Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 732: Relating to: various changes to the laws governing the practice of accounting and modifying various administrative rules promulgated by the Accounting Examining Board relating to accounting.

SB 732 updates licensing requirements for certified public accountants (CPAs) in the state. It requires new applicants to complete 150 semester hours of accounting/business education (replacing prior thresholds), with specific coursework determined by the Accounting Examining Board. The bill also revises work experience rules, mandating that experience must involve accounting, tax, or consulting services and be verified, while allowing government/industry roles to count. Existing out-of-state CPAs with verified licenses can continue practicing without reapplying. These changes apply to all individuals seeking CPA licensure or renewal under the state's accounting laws.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 716: Relating to: preferences for woman-owned businesses in state procurement for architectural and engineering services. (FE)

AB 716 requires the state to direct at least 5% of spending on architectural and engineering services to woman-owned businesses certified under existing state law. It defines "woman-owned business" as one certified by the Department of Administration under Section 16.285. The bill mandates annual reports tracking state spending with woman-owned businesses, disabled veteran-owned businesses, and other certified firms, including the percentage of total spending they receive. This policy directly affects state procurement contracts for architectural and engineering services, aiming to increase contracting with certified woman-owned businesses. The law sets a specific spending target (5%) for these contracts while requiring transparency through annual reporting.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 712: Relating to: the sales and use tax exemption for personal farm property or household goods sold by auction on the Internet. (FE)

AB 712 clarifies the sales tax exemption for personal farm property or household goods sold at auctions online. It defines an "auction event" for internet sales as the consecutive days winning bids are selected (not just when property is available), while maintaining a limit of five or fewer such auctions per year by the same auctioneer at one location. This primarily affects small-scale auctioneers selling personal items online, ensuring they meet the exemption criteria. The bill updates definitions to explicitly include internet bidding periods without changing the exemption's core eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 704: Relating to: preferences for woman-owned businesses in state procurement for architectural and engineering services. (FE)

SB 704 establishes a 5% annual spending target for state agencies on architectural and engineering services contracts with woman-owned businesses certified by the department. It defines "woman-owned business" as one certified under existing state law and requires the department to annually report on spending with woman-owned businesses, along with other minority and veteran-owned businesses. The bill applies specifically to state procurement for architectural and engineering services, not all state contracts. The policy change directly affects state agencies that issue such contracts and the certified woman-owned businesses seeking those contracts.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 701: Relating to: funding for the Family Foundations home visitation program and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 701 increases funding by $1.2 million for the Family Foundations home visitation program during fiscal year 2026-27. This bill directly affects the Department of Children and Families, which administers the program, and families participating in home visitation services. The key provision is a specific appropriation adjustment to support existing services under Section 48.983. The bill focuses solely on providing dedicated funding without altering program requirements or eligibility.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 750: Relating to: admission of students to technical college programs.

SB 750 modifies technical college admission rules to allow district boards to reserve program spaces for two specific groups. First, it permits districts to prioritize students facing special circumstances like hardship, school-to-work program participation, or enrollment diversity through approved policies. Second, it enables districts to reserve spaces for students in protective services programs (e.g., law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical training). These policies require board approval but do not override existing rules for resident/non-resident admissions. The bill directly affects technical colleges and students applying to these targeted programs.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 741: Relating to: personal hygiene products for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 741 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to provide inmates with access to essential personal hygiene products at capped prices based on a leading retail chain's sales. It mandates commissaries to sell 18 standard items (like soap, toothpaste, and razors) at no more than 125% of retail price, plus culturally specific items (e.g., hair products for diverse hair types and cocoa-butter lotion) at no more than 100% of retail price. The bill also provides a $25 monthly stipend for state inmates immediately and for county jail inmates after 91 days of confinement to purchase these products. This legislation, funded by a $6.45 million annual appropriation, directly affects all inmates in state prisons and county detention facilities.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 745: Relating to: reimbursement for the provision of military funeral honors. (FE)

AB 745 creates a new eligibility category for state reimbursement of military funeral honors costs, specifically for individuals who were naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000 and were residing in the state at the time of death. It requires the state department to reimburse certified veteran organizations for providing military funeral honors, with a maximum payment of $85 per funeral (adjusted annually for inflation based on the U.S. consumer price index). The bill directly affects families of qualifying Hmong veterans who served in the U.S. military and were naturalized under the 2000 federal law. This establishes a clear reimbursement mechanism for organizations providing these honors, replacing the previous $50 limit with an inflation-adjusted $85 cap.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Veterans

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 727: Relating to: personal hygiene products for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails and houses of correction and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 727 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to provide inmates with access to essential personal hygiene products at capped prices and a monthly $25 stipend. It mandates commissaries to sell 18 standard hygiene items (like shampoo, toothpaste, and razors) at no more than 125% of the benchmark retailer’s price, plus culturally sensitive options (e.g., hair care for types 2-4 hair and cocoa-butter lotion) at no more than 100% of the benchmark price. Inmates in state facilities receive the stipend immediately, while those in county jails receive it after 90 days of confinement. The bill appropriates $6.45 million annually for these stipends, funded through state corrections and county jail budgets. This policy directly affects all inmates in state prisons and county detention facilities across the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 731: Relating to: telecommunications service access by inmates and juveniles and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 731 requires state and county correctional facilities to provide inmates and juveniles with minimum weekly telecommunications access at no cost, including 180 minutes of phone calls, 60 minutes of video calls, and 100 text messages. It directly affects individuals in state prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, and county jails by mandating these service levels, which must be maintained or improved from existing access levels. The bill establishes funding through specific appropriations ($4.46 million for adult inmates, $517,500 for juveniles) and requires counties to join a state telecommunications contract or report why they don’t, with the state reimbursing counties for costs if they opt out. It also prohibits using telecom services to replace in-person visitation and bans charging inmates for services beyond the minimums.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 784: 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)

AB 784 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 buildings up to six stories to use a single stairway for egress, provided they follow a safety guidebook developed by the council. The council must create this guidebook (ensuring compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards) and a model ordinance to help communities allow apartment construction on commercial-zoned land. This directly affects local governments, developers, and fire safety standards for new residential construction.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 780: Relating to: repealing the dry cleaner environmental response program, creating the revitalize Wisconsin program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 780 replaces Wisconsin's dry cleaner environmental response program with the "Revitalize Wisconsin program," which provides $3 million annually to help clean up contaminated properties. The program directly assists property owners (called "innocent landowners") who didn't cause pollution at sites known as "brownfields" (abandoned or underused properties with environmental risks). It funds cleanup costs, waste removal, and sampling to address health and environmental threats, with funds drawn from the environmental fund. The bill also repeals outdated provisions and creates new rules for administering these cleanup grants.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

Bill results