Rep. Andrew Hysell

Maddy summaryAB 427 prohibits possessing a firearm on university or college campus property, including buildings and grounds owned or leased by the institution. It establishes a Class A misdemeanor charge for violations, with specific exceptions for law enforcement officers, military personnel on duty, individuals leasing residential or business spaces on campus, and firearms in approved programs or locked vehicles. The bill directly affects anyone on campus property - students, staff, visitors - by restricting firearm possession where it was previously not specifically prohibited under state law. Key mechanisms include creating new legal language (941.236) to define campus firearm rules and amending related statutes to clarify campus exemptions.

Maddy summaryAB 504 requires property tax bills to include specific information about state aid reductions for school districts. It mandates disclosing the dollar amount and percentage change in state aid reductions from the previous year to the current year, and explicitly identifies if reductions resulted from enrollment in choice programs (like Milwaukee or Racine Choice) or special needs scholarships. School districts receiving reduced aid must also note that they could raise property taxes to offset the loss. This applies only when an actual aid reduction occurs, not every year. The bill aims to provide property owners with clear, transparent details about how state funding changes affect their local schools.

Maddy summaryAB 586 amends Wisconsin statutes to clarify and strengthen shared governance at University of Wisconsin System institutions by defining the roles of faculty, academic staff, and students in institutional decision-making. The bill requires faculty to ensure STEM disciplines are represented in governance structures, gives academic staff the right to organize and advise on policies affecting them, and ensures students actively participate in policies related to student life and fee management. Key provisions specify that faculty have primary responsibility for academic matters, academic staff for their own policies, and students for advising on campus life and fee use. These changes directly affect all faculty, academic staff, and students across UW System campuses by formalizing their participation in governance and policy development.

Maddy summaryAB 495 adjusts Wisconsin's school funding system to protect districts from funding cuts between 2024 and 2025. It creates a "supplemental hold harmless aid" provision (20.255(2)(ab)) to ensure districts receiving higher state aid in 2024 retain that level in 2025-26. The bill also modifies per-pupil revenue limits, adding $325 for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, and increases state funding appropriations by $493.8 million for 2025-26 and $699.9 million for 2026-27. These changes directly affect public school districts receiving state equalization aid.

Maddy summaryAB 528 requires the Wisconsin Group Insurance Board to conduct a cost analysis study on whether school districts should join the state's group health insurance program, either voluntarily or mandatorily. The bill appropriates $300,000 to fund this study, which will examine potential costs and savings for school districts and current health plan participants. The study must be completed within six months, after which the Group Insurance Board will submit a written report to the governor and legislature. This bill does not change current insurance participation rules but sets the stage for future decisions based on the study's findings.

Maddy summaryAB 325 modifies Wisconsin's firearm transfer rules to require most sales or transfers to go through a licensed firearms dealer, with exceptions for direct family gifts, bequests, or inheritances (if the recipient is at least 18 and not prohibited from owning firearms). It adds a $10 fee for background checks conducted by dealers and mandates new forms requiring transferees to confirm they aren’t transferring to prohibited individuals. Violating these rules carries a misdemeanor penalty of fines ($500-$10,000) or up to 9 months in jail, plus a 2-year firearm possession ban. The bill directly affects gun sellers, buyers, and family members transferring firearms without a dealer.

Maddy summaryAB 569 regulates the sale and resale of event tickets by requiring sellers and resellers to clearly disclose all costs (including fees and taxes) upfront. It bans resellers from selling "speculative" tickets (not in their possession) and restricts presales through fan clubs or early access programs. The bill also mandates refunds within 10 days for canceled events, counterfeit tickets, or tickets that don't match descriptions, and prohibits deceptive marketing using artists' or venues' names without permission. These rules apply directly to ticket sellers, secondary marketplaces, and resellers, aiming to increase transparency and prevent deceptive practices.

Maddy summaryAB 579 creates a new University of Wisconsin System tuition grant program to help cover the gap between other scholarships and full tuition and fees for eligible students. It directly affects Wisconsin residents enrolled in their first bachelor's degree program at a non-Madison UW campus with household income under $71,000 annually. The bill appropriates $11.86 million for 2025-26 and $28.11 million for 2026-27 to fund grants covering up to 8 consecutive semesters for freshmen or 4 for transfers (excluding summer terms). The program requires students to meet academic standards and excludes those with unmet selective service or child support obligations.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 464 revises state laws concerning prevailing wages for public works projects. It establishes new definitions for terms related to wage determination areas, types of projects, and specific work classifications, directly affecting local governmental units and contractors. The bill aims to create uniform prevailing wage requirements across the state, explicitly stating that local ordinances requiring prevailing wages are inconsistent with state law. It also outlines the applicability of these wage rules to various public works projects, including infrastructure and facilities acquired by local units, and adds a provision to protect employees' personally identifiable information on these projects.

Maddy summaryAB 384 regulates virtual currency kiosks (machines that exchange cash for cryptocurrency or vice versa) by requiring operators to obtain state licenses, display a specific fraud warning before every transaction, and verify customer identities using government ID and photos. It limits daily transactions to $1,000 in cash, caps fees at $5 or 3% of the transaction amount, and mandates refunds for fraud victims who report incidents within 30 days. The law directly affects kiosk operators (who must comply with licensing and ID rules) and customers (who receive fraud protections and transaction limits). These provisions aim to reduce scams and financial risks associated with in-person crypto exchanges.