Rep. Pat Snyder

Maddy summaryAJR 142 is a Wisconsin legislative resolution celebrating Scouting America's 115th anniversary. It expresses the legislature's support for Scouting America's values and community contributions, including its emphasis on character development and volunteerism, but does not create new laws or funding. The resolution encourages Wisconsin citizens and organizations to recognize Scouting America's role in youth development and community service. It is purely symbolic, with no policy changes or direct effects on individuals or programs.

Maddy summaryAB 832 requires schools to implement human trafficking and sextortion prevention education in health classes for students in grades 6-8 and 9-12 starting in the 2026-27 school year. It mandates that teachers receive training to identify children at risk of trafficking (under s. 948.051) or sextortion - defined as threatening to release explicit content unless victims send money or more content. The bill directs the Department of Children and Families and Department of Justice to create a list of age-appropriate training courses for educators. This affects all public school districts, teachers, and students in the specified grade ranges, with curriculum content aligned to the recommended training courses. The law takes effect for the 2026-27 school year.

Maddy summaryAB 840 regulates data centers in the state by requiring specific operational and environmental standards. It mandates that data centers use closed-loop cooling systems (recycling water instead of using fresh water) and report annual water usage to the department. The bill also requires renewable energy facilities serving data centers to be located on-site and prohibits utility customers from paying for data center infrastructure costs. Additionally, operators must provide financial bonds for construction and restore land if projects are abandoned. These provisions directly affect all data center operators and developers in the state.

Maddy summaryAB 971 creates a state program to reimburse community paramedics and community emergency medical services practitioners for tuition and materials costs incurred in completing approved training programs. It covers individuals who paid for their own training or employers who paid for their employees' training. To qualify, applicants must complete a state-approved training program and receive department approval. Reimbursement requires applying through the state board and meeting specific training completion criteria.

Maddy summaryAB 970 allocates $600,000 in state funding for two programs: (1) grants to six municipal emergency medical services programs (prioritizing two rural, two suburban, and two urban programs) to hire full-time community paramedics or practitioners, and (2) $200,000 annually for the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging to run statewide falls prevention initiatives. The bill creates a pilot program requiring grantees to report on cost savings and service impact within one year. It directly affects local EMS providers and aging services organizations by funding community-based health support. The funding is appropriated for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, with a 12-month deadline for grant awards.

Maddy summaryAB 972 allows banks and credit unions to refuse or delay specific financial transactions and decline to accept a power of attorney for vulnerable adults when they reasonably suspect financial exploitation. Financial institutions must report suspected exploitation to adult-at-risk agencies and notify authorized account holders (excluding suspected perpetrators), while maintaining legal immunity for good-faith actions. This law directly affects vulnerable adults (elderly or disabled individuals at risk of exploitation), financial institutions, and the agencies that handle exploitation reports. It creates clear procedures for institutions to act preventively without facing liability, focusing on concrete safeguards rather than new penalties or funding.

Maddy summaryAB 973 allocates $1 million for fiscal year 2025-26 to fund economic support specialist positions in county resource centers. The Department of Health Services will award grants to 10 counties, prioritizing 2 rural, 2 suburban, and 2 urban counties for the first six grants, with up to four additional grants possible. Each grant funds one specialist position to assist individuals in resource centers, requiring grantees to submit annual effectiveness reports. The bill creates a new funding mechanism (20.435(7)(f)) to replace an existing section, with the appropriation effective immediately and the repeal of the old section taking effect July 1, 2027. This is a funding bill focused on resource center staffing, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryAB 974 establishes a permanent "public affairs network fund" to provide annual grants to WisconsinEye, the public affairs network broadcasting state government proceedings. The bill creates a new trust fund using state appropriations, donations, and interest earnings, which will fund WisconsinEye’s operating costs for live broadcasts, civic events, and free online archives of unedited government proceedings. WisconsinEye must meet specific requirements, including appointing legislative designees to its board, focusing coverage on official government business, and providing continuous free public access to broadcasts and archives. If WisconsinEye ceases operations, it must repay all grant funds to the state and transfer its archives to the state historical society.

Maddy summaryAB 716 requires the state to direct at least 5% of spending on architectural and engineering services to woman-owned businesses certified under existing state law. It defines "woman-owned business" as one certified by the Department of Administration under Section 16.285. The bill mandates annual reports tracking state spending with woman-owned businesses, disabled veteran-owned businesses, and other certified firms, including the percentage of total spending they receive. This policy directly affects state procurement contracts for architectural and engineering services, aiming to increase contracting with certified woman-owned businesses. The law sets a specific spending target (5%) for these contracts while requiring transparency through annual reporting.

Maddy summaryAB 710 expands Wisconsin's child care subsidy program (Wisconsin Shares) to include tribal-regulated child care providers operating under tribal authority in Indian country. It creates a new eligibility category for providers who meet federal child care standards, have a tribal regulatory attestation, and have an agreement with the state. This change allows families to choose these tribal providers when accessing state-funded child care assistance, directly affecting tribal child care programs and families seeking subsidized care. The bill modifies existing statutes to ensure these providers can receive state payments under the same terms as other licensed providers.