Sen. Tim Carpenter

Maddy summarySB 741 creates a new food waste reduction grant program funded with $100,000 annually for 2025-26 and 2026-27. It directs the Department of Agriculture to provide grants for pilot projects focused on preventing food waste, redirecting surplus food to hunger relief organizations, and composting food waste. The program prioritizes projects in census tracts with below-average median income and no grocery stores. The bill also requires the department to establish administrative rules for the grant program. This directly affects organizations implementing food waste reduction initiatives, particularly in underserved communities.

Maddy summarySB 745 allows individuals with active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status to obtain professional licenses and certifications in the state, such as for healthcare or trades, regardless of citizenship. It directly affects DACA recipients who hold unexpired federal work authorization documents. The bill requires state licensing agencies to verify this federal work authorization through official DHS systems before issuing or renewing a license, and licenses expire when the federal work authorization does. Fees may only increase to cover the cost of federal verification, and the bill explicitly states it does not grant eligibility for other public benefits.

Maddy summarySB 777 removes a state statute (66.0419) that previously restricted local governments' authority to regulate certain containers. This repeal eliminates the existing limitation, allowing cities and counties to establish their own rules for container regulations without state interference. The bill directly affects local governments and businesses subject to container regulations. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as required.)

Maddy summarySB 690 prohibits local governments from using eminent domain (condemnation) to acquire land specifically for recreational trails, bicycle ways, bicycle lanes, or pedestrian paths. The bill amends multiple statutes governing land acquisition for parks and recreation, explicitly adding that condemnation authority cannot be used for these trail-related purposes. This affects counties, cities, and park authorities that previously could use condemnation for such projects under existing laws. The key change is a clear restriction on eminent domain use for trail development, not a ban on trails themselves.

Maddy summarySB 694 establishes a Shared Revenue Advisory Council to study and recommend improvements to how state aid is distributed to counties and municipalities. The council, composed of legislative leaders, municipal/town/county association representatives, and the revenue secretary, will analyze population, property value, and revenue data to evaluate current aid formulas. It requires the council to recommend a new distribution formula for 2027 and beyond that maintains or increases aid for all jurisdictions, while accounting for population changes and property value declines. The bill also sets a baseline funding level of $16,257,500 for supplemental aid in fiscal year 2026-27, with annual adjustments based on tax revenue changes.

Maddy summarySB 770 establishes two new grant programs: a $200,000 annual Farm to Fork grant for businesses, hospitals, and other non-school entities to connect local farms with cafeterias, and a $250,000 annual Farm to School grant for school districts. The Farm to School grants prioritize proposals from high-poverty school districts (where many students qualify for free/reduced meals) and support initiatives like expanding local food procurement, facility upgrades, and nutrition education. Both programs require the Agriculture Department to award grants with preferences for innovative models, value-added agricultural products (like processed local foods), and projects improving farm access to markets. The bill also adds administrative funding for the department to manage these programs.

Maddy summarySB 762 creates a state grant program to fund testing and mapping of privately owned wells to assess groundwater quality and contamination. It provides up to $10,000 per grant to counties, cities, villages, or towns for well testing and geologic studies, and up to $10,000 to health departments for public education on well testing. The bill requires grant recipients to submit anonymized testing results to the Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, while directing municipalities to inform residents about well testing importance. The program is funded with $2.5 million annually from the environmental fund, with rule-making authority granted to the Department of Natural Resources.

Maddy summarySB 752 creates a Wisconsin program that automatically deposits $25 into college savings accounts for children born in Wisconsin whose parents resided here at birth, provided they're under age 10. The state uses birth record data to identify eligible children, allowing parents to opt out within 30 days. Annual deposits are capped at $2 million, and the program excludes children from safe haven births, adoption records, or "do not contact" flags. This expands the existing college savings program by adding state contributions without requiring new family contributions.

Maddy summarySB 753 redirects $2 million annually from the college savings program trust fund to the Department of Financial Institutions. It authorizes the department to deposit funds into college savings accounts for children born or adopted in the state, residing there, and designated as beneficiaries under existing law (s. 224.50). The bill adds one full-time position to administer these deposits and provides specific funding increases: $446,900 for 2025-26 implementation and $317,900 for 2026-27 ongoing operations. All funds must cover qualified higher education expenses for the children in these accounts.

Maddy summarySB 67 creates a state reimbursement program for schools providing universal free meals to all students. It directly affects public schools, charter schools, private schools, tribal schools, and residential care centers participating in federal meal programs. The bill establishes a 15-cent-per-breakfast reimbursement rate from state funds (using existing appropriations) for schools meeting federal meal requirements, while matching federal reimbursement rates for lunches. It repeals the previous school meal reimbursement statute (115.341) and requires schools to serve free meals to all students without cost during school days. Payments begin for meals served in the 2025-26 school year, with reimbursements calculated based on federal rates and prorated by meal counts.