Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 771: Relating to: creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway. (FE)

SB 771 creates a Multifamily Housing Innovation Council within the Department of Safety and Professional Services to develop safety guidelines for apartment buildings. The bill allows local governments to permit multifamily dwellings up to six stories to use a single central staircase (instead of multiple staircases) if they follow a safety guidebook created by the council. The council will establish building specifications meeting National Fire Protection Association standards, develop a model ordinance for local adoption, and recommend code changes to facilitate such housing. This affects developers, local governments, and residents in communities adopting the new guidelines, with the council required to meet monthly until completing its guidebook. The bill does not mandate single-stair buildings but provides a framework for localities to adopt them safely.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 774: Relating to: wolf monitoring and nonlethal abatement and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 774 allocates $3.525 million annually for wolf monitoring and nonlethal abatement projects through the Department of Natural Resources. It directly affects wildlife management efforts by funding ongoing tracking of wolf populations and implementing nonlethal methods (like fencing or deterrents) to prevent conflicts with livestock. The bill creates a permanent funding line (20.370 (1) (js)) in state statutes to cover these activities. This is a procedural funding measure with no voting record or policy changes beyond the specified appropriations.

Topics ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 738: Relating to: using an absentee ballot drop box or the U.S. mail or a commercial carrier to commit election fraud and providing a penalty.

SB 738 creates a new Class H felony for using absentee ballot drop boxes, U.S. mail, or commercial carriers to commit election fraud under existing state laws. It directly affects individuals who attempt to manipulate absentee ballots through these specific methods. The bill’s key provision upgrades certain election fraud violations to a felony charge, imposing criminal penalties for misuse of these ballot submission channels. This is a policy change focused on enhancing penalties for election integrity violations, not on changing voting access.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 766: Relating to: operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty.

SB 766 restricts drone operations near specific utility facilities by prohibiting flights under 300 feet within 500 feet of water reclamation plants, power facilities (including substations and gas stations), telecom sites, or public water systems. It allows exceptions for facility owners, local governments conducting official business, and commercial operators complying with federal aviation rules. The bill also requires law enforcement to seize drone footage during violations and transfer it to relevant local authorities for enforcement. This directly affects drone operators near these critical infrastructure sites, aiming to enhance security and prevent unauthorized surveillance.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 115: Relating to: proclaiming November 20 in 2025 and 2026 as Wisconsin’s Transgender Day of Remembrance.

SJR 115 is a ceremonial resolution that directs Wisconsin to formally recognize November 20, 2025, and 2026, as "Wisconsin’s Transgender Day of Remembrance." It does not create new laws or policies but affirms the state's acknowledgment of this day, which memorializes transgender and nonbinary people killed due to transphobic violence. The resolution cites rising annual fatalities against transgender individuals (33 in 2023, 30 in 2024) and aligns with the established national observance founded in 1999. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct regulatory impact on individuals or organizations.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 772: Relating to: packaging reduction and recycling, creating a producer responsibility program, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty.

AB 772 requires companies that sell packaged products (called "producers") to pay fees to fund recycling programs. It creates a "producer responsibility program" where businesses must cover costs for reducing packaging waste and ensuring packaging is recyclable or made with post-consumer recycled materials. The bill defines key terms like "recyclable" (must sort easily and have market demand) and "post-consumer recycled material" (recovered from consumer waste, excluding advanced recycling methods). This directly affects manufacturers, brands, importers, and retailers selling packaged goods in the state, with fees collected by a nonprofit organization to support statewide recycling infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 776: Relating to: repealing the dry cleaner environmental response program, creating the revitalize Wisconsin program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 776 repeals Wisconsin's dry cleaner environmental response program and creates the "Revitalize Wisconsin" program to support cleanup of contaminated properties. The new program provides $3 million biennially from the environmental fund to cover costs for eligible property owners (including "innocent landowners" who didn't cause pollution) and developers on brownfield sites - abandoned properties affected by environmental contamination. It allows grants, direct services, or reimbursements for cleanup activities like waste removal and sampling, with some sites prioritized for funding. The bill also adjusts related environmental funding rules and repeals outdated provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 746: Relating to: local health officer authority to mandate business closure to control communicable disease.

SB 746 repeals a specific statute (252.03 (2j)) that currently grants local health officers the authority to mandate business closures during communicable disease outbreaks. This bill directly affects local health officials and businesses by removing their legal power to order closures for disease control. The key mechanism is simply the deletion of the existing provision from state law, eliminating this specific tool for public health responses. The bill does not create new requirements or exceptions - it solely removes an existing authority.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 778: Relating to: packaging reduction and recycling, creating a producer responsibility program, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty.

SB 778 creates a mandatory producer responsibility program requiring businesses that package products sold in the state (like retailers, restaurants, and manufacturers) to fund recycling and packaging reduction efforts. It establishes fees paid by "producers" (including brands, importers, and manufacturers) to a new packaging reduction organization, which will manage recycling programs and track recycled content. The bill defines "recyclable" packaging as materials that can be consistently processed for reuse, excludes advanced recycling methods from this definition, and sets requirements for packaging reduction goals. This replaces voluntary recycling with a structured system where producers directly finance waste management, affecting all businesses selling packaged goods within the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 684: Relating to: a long-term care insurance assessment and a long-term care insurance assessment tax credit. (FE)

SB 684 establishes a long-term care insurance assessment (a fee) on certain long-term care insurance policies and creates a corresponding tax credit to offset this cost for eligible individuals. The bill directly affects policyholders purchasing long-term care insurance and insurers administering these policies. Key provisions include setting the assessment amount and defining who qualifies for the tax credit to reduce the financial burden of the fee. The bill is procedural, focusing on the structure of the assessment and credit rather than broader policy changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 765: Relating to: bonding for lead service line replacement and granting bonding authority. (FE)

AB 765 creates a state bonding program to fund lead service line replacement for private water users connected to public water systems. It authorizes up to $274.95 million in state bonds (increasing previous limits) and allocates $200 million from bond proceeds to provide forgivable loans covering up to 50% of replacement costs for homeowners. The bill directly affects private residents with lead pipes by reducing their financial burden for replacing hazardous infrastructure. Key provisions include the new bonding authority and the specific allocation for forgivable loans to address public health concerns related to lead in drinking water.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 779: Relating to: prohibiting food and beverages from being served in foam polystyrene packaging and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 779 prohibits restaurants, food vendors, and vending machine operators from serving food or beverages in foam polystyrene packaging (like takeout containers), effective 13 months after publication. Exemptions include pre-sealed containers from outside the state and packaging for raw meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Violations after 90 days of written notice incur a $250 penalty, increasing to $500 for subsequent offenses after 180 days. The bill directly affects retail food businesses operating in the state, with limited waivers available for undue hardship. It creates a clear policy change to reduce foam polystyrene waste without specifying environmental outcomes.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results