Rep. Jeff Mursau

Maddy summaryAB 274 establishes a 7-year expiration cycle for Wisconsin administrative rules, requiring state agencies to formally request "readoption" before rules expire. It directly affects state agencies that create and maintain administrative rules, mandating they submit detailed notices to the legislature with specific information about each rule's purpose, legal basis, and compliance status. Key provisions include new requirements for readoption notices (including statements on rule compliance), a process for legislative committees to review these notices, and a schedule for expiring rules that were in effect before 2025. The bill also creates a rules procedures manual to guide agencies on drafting and legislative review. These changes streamline rule expiration and renewal while increasing transparency for lawmakers.

Maddy summaryAB 277 requires state agencies to provide detailed cost analyses for new rules that may affect businesses, local governments, or individuals. Agencies must quantify all expected implementation and compliance costs (and potential savings) over a two-year period, broken down by affected groups, and report this as a single net dollar figure. If projected costs exceed $10 million, the rulemaking process must pause until costs are reduced or offset. The bill also establishes rules for funding independent cost analyses when agency estimates vary significantly and mandates revised analyses after rule modifications. This bill aims to increase transparency around financial impacts of new regulations before they are finalized.

Maddy summaryAB 693 allows hunters in Wisconsin's designated central and southern farmland zones to offer legally taken deer to meat processing facilities in exchange for local business gift cards. The processed meat must then be provided to food distribution services (as defined by state law) that supply food pantries. This bill creates a new legal pathway for connecting hunting harvests with food assistance programs through a specific gift-card exchange mechanism. It directly affects hunters in those zones, meat processors, and food pantries receiving donated meat. The policy change streamlines how donated venison from legal hunts can reach food pantries via this structured process.

Maddy summaryAB 687 requires the state wildlife department to establish a statewide wolf population goal when wolves are not protected under federal or state endangered species laws. This law directly affects the department, hunters, and trappers by mandating a management plan that sets a specific population target. The key provision allows the department to regulate wolf hunting and trapping through licensing limits - such as restricting the number of hunters, trappers, or wolves taken - based on the established population goal. The bill does not change current protections but creates a framework for future management if wolves are removed from endangered lists.

Maddy summaryAB 682 increases fees for nonresident hunting, trapping, and fishing permits and vehicle admissions in Wisconsin. The bill raises specific fee amounts across multiple categories, such as increasing the annual deer license fee from $197.25 to $237.25 and the annual small game license fee from $87.25 to $107.25. These fee increases will take effect on March 1, 2026, and primarily affect nonresidents who wish to engage in hunting, fishing, or trapping activities within Wisconsin. The bill does not introduce new programs but adjusts existing fee structures for nonresident users.

Maddy summaryAB 691 amends Wisconsin's service award program for volunteer emergency responders, including fire fighters and emergency medical personnel. It increases the required service years for full benefits from 15 to 20 years, with eligibility also requiring age 60. For those with 10-20 years of service who are age 53-59 (but under 60), the bill creates a reduced payout option, calculated by the department but less than the full amount. The department must establish rules to implement these changes, affecting how volunteer emergency responders receive retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryAB 683 prohibits telecommunications providers from using equipment manufactured by entities designated as "foreign adversaries" in key network infrastructure (like cell towers or fiber lines). It directly affects telecom companies operating in Wisconsin, requiring them to stop purchasing or leasing such equipment and remove existing installations by following federal removal programs. Providers must annually certify compliance and publicly report locations of affected equipment, including replacement plans, while the state commission will publish a public map and annual report. The bill aligns with federal rules banning equipment from specific foreign entities, focusing on network security without specifying political outcomes.

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.