Sen. Chris Larson

Maddy summarySB 931 allows student identification cards issued by accredited Wisconsin universities, colleges, or technical colleges to be used as valid voter ID. The bill requires these cards to include the cardholder's signature, date of issuance, and an expiration date no later than two years after issuance. If a card is expired, voters must prove current student enrollment at the time of voting. This applies to all University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, which must issue qualifying IDs by August 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 933 requires social media platforms serving users in this state to display a clear mental health warning each time a user accesses the platform. The warning must note potential negative mental health effects and provide access to crisis resources like the 988 suicide hotline. Platforms cannot hide the warning, make it less visible, or disable it except under specified conditions. Violations could result in fines up to $5,000 per incident or lawsuits by affected users seeking damages or injunctions.

Maddy summarySB 1080 removes state-imposed limits on how cities and counties can regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb) of residential properties. It repeals specific sections of law that previously restricted local governments from setting their own rules about the number of days a residential dwelling can be rented out annually. This change directly affects local governments (cities, towns, counties), property owners who rent short-term, and renters by allowing communities to develop their own regulatory frameworks without state caps. The bill focuses on updating statutory language to eliminate existing restrictions, not creating new programs or financial impacts.

Maddy summarySB 1083 expands the existing indoor smoking ban to include electronic delivery devices (like e-cigarettes, vape pens, and e-hookahs) used for vaping nicotine, cannabis, or other substances. The bill defines "electronic delivery device" broadly to cover all such products except FDA-approved nicotine products. It also amends the definition of "smoking" to explicitly include using activated vaping devices in indoor public spaces. This affects businesses operating in indoor areas (e.g., restaurants, offices) and individuals using these devices indoors, bringing them under the same indoor ban rules that currently apply to traditional tobacco products.

Maddy summarySB 1081 bans vaping on all public and private school property, including playgrounds, athletic fields, and other areas regularly used by students. It defines "vaping" as inhaling vapor from any electronic smoking device (like e-cigarettes or vape pens) and covers all school grounds owned, rented, or controlled by school boards, charter schools, or private schools. The law prohibits vaping but allows schools or local governments to adopt stricter rules if desired. This directly affects students, staff, and visitors on school property across all public and private K-12 institutions in the state.

Maddy summarySB 1082 allocates $2 million for a public health campaign to prevent youth tobacco and e-cigarette use, along with grants to local organizations providing youth vaping prevention and cessation services. The bill creates a new funding mechanism under the Department of Health, requiring annual reports to the legislature detailing grant recipients and purposes starting in 2027. It directly affects youth (by targeting prevention) and community organizations working on vaping issues (through grant funding). The key change is increasing the Department of Health's existing appropriation by $2 million for these specific public health efforts.

Maddy summarySB 804 prohibits government funding for investigations into pregnancy outcomes (such as miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion) when the person experiencing the outcome is the alleged crime suspect. It bans law enforcement from treating pregnancy outcomes as criminal matters and requires consent before investigating cases where a crime relates to another person's pregnancy. The bill also exempts women from civil or criminal liability for their own pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage or abortion, and clarifies that legal definitions of "corpse" do not apply to fetal tissue from non-live births. These provisions directly affect women experiencing pregnancy outcomes and law enforcement agencies handling such cases.

Maddy summarySB 807 creates a new Office of the Public Affairs Network within Wisconsin's Department of Administration to provide live, unedited online coverage of state government proceedings. The office must stream real-time video and audio of legislative sessions, court hearings, agency meetings, and related public events, while maintaining permanent online archives accessible without registration or fees. It allocates $2 million biennially for operations and transitions WisconsinEye's existing digital archives and equipment to the state. The bill establishes a board with gubernatorial, legislative, and public members to oversee the network's nonpartisan operation.

Maddy summarySB 854 creates a new funding line to support county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties with approved land and water resource management plans, requiring them to request funding for climate-focused personnel in annual grant applications. The bill adds a specific appropriation of $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year under statute 20.115(7)(f) for "soil and water management; climate change personnel." This establishes a dedicated funding mechanism for counties to hire or retain staff addressing climate impacts, separate from existing conservation program funding.

Maddy summarySB 857 establishes the Energy Innovation Grant Program, allocating $10 million annually for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. The program is administered by the Office of Energy Innovation within the Public Service Commission to fund energy innovation projects. It creates new statutory references (20.155(3)(e) and 196.379) to formalize the grant program and its funding structure. This bill directly affects the Public Service Commission and its Office of Energy Innovation by providing dedicated funding for energy-related grants. The program does not specify eligible projects or recipients, only creating the funding mechanism and administrative structure.