Rep. Rick Gundrum

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 summaryAB 1004 prohibits school boards, charter school governing boards, and participating private school entities (referred to as "education employers") from entering agreements that suppress information about alleged immoral conduct by employees, hinder reporting of such conduct, or require removing substantiated allegations from records. The bill also grants civil immunity to education employers who provide information about an employee’s conduct - including alleged immoral conduct - to a prospective employer upon request. This immunity supplements existing legal protections for employment references. The law aims to ensure transparency in employee conduct records while protecting schools from liability when sharing verified information with new employers.

Maddy summaryAB 856 repeals and amends specific sections of state law related to operating while intoxicated (OWI) that were deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill primarily affects drivers of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility terrain vehicles, and motorboats who face penalties for OWI or refusal to submit to chemical tests. Key changes include adjusting penalty tiers for repeat offenses (e.g., fines of $300-$1,100 for one prior conviction, up to $2,000 for four or more), clarifying when refusal constitutes a violation, and adding provisions for "additional chemical tests" for ATV/boat operators involved in accidents. The bill also revises procedures for law enforcement officers requesting tests and providing required information. These changes aim to align the statutes with constitutional standards while maintaining enforcement mechanisms for impaired operation.

Maddy summaryAB 86 amends Wisconsin law to impose a life sentence without parole for individuals convicted of child trafficking involving three or more child victims. It specifically upgrades penalties under statutes 948.051(1)(b) and 948.051(2)(b), defining child trafficking as recruiting, transporting, or exploiting children for commercial sex acts. The bill requires courts to sentence offenders to life imprisonment without parole eligibility when three or more child victims are involved, affecting both traffickers and those who benefit from such crimes. This change applies to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date.

Maddy summaryAB 217 raises competitive bidding thresholds for local government contracts in the state. It increases the general public work bidding threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 and the notice threshold from $5,000 to $10,000. For highway contracts specifically, it sets a $25,000 bidding threshold and $5,000 notice threshold. The bill also requires these thresholds to automatically adjust every five years based on inflation, using the U.S. Consumer Price Index. This directly affects towns and local governments when contracting for public projects above these new dollar amounts.

Maddy summaryAB 530 restricts drone operations over school properties, directly affecting anyone flying drones near public, private, or tribal schools. The bill prohibits drones over school grounds without authorization, except for specific law enforcement or emergency purposes like search/rescue, locating escaped prisoners, or preventing imminent danger. Violations carry a maximum $5,000 penalty, and evidence from drone recordings related to violations must be handled by law enforcement or correctional authorities. The law clarifies definitions for "school" and "public protective services agency" to ensure consistent application.

Maddy summaryAB 778 changes eligibility rules for Wisconsin's Transform Milwaukee Jobs and Transitional Jobs programs. It requires applicants to have neither filed for unemployment insurance benefits nor be eligible for them. The bill repeals an existing eligibility provision (49.163(2)(am)4) and amends the current rule (49.163(2)(am)5) to clarify this requirement. This directly affects individuals seeking employment assistance through these specific Milwaukee-based workforce programs. The change simplifies eligibility by excluding those currently accessing unemployment benefits.

Maddy summaryAB 239 prohibits harassment of search and rescue dogs trained by state or nationally recognized agencies to locate missing people during disasters. It defines these dogs specifically and bans actions harming them while they perform official duties. Violations carry penalties ranging from a Class B forfeiture for basic violations to a Class H felony if the dog’s death results from intentional harm. The law applies directly to anyone who harasses these dogs, with stricter penalties for intentional acts causing injury or death. This bill strengthens protections for animals critical to emergency response efforts.