Sen. Dianne Hesselbein

Maddy summarySB 348 requires school districts to provide training for staff on addressing student mental health, directly affecting public schools and their employees. The bill adds $500,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $500,000 for 2026-27 to the state’s existing budget for the Department of Public Instruction to fund these training programs. This funding is specifically designated to support mental health training initiatives in schools, with no changes to existing curriculum requirements. The bill takes effect after the 2025 biennial budget is published.

Maddy summarySB 516 requires the state group insurance board to study the potential costs and savings for Wisconsin school districts and current health insurance plan participants if school districts were either required to join or could voluntarily join a state-offered group health insurance plan. The bill allocates $300,000 for these actuarial studies, which must be completed within six months and reported to the governor and legislature. It does not change current participation rules but examines two scenarios: mandatory statewide enrollment versus voluntary participation. The study will specifically analyze financial impacts on school districts and existing plan members. This bill is procedural, focusing solely on gathering data before any policy decisions.

Maddy summarySJR 78 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley upon her retirement from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The resolution formally expresses the Wisconsin Legislature's appreciation for her decades of service, including her historic role as the first woman elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1995) and her leadership as Chief Justice (2025). It recognizes her career milestones, community involvement, and global work advancing gender and human rights through judicial organizations. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic tribute to her service.

Maddy summarySB 433 creates a new $60 million annual grant program for local governments to fund traffic calming infrastructure projects. It directly affects counties, cities, villages, towns, and federally recognized tribes by providing funding for projects designed to slow vehicle speeds, such as speed bumps or road redesigns. Projects must align with the federal transportation alternatives program and be administered by the state Department of Transportation. The bill establishes a formal grant process with application requirements and evaluation criteria, but does not change existing traffic laws or require local matching funds.

Maddy summarySB 429 prohibits most people from possessing a firearm on the grounds of a university or college, including buildings and land owned or leased by the institution. It designates this as a Class A misdemeanor, with specific exceptions for law enforcement officers, military personnel on duty, individuals leasing residential or business space on campus, and those using firearms for approved programs. The bill creates the first dedicated prohibition for campus firearm possession, replacing a previous exemption under unrelated statutes. This change directly affects students, staff, and visitors on campus who are not exempt, with violations treated as serious offenses under criminal law.

Maddy summarySB 12 creates a sales and use tax exemption for gun safes and firearm safety devices. The bill defines qualifying items as locked containers (using combinations, keys, or biometrics) designed solely for secure storage - not display cases - and safety devices preventing unauthorized firearm access. It clarifies that firearms sold with safety devices already installed are taxed as firearms, not as safety devices. This exemption applies directly to consumers purchasing these specific storage or safety products.

Maddy summarySB 581 amends Wisconsin statutes to clarify and strengthen shared governance roles for faculty, academic staff, and students at University of Wisconsin System institutions. The bill gives faculty primary responsibility for advising on academic matters and requires STEM representation in faculty governance structures. Academic staff gain defined roles in shaping policies affecting their work, while students gain formal input on student life policies and control over fees supporting campus activities. These changes directly affect all faculty, academic staff, and students across UW System campuses by defining their specific participatory roles in institutional decision-making.

Maddy summarySB 565 amends Wisconsin law to explicitly prohibit private schools participating in parental choice or scholarship programs (like the Special Needs Scholarship Program) from discriminating against students based on gender identity or gender expression. It specifically requires these schools, which may limit admission by sex, to admit students whose gender identity aligns with the sex they limit to. The bill adds a $1,000 penalty for school officials who intentionally violate these anti-discrimination rules and updates reporting requirements for school compliance. This directly affects students seeking enrollment in participating private schools and mandates new policies for school boards and governing bodies.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Wisconsin's school funding formulas by increasing state appropriations by $493.8 million for the 2025-26 school year and $699.9 million for 2026-27. It adjusts per-pupil revenue limits to add $325 for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, and establishes a new supplemental hold harmless aid provision to prevent school districts from receiving less state aid than calculated in the 2024-25 school year. These changes directly affect all public school districts in Wisconsin that receive state educational funding. The bill replaces previous funding mechanisms with updated formulas while maintaining specific financial adjustments for affected school years.

Maddy summarySB 368 requires individuals residing with children or knowing children will be present in their home to store firearms in a securely locked container, locked location, or with a trigger lock engaged. It directly affects households with children, including parents and guardians. Violations are classified as a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class I felony for subsequent offenses. The bill also adds provisions allowing district attorneys to consider parental impact in prosecution decisions and delays arrests for 7 days if a child is injured or dies in an accidental shooting.