Rep. Dan Knodl

Maddy summaryThis bill creates "independence accounts" allowing individuals to save up to $15,000 annually from their gross earnings without that money counting toward Medicaid asset limits. It specifically excludes assets acquired through inheritance when determining eligibility for benefits. The department must seek federal approval to implement this change, though the program would take effect if federal authorities approve. The bill directly affects people applying for or receiving Medicaid benefits in the state.

Maddy summaryAB 454 establishes a statewide "workforce home loan" revolving loan program to help low-to-moderate income workers purchase homes. It creates a new fund that will provide loans to first-time homebuyers whose household income is at or below 100% of the local area median income, with requirements including no prior residential property ownership in the past three years and meeting specific debt-to-income and credit score standards (minimum 580 FICO score for deferred payment options). The program uses repayments from existing loans to replenish the fund, allowing it to serve more borrowers over time. This directly affects eligible workforce households in housing markets across the state who qualify under the defined income and underwriting criteria.

Maddy summaryAB 445 updates procedures for county registers of deeds regarding property records and transportation project maps (plats). It revises how documents are numbered, indexed, and recorded - requiring unique sequential numbers for each document and clarifying "legal description" definitions for property records. These changes directly affect county offices handling property deeds, mortgages, and transportation project plats, streamlining administrative processes without altering fees or substantive rights. The bill focuses on procedural consistency in record-keeping across statutes.

Maddy summaryAB 373 creates a refundable $2,000 individual income tax credit for parents who experience a stillbirth in the state, as documented by a fetal death report. The credit is refundable, meaning parents who owe less in income tax than the credit amount will receive the difference as a cash payment from state funds. Eligibility requires the stillbirth to meet state reporting criteria (per §69.18), and rules specify $2,000 for joint filers per stillbirth or $1,000 each for unmarried parents or separate filers. The credit must be claimed within the standard tax filing deadline and cannot be used by nonresidents or for partial tax years.

Maddy summaryAB 910 requires state agencies to adjust fines and fees for inflation every three years. Agencies must report current amounts, calculate inflation-adjusted values using the consumer price index, and recommend whether to increase, decrease, or maintain fees based on inflation. This applies to all state agencies collecting fees for services or penalties (like driver’s license fees or permit charges), affecting individuals who pay these fees. Agencies can spread increases over up to four years and must consider their service costs when recommending changes. The bill establishes a regular process to keep fee levels aligned with inflation, rather than allowing them to become outdated.

Maddy summaryAB 992 revises cost thresholds for administrative rule reviews, lowering the trigger point from $10 million to $4 million in projected costs for businesses, local governments, and individuals over two years. It prohibits agencies from splitting a single rule into multiple rules to avoid this cost analysis requirement. Agencies must halt rulemaking if costs exceed the threshold unless they modify the rule to reduce costs, then re-evaluate. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and entities bearing compliance costs.

Maddy summaryAB 131 establishes a municipal grant program to test for PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in public water systems and fund source reduction measures. It allows water utilities to use customer service fees to cover up to half the cost of PFAS source reduction for connected customers, if cheaper than facility upgrades. The bill also creates eligibility rules for disadvantaged communities extending service due to PFAS contamination and directs PFAS contamination claims to an existing landowner grant program. These provisions directly affect municipal water systems, public utilities, and communities addressing PFAS in drinking water.

Maddy summaryAB 130 exempts specific groups from certain PFAS enforcement actions under Wisconsin's spills law if they allow the state to clean up contaminated land at no cost to them. It directly affects landowners, fire departments, airports, wastewater spreaders, and waste facilities that handled PFAS-contaminated materials legally. The bill creates exemptions for those who spread permitted biosolids, owned land where such spreading occurred, used PFAS in emergency response (per federal rules), accepted PFAS waste, or own property not responsible for the contamination origin. This applies only to enforcement sections related to PFAS contamination under the spills law, not all PFAS regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Wisconsin's licensing requirements for speech-language pathologists working in public schools by allowing the Department of Public Instruction to issue licenses to individuals who already hold valid licenses from the state's hearing and speech examining board or possess a valid compact privilege. The legislation modifies existing statutes and administrative rules to streamline the licensing process, ensuring that qualified professionals can transition from clinical practice to school employment without redundant certification steps. Additionally, the bill includes broader changes to teacher licensing standards, such as requiring full semester student teaching for all teacher preparation programs, including those outside the state. These provisions aim to align school-based speech-language pathology credentials with established professional standards while maintaining oversight through the state superintendent.

Maddy summaryAB 866 revises rules for county sheriff offices and undersheriff appointments across the state. It creates new requirements for appointing an undersheriff (who must be a certified law enforcement officer and county resident), clarifies succession rules when the sheriff is absent or incapacitated, and ensures deputies returning from undersheriff roles retain their prior pay and seniority. The bill directly affects county sheriffs, undersheriffs, county clerks handling vacancy procedures, and deputy sheriffs. Key provisions include mandating written appointment records, defining when an undersheriff acts as sheriff, and requiring counties to return deputies to their previous positions after undersheriff service.