Rep. Christine Sinicki

Maddy summaryAB 1087 creates a special enrollment period for pregnancy, requiring health benefit plans and self-insured health plans to allow pregnant individuals and their eligible family members to enroll at any time during pregnancy. Coverage must begin no later than the first day of the calendar month following medical verification of pregnancy, with individuals able to choose an earlier start date. The bill mandates that insurers provide clear notice of this special enrollment option during initial enrollment. This policy directly affects pregnant people seeking health coverage and the health plans that must implement this new enrollment window.

Maddy summaryAB 1058 limits landlords' ability to screen tenants using credit information. It prohibits landlords from requiring prospective tenants to grant access to their credit scores or credit reports, and mandates that landlords inform tenants of this right to decline. If a tenant declines, landlords must provide an alternative method to assess their ability to pay rent. The bill also caps tenant screening fees at $25 for credit reports and requires landlords to disclose charges before requesting reports. This directly affects renters seeking housing and landlords conducting tenant screenings in the state.

Maddy summaryAB 1088 requires Wisconsin hospitals to schedule a free postpartum home visit within 14 days for new mothers who request it, covering physical recovery, breastfeeding support, and mental health screening. The visit must be provided by trained doulas, midwives, or other licensed health providers. Insurance plans - including government-run health programs - must cover this service without deductibles, copays, or other patient costs. The bill directly affects new mothers, hospitals, and health insurers across Wisconsin.

Maddy summaryAB 1049 strengthens residents' rights in mobile or manufactured home communities by requiring owners to provide 12 months' notice before closing and 14 days' notice for sales or foreclosure, while granting residents a 90-day window to form a group (with 51% approval) to purchase the community. The bill also creates tax incentives for owners by excluding income from sales to resident groups from taxable income for years after 2025. Additionally, it establishes new operational standards, including annual inspections, defined maintenance responsibilities (like roads and utilities), and mandatory evacuation plans for emergencies. These changes directly affect mobile home community owners and residents in the state.

Maddy summaryAB 1050 repeals restrictions that previously limited local governments' ability to regulate short-term residential rentals (like Airbnb). It removes specific provisions that capped the number of days a property could be rented annually and eliminated other barriers to local rulemaking. This bill directly affects cities, towns, and counties (political subdivisions), allowing them to establish their own rules for short-term rentals without these state-imposed limits. The key change is enabling local governments to create comprehensive regulations for short-term rental operations without state-mandated restrictions.

Maddy summaryAJR 128 is a symbolic joint resolution congratulating the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh women’s volleyball team for winning the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship. It directly recognizes the team, coaches, and university community for their undefeated tournament performance (6-0, no sets dropped), 34-3 overall record, and academic achievements. The resolution formally expresses the Wisconsin Legislature’s praise for their athletic excellence, sportsmanship, and academic dedication, extending gratitude to the university for bringing pride to Oshkosh, the Fox Valley region, and Wisconsin. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy impact beyond ceremonial recognition.

Maddy summaryAB 836 increases funding to hire two additional full-time equivalent staff positions within the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection specifically for regional farmer support services. The bill allocates $150,400 for fiscal year 2025-26 to authorize these positions and $200,500 for fiscal year 2026-27 to fund them. These positions will directly assist farmers through regional support services provided by the department. The bill makes no changes to existing programs but expands staffing capacity for targeted agricultural assistance.

Maddy summaryAB 823 creates a program to provide electronic benefit transfer (EBT) and credit/debit card processing equipment and services to farmers' markets and farmers who sell directly to consumers. It allocates $367,500 biennially for this payment processing program and increases funding by $1 million annually for the healthy food incentive program. The bill requires participating vendors to process local purchasing incentives (even if funded by third parties) and adds 0.625 FTE positions to administer the program. This directly affects farmers' markets and farmers selling directly to consumers who participate in EBT or incentive programs.

Maddy summaryAB 835 establishes $10 million annually in grants for students enrolled in approved teacher education programs, requiring recipients to work as teachers in Wisconsin public or tribal schools for at least four years after graduation. It adjusts the reimbursement rate for special education costs to 90% of eligible expenses for school districts. The bill also modifies school district revenue limits by adding specific dollar amounts ($325 for 2023-24, $146 for 2023-24-2025-26) to calculate annual funding caps. These changes directly affect education students, school districts, and special education programs through concrete funding adjustments.

Maddy summaryAB 832 requires schools to implement human trafficking and sextortion prevention education in health classes for students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 starting in the 2026-27 school year. It mandates that teachers receive training to identify children at risk of trafficking (under s. 948.051) or sextortion - defined as threatening to release explicit content unless victims send money or more content. The bill directs the Department of Children and Families and Department of Justice to create a list of age-appropriate training courses for educators. This affects all public school districts, teachers, and students in the specified grade ranges, with curriculum content aligned to the recommended training courses. The law takes effect for the 2026-27 school year.