Rep. Lisa Subeck

Maddy summaryAB 774 prohibits health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from requiring step therapy protocols for certain cancer treatments. Specifically, it bans forcing patients to try less expensive drugs first when a doctor prescribes a drug approved by the FDA for metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread) or a cancer-associated condition (symptoms or side effects from cancer treatment that worsen health if untreated). The ban applies only when the drug meets three evidence-based criteria: FDA approval, alignment with best medical practices, and support from peer-reviewed research. This directly affects patients with advanced cancer and their insurers, ensuring access to prescribed treatments without unnecessary barriers.

Maddy summaryAB 772 requires companies that sell packaged products (called "producers") to pay fees to fund recycling programs. It creates a "producer responsibility program" where businesses must cover costs for reducing packaging waste and ensuring packaging is recyclable or made with post-consumer recycled materials. The bill defines key terms like "recyclable" (must sort easily and have market demand) and "post-consumer recycled material" (recovered from consumer waste, excluding advanced recycling methods). This directly affects manufacturers, brands, importers, and retailers selling packaged goods in the state, with fees collected by a nonprofit organization to support statewide recycling infrastructure.

Maddy summaryAB 765 creates a state bonding program to fund lead service line replacement for private water users connected to public water systems. It authorizes up to $274.95 million in state bonds (increasing previous limits) and allocates $200 million from bond proceeds to provide forgivable loans covering up to 50% of replacement costs for homeowners. The bill directly affects private residents with lead pipes by reducing their financial burden for replacing hazardous infrastructure. Key provisions include the new bonding authority and the specific allocation for forgivable loans to address public health concerns related to lead in drinking water.

Maddy summaryAB 782 bans restaurants and food vendors from serving food or beverages in foam polystyrene containers, directly affecting retail food businesses like restaurants, cafes, and vending machine operators. The bill includes exemptions for containers pre-sealed outside the state and raw meat/fish packaging for off-premise consumption. Businesses violating the ban after receiving written notice face fines up to $250 for the first offense and $500 for repeated violations. A waiver may be granted for undue hardship, but it cannot extend beyond 13 months after the effective date. The law aims to reduce single-use plastic waste while allowing limited exceptions for practical food handling needs.

Maddy summaryAB 753 creates a state program to provide matching grants to Wisconsin counties for investments they make in their healthcare, public health, and care provider workforce. Counties can receive state funds equal to their previous fiscal year's spending on recruitment, retention, mental health, trauma care, and wellness programs for workers in health care, public health, child care, and long-term care. The grant amount for each county is capped at $1.11 multiplied by the county's population. This bill establishes the funding mechanism and sets the maximum grant level, requiring the state to appropriate funds for these matching grants annually.

Maddy summaryAB 756 repeals a specific statute (252.03(2j)) that granted local health officers the authority to mandate business closures to control communicable diseases. This bill directly affects local health officials, removing their existing legal power to order such closures, and impacts businesses that could have been subject to these mandates. The key mechanism is simply the removal of this statutory provision, with no new requirements or processes added. As a procedural repeal, it does not create new obligations but eliminates a specific existing authority.

Maddy summaryAB 770 allocates $500,000 annually from the general fund for the Groundwater Coordinating Council's activities, specifically for the Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin System. The bill creates a new statutory funding line (20.370 (4) (cf)) to support ongoing council operations under existing laws (ss. 15.347(13) and 160.50). This appropriation applies to both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years, directly funding the council's coordination work related to groundwater management. The bill does not change groundwater regulations but ensures dedicated funding for the council's existing responsibilities.

Maddy summaryAB 769 creates a new grant program to fund food waste reduction pilot projects, allocating $100,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. The grants support projects focused on preventing food waste, redirecting surplus food to hunger relief organizations, and composting food waste. The Department of Agriculture must prioritize proposals serving low-income census tracts (below statewide median income) without grocery stores. The bill also authorizes the department to create rules for administering the program. This directly affects local pilot projects and hunger relief organizations in underserved communities.

Maddy summaryAB 777 designates the week containing November 11 (Veterans Day) as "Veterans Benefits Education Week" each year. The bill requires the governor to issue an annual proclamation highlighting veterans' entitlements during this week. This procedural measure directly informs veterans about available benefits and establishes an annual observance, with no changes to actual benefit programs. (AB 777, introduced December 17, 2025)

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic resolution (not a law) that formally recognizes November 20, 2025, and 2026, as Wisconsin’s Transgender Day of Remembrance. It does not create new policies or affect any specific group directly - it simply asks the Wisconsin Legislature to acknowledge the day through a formal proclamation. The resolution cites the purpose of memorializing transgender and nonbinary people killed due to transphobic violence and aligns with the established international observance. As a procedural resolution, it has no legal force but serves to affirm the state’s recognition of this day.