Rep. Joy Goeben

Maddy summaryAB 709 amends Wisconsin state law to clarify rules for school transportation services, primarily affecting schools, school bus contractors, and emergency transportation providers. It allows school boards to request temporary emergency transportation for 15+ students when regular service isn't available, requiring written approval from the state transportation secretary. The bill also updates insurance requirements: vehicles carrying 9-14 students (not owned/leased by schools) must carry $10,000 property damage and $25,000 per person bodily injury coverage. These changes standardize emergency procedures and ensure minimum insurance coverage for non-school-operated transportation.

Maddy summaryAB 808 creates a "wetland assured delineation program" that allows certified professionals to perform wetland boundary identification work with the same legal effect as government-verified reports. It directly affects environmental consultants and wetland delineators who meet specific qualifications (e.g., associate degree with 8+ years experience or bachelor’s with 5+ years) and apply for certification through the Department of Natural Resources. Key provisions include requiring annual applications, mandating reports by March 15 (with limited 12-month extensions), and allowing certified delineators’ work to bypass department confirmation under certain conditions. The program also establishes department oversight through performance reviews and audits to ensure compliance with wetland delineation standards.

Maddy summaryAB 806 modifies Wisconsin law to clarify parental access to minors' health and court records. It generally grants parents access to their minor child's records but allows minors aged 14 or older to block access by submitting a written objection to the records custodian. The bill also explicitly denies access rights to parents who have been denied physical placement due to child protection cases (e.g., under § 48.13 for parental actions causing harm). These changes apply to health care records under statutes § 146.82 and § 146.83. The bill is currently pending in the Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee.

Maddy summaryAB 810 requires public schools in Wisconsin to provide at least 60 minutes of daily supervised recess for students in kindergarten through grade 6, starting in the 2026-27 school year. The bill defines recess as unstructured time for physical activity, play, or social engagement, prohibits the use of electronic devices during this period, and bans withholding recess as punishment except for immediate safety threats. School boards must ensure recess time is separate from transfer times between classes and follow department guidance for implementation. The law also clarifies that recess time cannot count toward required instructional hours under existing statutes.

Maddy summaryAB 795 requires Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction to create a free online portal where the public can search for license holder information. The portal must include the names of license holders under investigation, the outcome of those investigations (including voluntary license surrender), and the names of individuals whose licenses were revoked. This affects licensed professionals (like educators or healthcare workers) whose records are accessed through the portal, as well as the Department of Public Instruction, which must maintain and update the portal. The bill mandates specific data points be included, such as investigation dates and reasons, without disclosing confidential details during active cases. It does not change investigation procedures but increases public access to existing disciplinary records.

Maddy summaryAB 791 makes it illegal to intentionally send false text messages to 911 reporting a non-existent emergency. It directly affects individuals who send such deceptive messages, imposing fines ($100-$600) or up to 90 days in jail for a first offense. For repeat offenses within four years, the penalty escalates to a Class H felony charge. The bill targets misuse of emergency services by adding specific penalties for text-based false reports, which previously lacked clear legal consequences. This law aims to deter non-emergency text spam that wastes critical resources.

Maddy summaryAB 792 modifies how Wisconsin calculates state funding for public school districts by excluding certain costs funded through local voter-approved referenda (like bond elections) from the "shared cost" formula. This directly affects school districts receiving state equalization aid, as it prevents referendum-funded expenses from reducing their state aid eligibility. The bill adds specific rules to exclude referendum-authorized levies and related debt service from the calculation, ensuring districts aren’t penalized for using locally raised funds. These changes aim to align funding formulas with how school districts actually finance projects through voter-approved measures.

Maddy summaryAJR 1 is a constitutional amendment requiring voters to present valid photo identification to cast a ballot in any election. It directly affects all voters in state elections, specifying that acceptable ID must be issued by the state, federal government, a federally recognized tribal entity, or a college/university in the state. The bill mandates the legislature to define acceptable ID types and establish exceptions, while allowing voters without ID on election day to cast a provisional ballot and submit ID later. This proposal, on second consideration after a 2023 rejection, would be submitted to voters in April 2025 if approved.

Maddy summaryAJR 3 is a symbolic resolution that officially recognizes January 2025 as "Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month" in Wisconsin. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but aims to raise public awareness about human trafficking, highlighting its prevalence across all 72 Wisconsin counties and its impact on vulnerable groups like youth and individuals with disabilities. The resolution aligns with broader state and national efforts to combat trafficking through education and community engagement. As a procedural resolution, it focuses solely on designation and awareness, with no direct policy changes or obligations for state agencies.

Maddy summaryAB 67 creates a new process for selecting where lawsuits involving government entities (like state officials, commissions, or federal representatives from the state) are heard in 1st or 2nd class cities. If a party requests it within 5 days of filing or service, the court clerk randomly assigns the case to another circuit court, and this assignment becomes final - no further venue changes are allowed. The bill also adds a fee for using this random venue option. It directly affects plaintiffs and defendants in such lawsuits filed in designated cities, changing how venue is determined under existing law.