Rep. Jerry O'Connor

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific overpass on I-39 over STH 82 in Oxford, Marquette County as the "Greg Quinn and Larry Millard Memorial Bridge" to honor two firefighters who died in the line of duty. The state must install signs identifying the bridge, but only using private donations - no state funds may be used for the signs or their maintenance. The bill is purely commemorative and does not create new policy or affect public services.

Maddy summaryAB 179 standardizes lighting requirements for police vehicles in Wisconsin. It mandates that on marked police vehicles, blue lights must be mounted on the passenger side (roof or interior) and red lights on the driver side, with all lights designed to be clearly visible from 500 feet in daylight or darkness. The bill also restricts use of warning lights to specific scenarios like emergency response, pursuits, or hazardous parking, prohibiting general use otherwise. This directly affects all law enforcement agencies operating marked or unmarked police vehicles statewide.

Maddy summaryAB 449 requires local governments to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) - a separate living space on a single-family property - as a standard permitted use, meaning homeowners can build one without special approvals. Local rules may still limit ADU size (to match the main home's square footage), height, or yard space requirements, but cannot block ADUs entirely. The bill also prohibits using newly created ADUs as short-term rentals (like Airbnb) after a specific date. This directly affects homeowners in single-family zones and local governments that set zoning rules.

Maddy summaryAB 353 requires hospitals to provide clear, upfront pricing for services and restricts certain aggressive debt collection tactics against patients. It directly affects hospitals by mandating transparent cost disclosures and patients by limiting how debt collectors can pursue unpaid medical bills. Key provisions include requiring hospitals to publish standard charges and prohibiting collectors from garnishing wages or threatening lawsuits for small amounts. The bill also establishes penalties for violations of these transparency and debt collection rules. This legislation aims to make healthcare costs more understandable and protect patients from excessive collection practices.

Maddy summaryAB 199 changes reimbursement rates for ambulance services under Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program (state Medicaid) when patients are not transported to a facility. Starting January 1, 2027, the state will increase payments for "ambulance response and treatment, no transport" (code A0998) to match the rate for transport services (code A0429), directly benefiting ambulance providers. The bill also requires the Department of Health Services to annually report by September 15 on how national changes to emergency medical responder scope of practice may affect training in Wisconsin. These provisions specifically impact ambulance service providers, state health officials, and the Medical Assistance program.

Maddy summaryAB 309 creates legal immunity for Wisconsin 911 call centers and dispatchers who transfer callers to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (or its successor number). The bill shields these entities from civil lawsuits related to outcomes of such transfers, unless the injury resulted from the dispatcher's gross negligence or willful misconduct. This directly affects public safety answering points statewide by reducing liability risks when connecting individuals in crisis to the 988 service. The law defines "national crisis hotline" as 988 or its successor under federal program 42 USC 290bb-36c.

Maddy summaryAB 451 creates new rules for "residential tax incremental districts" (RTIDs) in cities, limiting these districts to 3% of a city's total taxable property value (down from a 12% cap for other districts). It requires RTIDs to fund only infrastructure for residential developments meeting strict size limits: single-family homes under 7,500 sq ft lots, two-family homes under 15,000 sq ft lots, and strict setbacks/sizes for homes (e.g., max 1,500 sq ft for single-story). Project costs are restricted to district-wide infrastructure (like stormwater systems), not individual lots, and must be paid from tax increments or developer financing. The bill directly affects cities creating RTIDs and developers building qualifying residential projects.

Maddy summaryAB 486 limits how Wisconsin public colleges and technical schools can reduce their own gift aid (like institutional scholarships) when students receive small private scholarships ($5,000 or less from Wisconsin-based groups). Schools must first attempt to adjust loans or work-study before cutting gift aid, and must inform students they can request a cost-of-attendance reassessment. This applies to all public universities and technical colleges in Wisconsin, ensuring students aren’t automatically penalized for external scholarships while preventing aid from exceeding financial need.

Maddy summaryAB 455 establishes a grant program to reimburse owners of multifamily housing for costs incurred when converting properties to condominiums. The program covers specific expenses like attorney fees, permitting costs, and other project-related fees. Grants are limited to $50,000 per property and a total of $10 million from the existing Main Street Housing Rehabilitation Fund. The bill requires detailed reporting on each grant awarded, including recipient information, project descriptions, and location. This directly affects multifamily housing owners seeking to convert their properties to condominiums.

Maddy summaryAB 398 requires schools, child care centers, and nursery schools to include specific information about immunization waiver processes in their enrollment or admission materials. This means parents and guardians would see clear details on how to request waivers when signing up their children, rather than learning about it later. The bill standardizes this information across all covered institutions to improve transparency. It directly affects families during enrollment and the institutions managing those applications.