Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 712: Relating to: inmate access to the outdoors. (FE)

SB 712 requires state correctional institutions and county jails to provide inmates with 3 hours of outdoor access per week, beginning after a 30-day (county) or 91-day (state) period of incarceration. It applies to all inmates except those in lockdown, solitary confinement, or subject to specific state facility restrictions under Section 302.01(1)(i) during their first 90 days. The bill mandates this access for facilities like Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility starting January 1, 2028, with exceptions for safety-related restrictions. This policy directly affects incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin's state prisons and county detention centers.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 708: Relating to: telecommunications service access by inmates and juveniles and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 708 requires state prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, and county jails to provide inmates and juveniles with free telecommunications access, including at least 180 minutes of weekly phone calls, 60 minutes of video calls, and 100 text messages. It creates new funding lines ($4.46 million for adult facilities, $517,500 for juvenile facilities in 2025-26) to cover these services and mandates centralized contracting to reduce costs. Counties must either join the state’s contracted telecom provider or submit detailed reports and cost data to the legislature. The bill prohibits charging inmates for basic service access and ensures facilities maintain existing service levels while allowing additional access if possible.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 715: Relating to: climate control in state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 715 requires state correctional institutions and county jails to maintain indoor temperatures between 68°F and 76°F year-round in all housing units. It mandates detailed temperature logging during extreme weather (below 10°F or above 90°F) and annual reporting of temperature data to the legislature. The bill appropriates $65 million for installing and operating HVAC systems, with phased implementation across state facilities by 2029, 2031, and 2035. It directly affects all state prisons and county correctional facilities by establishing enforceable climate control standards and funding their compliance.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 714: Relating to: bathing periods for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails or houses of correction. (FE)

SB 714 establishes minimum bathing standards for inmates in state correctional facilities and county jails or houses of correction. It requires each facility to provide at least four bathing periods per week, with each period including a minimum of 10 minutes of heated running water and 15 minutes of total time. The bill directly affects all inmates in these facilities by setting concrete, measurable requirements for hygiene access. It creates a new statute (302.072) to implement these standards, applying equally to both state and county custody settings.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SJR 113: Relating to: custody of the county jail and its inmates (first consideration).

SJR 113 proposes a constitutional amendment to clarify that county sheriffs hold sole custody of county jails and inmates, unless a county board of supervisors delegates that responsibility to another public official or agency. The bill directly affects sheriffs, county boards, and any entities designated by the board to manage jail operations. It creates a new constitutional provision (Article VI, Section 4(3)(c)) explicitly stating the sheriff's default authority while allowing counties to transfer custody through formal delegation. This is a procedural constitutional amendment, not a substantive law, and does not change current sheriff duties but formalizes delegation options.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 724: Relating to: Department of Corrections reporting of complaints in state correctional institutions and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 724 requires the Department of Corrections to create a public, interactive website that updates complaint data from state correctional institutions every 72 hours. The system must display the total annual complaints per facility and show all complaint details broken down by category (without personal information about inmates or staff). The bill appropriates $70,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 to establish the system and $30,000 for 2026-27 to operate it. This affects state correctional institutions (which must submit data) and the public (which gains access to the searchable complaint information).

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 724: Relating to: recreational opportunities and structured programming for inmates in state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction. (FE)

SB 724 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to provide inmates with minimum weekly hours of recreational activities and structured programming, based on staffing levels. For state facilities, inmates must get at least 35 hours weekly (5 hours daily) if staffing is ≥80% (including 7 hours recreation and 14 hours structured programming), or 21 hours if staffing is lower. County jails must provide 10 hours weekly starting day 31 of confinement, increasing to 35 or 21 hours after day 90 based on staffing. The law prioritizes academic, vocational, reentry planning, and wellness programs, with exceptions for lockdowns (max 10 days). It directly affects all inmates in state prisons and county detention facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 733: Relating to: recreational opportunities and structured programming for inmates in state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction. (FE)

AB 733 requires state prisons and county jails to provide inmates with minimum weekly hours of recreational activities and structured programming. State facilities must offer 21-35 hours weekly (depending on staffing levels), prioritizing education, job training, reentry planning, and wellness programs. County jails must provide at least 10 hours weekly starting 31 days into confinement, increasing to 21-35 hours after 90 days if staffing meets thresholds. Exceptions allow temporary reductions during lockdowns or solitary confinement, limited to 10 consecutive days.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 726: Relating to: Department of Corrections reporting of complaints in state correctional institutions and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 726 requires the Department of Corrections to create an interactive website system that updates complaint data from state correctional facilities every 72 hours. The system must show the total number of annual complaints per facility and display all complaint details broken down by type (without personal information), making it searchable by category. The bill appropriates $70,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $30,000 for 2026-27 to establish and operate this reporting system. This directly affects state correctional institutions by mandating transparent, real-time public reporting of inmate and staff complaints.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 723: Relating to: bathing periods for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails or houses of correction. (FE)

AB 723 establishes minimum bathing requirements for inmates in state correctional facilities and county jails. It mandates that state facilities provide at least four 15-minute bathing periods weekly, including 10 minutes of heated running water, while county jails must meet the same standard. The bill directly affects all inmates in these facilities by setting concrete, measurable hygiene standards. It requires the state department of corrections and county sheriffs to implement these provisions, with no additional exemptions or cost details specified in the current text.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 734: Relating to: climate control in state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 734 establishes specific temperature standards for state correctional institutions and county jails, requiring indoor temperatures to stay between 68°F and 76°F at all times in housing units. It mandates facilities to record temperatures in common areas and random cells during extreme weather (below 10°F or above 90°F) and submit annual reports to the legislature. The bill appropriates $65 million for 2026-27 to install and operate heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, with phased implementation: one-third of facilities by 2029, another third by 2031, and the final third by 2035. This directly affects all state prisons and county jails/houses of correction in Wisconsin, requiring them to meet new climate control requirements and report compliance data.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 697: Relating to: school district employee participation in state group health insurance and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 697 requires the state group insurance board to study the costs and savings for Wisconsin school districts if they join a state-run health insurance plan, either voluntarily or mandatorily. The bill directs the board to conduct two specific analyses: one on mandatory participation by all school districts, and another on voluntary participation, focusing on impacts for districts and current plan members. The studies must be completed within six months of the bill's effective date, with a report submitted to the governor and legislature. The bill appropriates $300,000 from the public employee trust fund to fund these actuarial studies. This is a procedural measure to gather data before any policy changes, not a direct implementation of new insurance requirements.

Bill results