Rep. Christine Sinicki

Maddy summaryThis bill addresses the misclassification of employees by establishing penalties for employers who incorrectly label workers as independent contractors instead of employees. It repeals existing exemption provisions and creates two new penalty categories: a $500 fine for each negligent misclassification and a $25,000 fine for intentional misclassification or providing false information to evade requirements. The legislation also introduces a mechanism where employers with three or more negligent misclassification cases within five years may face escalated penalties for subsequent violations, and allows the department to publish a public list of penalized employers on its website.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires school districts to include education about fentanyl and the use of opioid antagonists in their official educational goals. It amends existing state law to add specific awareness of fentanyl and naloxone to the list of required drug abuse prevention topics. The changes would first apply to the 2026-27 school year, ensuring students receive information about these specific opioid-related issues as part of their health education curriculum.

Maddy summaryAB 813 amends Wisconsin's Opportunity Attraction and Promotion Program, which provides grants through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), to allow funding for non-public events that attract national exposure or boost economic growth - such as private conferences or industry gatherings - under specific conditions. The bill creates a new provision (3)(cm) limiting such non-public event funding to 25% of annual program funds, requiring WEDC to prioritize events during tourist off-seasons or economic downturns, and banning funding for regularly scheduled events. It also mandates that applicants secure non-state matching funds equal to the grant amount and requires WEDC to submit annual reports detailing all funded projects and their projected economic impact. This directly affects event organizers and businesses applying for WEDC grants to attract major opportunities to Wisconsin.

Maddy summaryAB 155 designates a specific segment of U.S. Highway 12 in Lake Delton, Sauk County, as the "Tom Diehl Memorial Highway." The bill requires the state transportation department to officially mark this portion of the highway with the memorial name. This is a commemorative designation with no substantive policy changes or financial impact beyond signage. It directly affects the highway location in Lake Delton and honors Tom Diehl through the naming.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a grant program to help school districts build or upgrade playgrounds to be accessible for students with disabilities. It allocates $1 million for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to fund these projects. The program requires school districts to match the grant amount with their own spending on playground construction or upgrades. Only school districts can apply for these grants, and the funding is intended specifically for making playgrounds accessible to pupils with disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to protect health insurance enrollees from unexpected medical bills by establishing rules for how insurance plans must handle emergency care and services provided by out-of-network providers. It requires insurance plans to cover emergency medical services without requiring prior authorization and ensures that cost-sharing amounts for out-of-network emergency care are no higher than what would apply for in-network care. Additionally, the bill mandates that plans pay out-of-network providers directly for emergency services and certain non-emergency services provided at in-network facilities, preventing patients from being billed for the difference between the out-of-network rate and the recognized amount. These provisions apply to defined network plans, preferred provider plans, and self-insured governmental plans that have networks of participating providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits cosmetic manufacturers from conducting or contracting for animal testing on cosmetics within the state after December 31, 2026, and restricts the sale of products developed using such testing after July 1, 2027. It applies to any person whose name appears on a cosmetic label and bans the import or sale of cosmetics or ingredients known to have been tested on live nonhuman vertebrates after the specified date. Exceptions allow testing required by federal or state regulatory agencies under specific conditions, including when no alternative testing methods exist, or for compliance with foreign jurisdiction requirements where test results are not used to substantiate product safety in the state. Violations of the prohibition carry a penalty of $5,000 for each offense plus an additional $1,000 for each day the violation continues.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits disability insurance policies and self-insured health plans from using artificial intelligence to deny prior authorization requests for medical necessity or experimental treatments. Instead, it requires that a licensed human healthcare provider must review these specific requests before any denial can occur. The law applies to limited service health organizations, preferred provider plans, and defined network plans, with exceptions for plans covered by collective bargaining agreements. If passed, the restrictions would take effect at the start of the fourth month following the bill's publication.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a tuition loan program for Wisconsin residents enrolled in higher education who commit to working full-time in teaching, firefighting, or law enforcement for at least 10 years after completing their training. The program provides loans covering total tuition costs for up to four years of undergraduate study at University of Wisconsin System institutions or two years at technical colleges, with funds allocated equally among the three career fields. Eligible students must maintain satisfactory academic progress, apply annually, and repay loans at a 5 percent annual interest rate, though repayment is deferred while they work in their chosen profession and 50 to 100 percent of the loan is forgiven if they remain in the state and profession for seven or ten years respectively. The bill also grants the Higher Educational Aids Board authority to create rules for administering the program and includes a $1.5 million appropriation for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Wisconsin school districts to increase their revenue limits when they spend money on energy efficiency projects. The adjustment applies to districts that adopt a resolution authorizing the increase and meet specific requirements, including using performance contracts for the project and financing it with bonds or loans of 20 years or less. Eligible projects must reduce energy or operational costs, conserve water, or improve metering accuracy, and the revenue limit increase would last for each school year the district pays debt service on the financing. The bill updates existing statutes to clarify how these adjustments are calculated and applies to resolutions adopted on the effective date of the law.