Rep. Christine Sinicki

Maddy summaryAB 1055 creates a grant program to fund crime victim protective services, including temporary housing, for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors' offices. It allocates $2,572,900 for the 2025-26 fiscal year (with $2,574,100 for 2026-27) from the Justice Department's budget. The Department of Justice will administer the program, developing grant criteria without needing formal rulemaking, and will add one full-time staff position to manage it. This bill directly affects agencies providing support to individuals who have been victims of crime.

Maddy summaryAB 1077 updates Wisconsin's firearms laws by requiring courts to notify the Department of Justice when ordering firearm restrictions, ensuring accurate background checks for buyers. It creates new funding for firearm dealer permits and mandates law enforcement agencies to submit recovered firearms for tracing via the eTrace system within 48 hours. The bill directly affects firearms dealers (through permit fees), courts (in handling firearm restriction orders), and law enforcement (in firearm tracing procedures). Key provisions include standardized court notifications to the DOJ for firearm restrictions and new requirements for law enforcement to trace recovered weapons.

Maddy summaryAB 1074 creates an Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman within the Department of Financial Institutions to assist borrowers with student loan issues. The office will handle complaints, analyze borrower data, and provide guidance on loan terms, working directly with student loan servicers and educational institutions. It establishes specific duties including resolving disputes, monitoring laws affecting borrowers, and requiring servicers to cooperate with the ombudsman. This bill directly affects student loan borrowers in the state and the student loan servicers who must now engage with this new oversight office.

Maddy summaryAB 1083 prevents the state from seeking reimbursement from alleged fathers for birth expenses paid through the Medical Assistance program when the mother was an unmarried recipient at the time of birth. It amends statutes to eliminate the state’s right to recover these costs and prohibits courts from ordering fathers to pay for such expenses. The bill specifically applies to cases involving unmarried mothers who received Medical Assistance during pregnancy or birth. This affects unmarried mothers enrolled in Medical Assistance who have given birth while covered by the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program (similar to Medicaid) to reimburse certified doulas for services provided to program recipients. It mandates that hospitals and birthing centers allow Medical Assistance-certified doulas to accompany patients during labor and birth without counting them toward visitor limits. Facilities must create written policies for this access, post them online, and ensure doulas don't conflict with medical standards. The bill directly affects low-income pregnant people, certified doulas, and healthcare facilities.

Maddy summaryAB 1089 creates a state working group to improve coordination of the Medical Assistance program (state Medicaid) and enhance the experience for program recipients. The Department of Health Services must form this group by June 1, 2026, including representatives from the department, resource centers, multicounty consortia or tribal programs, legislators, healthcare providers, and at least one recipient. The group must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the department and legislature within seven months of its first meeting. This bill directly affects state program administration and recipients by requiring structured collaboration to address changes from recent federal law.

Maddy summaryAB 1066 would require Wisconsin's broadband expansion grant program to prioritize projects that install fiber optic broadband lines directly to farms. It defines "farm" using existing Wisconsin agricultural definitions (from tax code) to clarify which properties qualify. The bill creates a specific grant priority for fiber projects connecting to these agricultural lands, ensuring farms receive targeted broadband infrastructure support. This policy change would directly affect farmers and agricultural businesses seeking broadband access through state grant programs. The bill is currently pending in the Energy and Utilities Committee after introduction on February 26, 2026.

Maddy summaryAB 1065 establishes requirements for state broadband expansion grants to connect unserved areas. It defines "broadband infrastructure" as requiring minimum speeds of 100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload (or federal standards), and mandates grantees to report construction progress and final service speeds. If grantees fail to build the specified infrastructure or meet speed standards, they must reimburse the state. The bill also requires biennial audits of the grant program starting in 2027 to assess performance.

Maddy summaryAB 1059 increases funding for home-delivered meals by $250,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $250,000 for fiscal year 2026-27. This directly affects seniors and vulnerable adults who rely on state-funded home-delivered meal programs under Section 46.80(5)(a). The bill modifies the budget allocation to the Department of Health Services, specifically boosting the available funds for these services. It does not change program eligibility or service requirements, only increasing the financial support.

Maddy summaryAB 1082 creates a temporary sales and use tax exemption for breastfeeding equipment in Wisconsin, effective until June 30, 2027. It exempts breast pumps, breast pump kits (pumps bundled with collection/storage supplies), and specific collection/storage supplies like breast shields, bottles, and milk storage bags. This directly affects new and expecting mothers who purchase these items, reducing their out-of-pocket costs. The exemption does not cover unrelated products like nursing bras, cleaning supplies, or general bottles sold separately. The bill defines covered items precisely to ensure only essential breastfeeding equipment qualifies for the tax break.