Rep. Barbara Dittrich

Maddy summaryAB 560 prohibits municipalities from using physical drop boxes or other physical receptacles to collect voted absentee ballots in any election. Instead, the bill requires all absentee ballots to be returned exclusively by mail. This directly affects local governments that currently operate drop boxes for voter convenience. The law would eliminate a common method for returning absentee ballots, requiring voters to mail their completed ballots instead.

Maddy summaryAB 630 requires sex offenders on parole or extended supervision who cannot provide a stable address to notify the state department within 24 hours of losing that ability. If they cannot provide an address, the state department must use passive positioning tracking (like GPS) to monitor their location. This applies specifically to individuals under supervision who are unable to meet standard address reporting requirements under existing law. The bill updates registration rules to ensure continuous oversight when address information is unavailable.

Maddy summaryAB 623 updates insurance licensing and fee requirements for intermediaries and navigators. It requires these professionals to provide Social Security numbers or federal employer identification numbers when paying annual fees, with special forms for those without SSNs. The bill also adds new grounds for license revocation, including failure to pay child support, delinquent taxes, or unemployment insurance contributions. These changes directly affect insurance agents, brokers, and navigators who interact with the state's insurance commissioner. The bill modifies existing statutes to clarify administrative procedures and licensing consequences.

Maddy summaryAB 625 requires state agencies to withhold 10-50% of certain homelessness program grants for at least 9 months. Service providers receiving these grants must demonstrate improved outcomes - like increased housing retention, job placement, or reduced homelessness returns - compared to a base year to receive the withheld funds. The bill mandates detailed reporting on program data and client outcomes, including housing stability metrics and demographic information. It directly affects organizations funded through specific homelessness grant programs under state statutes.

Maddy summaryAB 627 modifies licensing fees for animal-related businesses in Wisconsin. It creates three new market license classes: Class A ($420 annual fee) for markets selling livestock and wild animals, Class B ($220) for livestock-only sales with limited auctions, and Class E ($280) for equine-only sales (no wild animals or non-equine livestock). The bill also establishes a $20 annual fee for each animal transport vehicle and clarifies a $150 reinspection fee for violations. These changes directly affect animal market operators, dealers, truckers, and transport vehicle owners by adjusting their required annual fees and reinspection costs.

Maddy summaryAB 624 increases penalties for distributing methamphetamine or similar drugs near homeless shelters. If someone distributes these substances within 1,000 feet of a homeless shelter (and knows or should know the location), the maximum prison sentence for that offense rises by 5 years. The bill defines "near a homeless shelter" as being on or within 1,000 feet of the shelter premises, including when the shelter is readily recognizable. This directly affects individuals convicted of drug distribution offenses in these specific locations. The policy change modifies existing sentencing rules without altering the core definition of drug offenses.

Maddy summaryAB 327 increases the empty weight limit for utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) from 3,000 pounds to 3,500 pounds under Wisconsin law. This change directly affects UTV operators and manufacturers by expanding the regulatory threshold for vehicles classified as UTVs (excluding golf carts, dune buggies, and tracked vehicles). The bill amends two sections of statutes to reflect this updated weight limit, which applies to vehicles originally manufactured with that weight capacity and designed primarily for off-highway use. The bill passed committee recommendations in November 2025 and is currently pending further legislative action.

Maddy summaryAB 126 amends Wisconsin vehicle safety rules to allow school buses to have two additional back-up lamps - one mounted on each side of the bus - specifically designed to illuminate the rear wheels when the bus is backing up. This change directly affects school bus manufacturers, operators, and school districts that maintain school bus fleets. The bill adds a new provision (347.26(4)(am)) to the statutes, permitting these side-mounted lamps to project white or amber light, while existing limits on standard back-up lamps (max two, illuminating up to 75 feet rearward) remain unchanged for other vehicles. The law updates safety requirements for school buses to improve visibility during backing maneuvers without altering general vehicle lamp regulations.

Maddy summaryAB 546 redefines "abortion" in state statutes to exclude specific medical procedures performed to save a pregnant woman's life when doctors make reasonable efforts to preserve both the mother's and unborn child's life. It clarifies that procedures like emergency cesareans, early inductions, or removal of dead embryos/fetuses - especially during ectopic, anembryonic, or molar pregnancies - do not count as abortion. The bill creates consistent definitions across multiple statutes (including 20.927, 48.375, and 69.01) to ensure these medical exceptions apply uniformly. It directly affects healthcare providers by clarifying legal boundaries for life-saving treatments during complex pregnancies. The bill does not restrict access to these procedures but explicitly defines them as non-abortion under the law.

Maddy summaryAB 301 creates a new grant program providing up to $300,000 annually for mental health clubhouses - nonresidential support programs for individuals with mental health conditions (not medical treatment providers). Eligible clubhouses must meet specific criteria, including having members diagnosed with or awaiting diagnosis for mental illness, raising matching funds equal to the grant amount, operating in a separate physical space, and allowing member participation in operations. Grants are capped at $50,000 per clubhouse per year, with all funding expiring by June 30, 2030. This bill directly affects qualified clubhouses seeking financial support to maintain their services.