Rep. Dan Knodl

Maddy summaryAB 514 authorizes new circuit court branches and additional judicial staff in Kenosha, Brown, and Menominee/Shawano counties to address growing caseloads. Specifically, it adds a ninth branch in Kenosha County (effective August 2028), a ninth branch in Brown County (effective August 2027) and a tenth branch (effective August 2028), and a third branch in Menominee/Shawano Counties (effective August 2027). The bill also authorizes new circuit judge and court reporter positions for these branches, plus 30.5 additional assistant district attorney positions across 24 counties. These changes are funded through existing state court appropriations and will take effect on the specified dates.

Maddy summaryAB 669 revises higher education program definitions and requirements in Wisconsin, focusing on how "disadvantaged" students are identified and supported. It prohibits the use of race, ethnicity, gender, or group identity in defining "disadvantaged" students, requiring that eligibility be based solely on economic, familial, geographic, or personal hardship. The bill updates existing programs like graduate aid grants (e.g., "Ben R. Lawton grants") and retention plans to operate without race-based considerations, while maintaining reporting requirements for financial aid distribution by student demographics. It affects public universities, technical colleges, and students applying for state-funded aid programs.

Maddy summaryAB 658 raises the maximum annual compensation limits for volunteer emergency responders (firefighters, EMTs, and emergency medical responders) who also hold elected local government offices in cities, villages, or towns. It increases the cap to $35,000 for communities with under 5,000 residents and $25,000 for larger communities (over 5,000 residents), up from previous limits of $25,000 and $15,000, respectively. The bill clarifies that holding an elected office is compatible with receiving wages from certain local government positions, such as those under sections 60.37(4) or 61.327. This change directly affects volunteer emergency workers seeking to serve in local elected roles without exceeding compensation thresholds.

Maddy summaryAB 572 clarifies the legal definition of "bingo" in Wisconsin law to distinguish it from certain free games. The bill specifies that bingo requires participants to pay to play, uses standard 5x5 cards with numbers 1-75 (including a "FREE" center space), and determines winners based on random number draws matching predefined patterns. Crucially, it explicitly excludes games using free cards and donated prizes where participants pay no consideration, regardless of whether the host pays for prizes or supplies. This change directly affects gambling regulators, local governments, and organizations running bingo events, ensuring only paid participation games fall under gambling licensing rules. The bill does not alter existing bingo rules but provides clear legal boundaries for enforcement.

Maddy summaryAB 598 allows patient representatives to consent to health care facility admissions for incapacitated individuals without requiring a court-appointed guardian or protective placement petition. The bill creates a defined "patient representative" role, requiring two medical professionals (e.g., two physicians or one physician plus an advanced practice clinician) to certify incapacity based on medical need - not age, disability, or eccentricity. Patient representatives gain authority to make health care decisions, enroll individuals in Medical Assistance, and authorize health care expenses similar to a guardian, but only for non-developmental disability and non-mental illness cases. This change streamlines admissions for incapacitated patients while mandating 72-hour notifications to county agencies about the certification.

Maddy summaryAB 89 addresses theft crimes and their associated penalties. The bill text includes an amendment that removes the phrase "in a 6-month period" from two specific lines within the bill. This change modifies the criteria for certain theft crimes by eliminating a previously defined 6-month time constraint. This adjustment impacts individuals accused of theft and the legal process for prosecuting these offenses.

Maddy summaryAB 666 creates penalties for individuals who fraudulently claim ownership of another person's unclaimed property without consent. It imposes civil penalties equal to the full value of the property (plus $1,000-$2,500 for non-compliant claims) and criminal penalties of a Class I felony for intentional fraud. The bill requires the state administrator to publicly post names and penalty amounts of offenders online for 12 months. This directly affects claimants who file false claims, not property owners or administrators.

Maddy summaryAB 45 ratifies Wisconsin's participation in the Dietitian Licensure Compact, enabling dietitians licensed in other participating states to practice in Wisconsin with minimal additional requirements. The bill creates a Dietitian Licensure Compact Commission and updates statutes to recognize "compact privilege" as a valid credential for dietitians. Key provisions allow dietitians to practice across state lines without full re-licensing, streamline verification of training hours, and adjust fee structures for compact-related credentials. This directly affects dietitians seeking to practice in Wisconsin while holding a license from another compact state.

Maddy summaryAB 78 modifies Wisconsin law regarding vehicle impoundment for reckless driving offenses. It gives law enforcement officers discretion to impound vehicles used in certain reckless driving cases, rather than requiring mandatory impoundment. The bill directly affects drivers convicted of qualifying reckless driving offenses and law enforcement officers who decide whether to impound a vehicle. This change, now part of 2025 Wisconsin Act 46, alters the standard procedure for handling such vehicles.

Maddy summaryAB 452 requires local governments (municipalities, towns, or counties) to offer land developers an informal meeting before they submit subdivision development plans (preliminary or final plats). This "conceptual review" lets developers discuss their plans with local officials to get feedback on whether the proposal meets local requirements. The review and any feedback provided are not binding on either the developer or the local government. The bill modifies existing rules about subdivision approvals to add this pre-submission step, while keeping the standard process for reviewing formal plat submissions unchanged.