Sen. Kelda Roys

Maddy summarySB 708 requires state prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, and county jails to provide inmates and juveniles with free telecommunications access, including at least 180 minutes of weekly phone calls, 60 minutes of video calls, and 100 text messages. It creates new funding lines ($4.46 million for adult facilities, $517,500 for juvenile facilities in 2025-26) to cover these services and mandates centralized contracting to reduce costs. Counties must either join the state’s contracted telecom provider or submit detailed reports and cost data to the legislature. The bill prohibits charging inmates for basic service access and ensures facilities maintain existing service levels while allowing additional access if possible.

Maddy summarySB 715 requires state correctional institutions and county jails to maintain indoor temperatures between 68°F and 76°F year-round in all housing units. It mandates detailed temperature logging during extreme weather (below 10°F or above 90°F) and annual reporting of temperature data to the legislature. The bill appropriates $65 million for installing and operating HVAC systems, with phased implementation across state facilities by 2029, 2031, and 2035. It directly affects all state prisons and county correctional facilities by establishing enforceable climate control standards and funding their compliance.

Maddy summarySB 724 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to provide inmates with minimum weekly hours of recreational activities and structured programming, based on staffing levels. For state facilities, inmates must get at least 35 hours weekly (5 hours daily) if staffing is ≥80% (including 7 hours recreation and 14 hours structured programming), or 21 hours if staffing is lower. County jails must provide 10 hours weekly starting day 31 of confinement, increasing to 35 or 21 hours after day 90 based on staffing. The law prioritizes academic, vocational, reentry planning, and wellness programs, with exceptions for lockdowns (max 10 days). It directly affects all inmates in state prisons and county detention facilities.

Maddy summarySB 726 requires the Department of Corrections to create an interactive website system that updates complaint data from state correctional facilities every 72 hours. The system must show the total number of annual complaints per facility and display all complaint details broken down by type (without personal information), making it searchable by category. The bill appropriates $70,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $30,000 for 2026-27 to establish and operate this reporting system. This directly affects state correctional institutions by mandating transparent, real-time public reporting of inmate and staff complaints.

Maddy summarySB 720 increases funding to hire three additional full-time caretaker positions at the state's three veterans cemeteries. The bill allocates $131,800 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $170,800 for fiscal year 2026-27 under the Department of Veterans Affairs budget. These positions will directly support the maintenance and care of veterans cemeteries, addressing staffing needs for cemetery operations. The measure makes a concrete budget adjustment without altering eligibility or benefits for veterans.

Maddy summarySB 686 designates the Wisconsin natural pearl as the official state gem. The bill amends Wisconsin statutes to add a new section (1.10 (3) (w)) stating this designation and updates another section (1.10 (4)) to include "gem" in the list of state symbols required for the Wisconsin Blue Book. This is a ceremonial bill with no policy changes or direct impact on citizens or government programs. It simply adds the pearl to the state's official list of symbols, which will be reflected in the Blue Book.

Maddy summarySB 721 adds a specific eligibility category for military funeral honors reimbursement: individuals naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000 who were residing in the state at the time of their death. The bill establishes that certified veterans' organizations providing military funeral honors for these individuals are eligible for reimbursement of up to $85 per funeral, adjusted annually based on the U.S. consumer price index. This directly affects Hmong veterans who gained U.S. citizenship through the 2000 federal law and their families. The reimbursement rate replaces the previous $50 limit and ensures annual updates to match inflation. The bill modifies existing statutes to clarify this eligibility and funding mechanism.

Maddy summarySB 754 reorganizes how regional transit authorities manage tax revenues. It requires 1.5% of collected transit taxes to fund administrative operations through a new state account, clarifying fund allocation. The bill updates multiple statutes to explicitly include "transit authority" in definitions for entities like housing authorities, redevelopment boards, and local cultural arts districts. This affects all regional transit authorities that impose local taxes under Chapter 77. The changes clarify funding pathways without creating new taxes or services.

Maddy summarySB 758 restricts how social media platforms handle users under 18 in the state, directly affecting platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook that allow minors to create profiles. The bill prohibits platforms from collecting or using minors' data for personalized content recommendations, algorithmic prioritization, or targeted advertising, while requiring age verification through approved methods. Platforms must also stop showing targeted ads to minors and may only use limited data for account maintenance. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation, enforced by the state department of justice or affected individuals.

Maddy summarySB 744 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to create two new systems: (1) a notification system allowing inmates to designate up to three family members to receive automatic alerts within 24 hours if they face restrictions affecting visits or communication; and (2) a public website reporting system updated every 48 hours, detailing current restrictions, solitary confinement numbers, reasons for solitary confinement, and total inmate populations at all facilities. The bill mandates that sheriffs submit weekly data to the state department to populate the public reporting system, with the system becoming operational by the 7th month after enactment. It appropriates $780,000 for the notification system in fiscal year 2025-26 and $94,200 for staff to support implementation. This directly affects inmates, their families, and the public by increasing transparency around facility restrictions and solitary confinement practices.