administering local law enforcement duties. It focuses on procedural changes to sheriff office operations rather than new policy initiatives.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 819: Relating to: administration of town road improvements under the local roads improvement program. (FE)

SB 819 modifies Wisconsin's local roads improvement program to streamline road project administration. It directly affects towns, counties, and the Department of Transportation by removing the requirement for registered engineer certification on projects costing $65,000 or less, and preventing counties from both preparing project cost estimates and contracting for road work in the same town. Key provisions establish new application deadlines for towns (November 15 for project submissions, January 15 for committee reviews), create a statewide committee to set funding criteria, and require competitive bidding for road construction projects. The bill also adds safeguards, such as prohibiting counties from contracting with towns for projects they estimated, and mandates a 10-day window for bidders to challenge cost estimates. These changes aim to simplify funding access while ensuring transparency in road improvement projects.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 982: Relating to: health care providers providing excused absences under the compulsory school attendance law.

AB 982 expands the types of healthcare providers whose written notes can excuse a student's absence due to illness under Wisconsin's school attendance law. It allows parents to use documentation from providers like naturopathic doctors, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, psychologists, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and Christian Science practitioners (listed in the Christian Science Journal), instead of only requiring a physician's note. This directly affects parents/guardians needing to provide absence documentation and school staff verifying those absences. The bill maintains the existing 30-day maximum absence period for excused absences but broadens the acceptable providers who can issue the required written proof.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 987: Relating to: the purpose statement for the statutory grant of local zoning authority.

AB 987 amends a state statute to update the purpose statement that local governments must follow when creating zoning regulations. The bill adds specific goals including promoting solar/wind energy access, protecting groundwater, encouraging diverse housing types, advancing "complete streets" for all users, and preserving burial sites. These changes require cities to consider these factors when developing zoning rules that affect land use, housing, transportation, and environmental protection. The bill directly impacts local zoning authorities and the communities they serve by shaping how land development is regulated.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Housing ✓ Transportation

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 990: Relating to: personal financial literacy high school graduation requirement.

AB 990 would require Wisconsin high school students to earn at least 0.5 credits in personal financial literacy to graduate. The bill specifies that this course must cover topics like money management, saving/investing, credit/debt, and risk management. Schools could award credit for approved programs offered by financial institutions through school-based branches, as determined by the school board. This requirement would apply to students in high school grades once the law is enacted.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 977: Relating to: registration requirements for nonmotorized boats. (FE)

AB 977 modifies registration requirements for nonmotorized boats that aren't sailboats. It creates a new rule requiring registration for such boats operated within "vehicle admission areas" (areas requiring vehicle entry fees, like some public parks). The bill also removes specific registration fees for non-sail nonmotorized boats from certain fee calculations. This directly affects recreational boaters using non-sail, nonmotorized boats in designated public water areas with vehicle admission fees.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 985: Relating to: levy increase limits in political subdivisions with qualifying parking lot redevelopment. (FE)

AB 985 adjusts how cities and towns calculate property tax increases when redeveloping parking lots into commercial or residential buildings. It specifically applies to political subdivisions (like cities) that convert at least 40% of a parcel's paved parking area into new construction, such as buildings. The key change adds a 50% boost (multiplying by 1.5) to the property tax value increase from these parking lot redevelopments when calculating annual tax growth limits. This adjustment applies to all qualifying projects, with separate rules for certain tax increment districts (TIDs) created after 2024.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 978: Relating to: hiking permits, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 978 creates a mandatory hiking permit system for hikers using groomed trails on state-owned land (excluding vehicle admission areas). It requires adults to pay a $20 annual fee, youth aged 12+ pay $10, and children under 12 hike for free, with additional 75-cent processing fees. The bill grants the department rule-making authority to manage permit issuance, agents, and a statewide automated system, while allowing exemptions for activities incidental to other approvals, organized events, or existing trail passes. Fees collected fund the permit system and are managed through specific appropriation accounts.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 851: Relating to: the use of live animals in medical training and providing a penalty.

SB 851 prohibits medical schools and training programs in this state from using live animals to teach human medical treatment if equivalent alternatives exist, such as human cadavers, realistic simulators, or virtual models. It requires institutions to switch to these alternatives when another accredited program in the same field does not use live animals or when a comparable method is available. Violating this rule would result in a $1,000 fine per animal used. The bill directly affects medical training institutions and their curricula, aiming to reduce live animal use where effective alternatives are already available.

Bill results