Rep. Scott Allen

Maddy summaryAB 348 lowers the minimum age for assistant child care teachers in Wisconsin from 17 or 18 to 16 years old, directly affecting licensed child care centers hiring these staff. To qualify, individuals must complete early childhood education training (e.g., two college credits, a department-approved course, or an approved program) within six months. The bill maintains current rules that assistant teachers may only provide sole supervision during specific times (like opening/closing hours or naptime) if a qualified child care teacher is present on-site. It does not change requirements for child care teachers themselves.

Maddy summaryAB 350, introduced on July 8, 2025, by multiple state representatives and senators, aims to establish new regulations for family and group child care centers. It directly affects child care providers operating under these models by setting standards for safety, staffing, and facility requirements. The bill is currently referred to the Committee on Children and Families for further review. As introduced, it focuses on creating specific regulatory frameworks for these centers without detailing exact provisions in the provided context.

Maddy summaryAB 349 would allow certified child care operators to provide care for up to six children, changing the current capacity limit for licensed providers. This directly affects licensed child care facilities operating under state certification. The bill amends regulatory standards to establish six as the new maximum number of children per certified operator. It applies specifically to certified settings and does not alter requirements for unlicensed care.

Maddy summaryAB 190 modifies state public records law to allow requesters who win partial victories to recover attorney fees. Specifically, it enables fee recovery when a government agency voluntarily releases a contested record *after* a lawsuit is filed, and a court determines the lawsuit was a substantial factor in that release. This directly affects public record requesters who successfully pressure agencies to disclose documents through litigation without a full court judgment. The bill creates a clear mechanism for fee awards in these specific scenarios, avoiding the need for a formal court order on the record's disclosure.

Maddy summaryAB 81 modifies how school districts calculate state aid by excluding certain referendum-funded expenditures from "shared costs." Specifically, it removes from the calculation any debt service costs from referenda approved after the bill's effective date that authorized borrowing of at least $50 million (unless the district's equalized valuation exceeded a specific threshold). This means school districts using referendum funds for large capital projects will not see those costs reduce their state equalization aid. The bill directly affects districts that have approved significant referendum bonds for school improvements or construction.

Maddy summaryAB 370 creates standardized crime victim notification cards to help victims stay informed about court proceedings involving offenders. The bill directs the Director of State Courts to design these free cards, which victims can fill out with their contact information and details about the inmate or probationer. County courts and victim-witness offices must provide the cards to victims, who can then send completed cards to the relevant court to receive updates. The bill also protects victims' mailing addresses in court records from public inspection under state law.

Maddy summaryAB 218 limits foreign ownership of agricultural land in the state to 50 acres (down from 640 acres), affecting foreign corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and trusts with over 25% foreign ownership. It also prohibits foreign entities from owning real property within 10 miles of military installations, with limited exceptions for inheritances, treaty rights, or debt collection. The bill requires entities exceeding these limits to divest or forfeit land within 3 years, and mandates reporting for exceptions. These changes apply to land acquired after the bill’s effective date, not retroactively.

Maddy summaryAB 164 standardizes terminology across Wisconsin's unemployment insurance system, replacing "unemployment insurance" with "reemployment assistance" in state laws to align with federal programs. It creates a new Division of Reemployment Assistance within the Department of Workforce Development and clarifies responsibilities for home care workers, requiring placement agencies to inform consumers about who pays federal social security taxes, state reemployment assistance contributions, and worker compensation insurance. The bill ensures home care consumers aren't unexpectedly liable for these costs if agencies fail to provide required notices, and establishes mechanisms for recovering costs from agencies when they do. These changes primarily affect home care workers, placement agencies, and state agencies administering unemployment benefits.

Maddy summaryAB 400 proposes creating a new civil lawsuit option for minors under 18 who suffer injury during gender transition medical procedures. It directly affects minors receiving such care and the healthcare providers performing them. The bill establishes a legal cause of action allowing affected minors to seek compensation through civil court for injuries linked to these procedures. This is a substantive policy change focused on legal recourse, not on restricting medical care. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee for review after its August 2025 introduction.

Maddy summaryAB 407 requires healthcare providers performing induced abortions to report the biological sex of the fetus and any birth defects or abnormalities following the procedure. This directly affects clinics and hospitals that provide abortion services, mandating new data collection for each case. The bill establishes specific reporting requirements for these two details as part of standard medical documentation. It focuses on gathering health data without changing abortion access or procedures.