Rep. Jerry O'Connor

Maddy summaryAB 699 creates a 20% tax credit for disability insurers who pay long-term care insurance assessments. The credit applies to the taxable year after the assessment is paid and the next four years, reducing taxes owed under Wisconsin law. It directly affects disability insurers (defined in the bill) who collect these assessments, not individual consumers. The credit cannot be claimed by partnerships or their members if the entity claims it, and unused credits are paid by the state from a dedicated fund. This bill establishes a new tax credit mechanism without changing insurance requirements for consumers.

Maddy summaryAB 700 appropriates state funds to cover refundable credits for Wisconsin taxpayers who pay long-term care insurance assessments. It directly affects residents who pay these assessments by ensuring they receive the full credit amount through a dedicated budget appropriation. The bill amends statute 20.835(2)(de) to specify the funding needed for credits under existing laws (sections 71.07(12)(d)2., 71.28(12)(d)2., 71.47(12)(d)2., and 76.633(4)). This creates a permanent funding mechanism for the credits rather than relying on annual budget adjustments.

Maddy summaryAB 910 requires state agencies to adjust fines and fees for inflation every three years. Agencies must report current amounts, calculate inflation-adjusted values using the consumer price index, and recommend whether to increase, decrease, or maintain fees based on inflation. This applies to all state agencies collecting fees for services or penalties (like driver’s license fees or permit charges), affecting individuals who pay these fees. Agencies can spread increases over up to four years and must consider their service costs when recommending changes. The bill establishes a regular process to keep fee levels aligned with inflation, rather than allowing them to become outdated.

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 907 updates state lottery drawing procedures by requiring all drawings to use random selection methods (via mechanical, electrical, or computerized systems) and mandating annual independent audits. The bill repeals outdated rules and creates new requirements for the lottery department to ensure drawing randomness and security. These changes directly affect the state lottery operations, requiring them to verify processes through external audits each year. The law focuses on transparency and technical safeguards without altering lottery prizes or participation rules.

Maddy summaryAB 905 creates a new penalty for threatening healthcare providers, staff, or their family members when the threat is related to their work. It specifically targets threats made knowing the victim is a healthcare worker (current or former) or a family member, and the threat occurs in response to actions taken at a healthcare facility or by a provider acting in their official capacity. The bill defines "health care facility" and "health care provider" using existing statutory terms to clarify the scope of protection. This law directly affects healthcare workers and their families by establishing criminal penalties for targeted threats connected to their professional roles.

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.