Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a program to eliminate medical debt for eligible Wisconsin residents by creating a $10 million annual appropriation for the Department of Health Services to purchase and cancel outstanding medical bills. To qualify, residents must either have household income at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty line or owe medical debt equal to at least 5 percent of their annual household income. The department will identify eligible individuals, negotiate with healthcare providers and debt collectors to buy their outstanding balances, and then formally abolish the debt while minimizing tax consequences for recipients. The program prioritizes purchasing debt from providers serving low-income populations and those in areas disproportionately affected by medical debt, with annual reporting required to track the number of debts eliminated and demographic information of affected residents.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryAB 722 imposes annual fees on large energy customers in Wisconsin based on their peak electricity demand, starting at $2 million for those using 100-250 megawatts and increasing by $1 million for each additional 250-megawatt increment. Fifty percent of these fees will fund the Green Innovation Fund, managed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill also requires data centers to report annual water usage to local governments, certify adherence to sustainable building standards (like LEED or BREEAM) within three years of operation, and pay workers the prevailing wage rate for large-scale construction projects exceeding $250 million in cost. These provisions directly affect large energy users, data center operators, and local governments managing water reporting.
Maddy summaryAB 785 establishes a program to cap electricity and gas costs at 2% of a household's annual income for energy burdened households (spending 2-4% of income on utilities) and severely energy burdened households (spending 4% or more, or having no income with utility bills). It prohibits utility disconnections for residential customers with income up to 300% of the federal poverty level due to nonpayment and creates an "energy burden relief fund" to finance the program. The bill requires automatic enrollment for eligible households, an online application portal, and annual reporting by the Public Service Commission on program administration and barriers to participation.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a state grant program to help school districts pay student teachers an hourly wage of at least $15 for their teaching hours during the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The funding comes from a state appropriation, with the Department of Public Instruction calculating and distributing payments to school boards based on the number of hours each student teacher worked in their district. The legislation also gives the department authority to create rules for administering the program and defines student teachers as individuals enrolled in approved teacher preparation programs who are completing their student teaching component.
Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Wisconsin school districts to increase their revenue limits when they spend money on energy efficiency projects. The adjustment applies to districts that adopt a resolution authorizing the increase and meet specific requirements, including using performance contracts for the project and financing it with bonds or loans of 20 years or less. Eligible projects must reduce energy or operational costs, conserve water, or improve metering accuracy, and the revenue limit increase would last for each school year the district pays debt service on the financing. The bill updates existing statutes to clarify how these adjustments are calculated and applies to resolutions adopted on the effective date of the law.
Maddy summaryAB 1075 changes the age threshold for juvenile court jurisdiction by reclassifying 17-year-olds as adults for criminal prosecution purposes. It amends definitions to define "adult" as 17 years or older (instead of 18) for investigating and prosecuting criminal violations, while keeping 17-year-olds under juvenile court jurisdiction for specific cases. The bill also creates a new funding mechanism to reimburse counties for costs related to 17-year-olds accused of crimes starting in 2026. This directly affects 17-year-olds facing criminal charges and county juvenile justice systems managing their cases.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new funding and administrative provisions for Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program, including grants for community primary care and outreach services. It allocates $41.75 million for 2025-26 and $66.75 million for 2026-27 to support community health centers in hiring health workers, nurses, and social workers to provide care coordination services, particularly for individuals facing barriers like mental illness or homelessness. The legislation also creates a stabilization fund of $20 million for the BadgerCare Direct program, which pays providers directly for services rather than through insurance intermediaries. Additionally, the bill adds requirements for the state to maintain a 24/7 nurse consultation helpline, improve provider recruitment, and explore ways to reduce healthcare costs while ensuring timely access to medically necessary services.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum salary requirements for full-time public school teachers in Wisconsin. It mandates that all full-time teachers receive an annual salary at least equal to the higher of the state senator or representative salary for that fiscal year. Teachers with at least 10 years of experience must be paid no less than the legislator salary plus $15,000, while those with 20 years or more must earn at least $100,000 annually. The law applies to teachers whose contracts expire or are renewed after the bill takes effect and cannot be negotiated away through collective bargaining agreements.
Maddy summaryThis bill would remove a state law that currently prevents local governments from creating or enforcing eviction moratoriums, which are rules that temporarily stop landlords from evicting tenants. By repealing the specific statute that bans these local measures, the legislation would allow cities and counties to decide on their own whether to pause evictions within their jurisdictions. The change directly affects local governments, landlords, and tenants by potentially expanding the ability of communities to implement temporary eviction protections. This is a procedural change that alters existing legal restrictions rather than creating new substantive requirements for housing or eviction processes.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new state tax credit to help Wisconsin residents pay for health insurance premiums. It allows individuals who purchase qualified health plans to claim a credit on their state income tax return for the amount they would have received under federal premium assistance rules between 2021 and 2025. The credit is available only to full-year state residents who file their own tax returns and cannot be claimed if the taxpayer already qualifies for similar federal assistance. The legislation also authorizes state funds to pay any portion of the credit that exceeds the taxpayer's state tax liability.