Sen. André Jacque

Maddy summaryThis Senate Joint Resolution formally recognizes the life and leadership of Bob Harlan, the former president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers. The bill highlights his contributions to the franchise, including hiring key personnel, leading the team to a Super Bowl victory, and overseeing a major stadium redevelopment. It serves as a commemorative tribute rather than enacting new policy or funding. The resolution was adopted by the Wisconsin Senate but did not receive concurrence from the Assembly.

Maddy summarySB 939 prohibits operators of "companion chatbots" (AI systems designed to simulate ongoing, personalized relationships with users) from making these tools available to children under 18 without specific safety measures. It requires such chatbots to avoid encouraging self-harm, replacing professional mental health care, promoting illegal activity, sharing explicit content, prioritizing validation over safety, or optimizing engagement beyond safety features. Operators face civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation per day, and affected children or their guardians may sue for damages. The law exempts customer service bots, internal business tools, and research systems, and includes a 2027 implementation deadline.

Maddy summarySB 982 amends Wisconsin statutes to change the effective timing for state agency rules. It extends the maximum duration of emergency rules from 150 to 180 days and specifies that standard administrative rules become effective seven months after publication unless otherwise stated. These changes directly affect state agencies that create and implement regulations, requiring them to follow the new timing rules for rule adoption and enforcement. The bill focuses on clarifying procedural timelines for rulemaking without altering the substantive content of regulations.

Maddy summarySB 980 establishes a process for automatically removing expired chapters from Wisconsin's administrative code and requires agencies to conduct detailed cost assessments before renewing existing rules. It mandates that agencies prepare economic impact analyses for rule renewals, including quantified costs to businesses, local governments, and individuals, and sets a $10 million cost threshold over two years that would halt rule development. The bill directly affects state agencies (which create rules), businesses, and local governments by requiring transparency about rule costs and limiting rule renewals that exceed the cost threshold. Key provisions include automatic removal of expired rules, new analysis requirements for rule renewals, and exceptions for certain rule types like those under specific statutes.

Maddy summarySB 1000 prohibits education employers (like school boards, charter schools, and qualifying private schools) from including clauses in agreements (such as termination or severance contracts) that hide information about investigations into alleged immoral conduct by employees. It requires employers to retain such information unless findings are later deemed false or unsubstantiated. The bill also grants civil immunity to education employers who share verified information about an employee's conduct - including alleged immoral conduct - with prospective employers upon request. This protects employers from lawsuits when providing such information, while ensuring transparency about workplace conduct during employment transitions.

Maddy summarySB 1005 allows vehicle owners to purchase an annual state park pass when registering or renewing their vehicle, with fees collected added to the conservation fund. It establishes three fee tiers: standard rates, discounted rates for households with existing passes, and reduced rates for senior citizens. Vehicle registration forms will include a section for selecting the park pass option, and the Department of Transportation will share purchaser lists weekly with the Department of Natural Resources. The bill directly affects all vehicle owners in the state during registration or renewal, with fees supporting state parks, recreation areas, and forest lands. Funds collected under this bill will be deposited quarterly into the conservation fund per statute.

Maddy summarySB 952 requires state agencies to improve how they deliver services to residents and businesses by establishing new standards for accessibility, efficiency, and customer feedback. It creates a government service delivery coordinator to set guidelines for agencies, including best practices for understanding public needs and measuring satisfaction across channels like websites, phone calls, and in-person visits. Each agency must appoint a lead official to develop improvement plans, collect service data, and align changes with agency strategic goals. The bill mandates annual reports to the legislature on progress, focusing on concrete metrics like wait times and service quality.

Maddy summarySB 968 increases funding by $500,000 for the Family Foundations home visitation program in fiscal year 2026-27. This specifically expands parental education on social media's effects on children and healthy social media practices within the existing home visitation program. The bill directly affects parents participating in the program and their children, through enhanced educational resources provided during home visits. It makes a concrete policy change by appropriating additional state funds to support this targeted educational component.

Maddy summarySB 955 allocates an additional $400,000 annually for the Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children unit, covering fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. This funding increase supports existing law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute online crimes targeting children. The bill does not create new laws or policies but provides specific budgetary resources for current operations.

Maddy summarySB 999 establishes rules for licensees (like educators) under investigation for unprofessional conduct. It requires licensees to surrender licenses permanently to end investigations, bars the state from reinstating surrendered licenses during such probes, and mandates public posting of surrender details online. The bill prohibits agreements that hide investigation records or suppress findings, and requires the department to release related records within 14 days of a public request. These provisions aim to increase transparency and prevent licensees from avoiding accountability through voluntary surrender.