AB 248 Wisconsin Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: vacancies in appointive state offices.

AB 248 creates a new statutory section (17.03(10m)) clarifying how vacancies are handled in appointive state offices with fixed terms. It defines "appointive state office" to include positions in state departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and authorities (but excludes the legislature and courts). The bill specifies that when an appointee's fixed term expires, the vacancy is filled under existing procedures - without changing current rules. This is a procedural clarification, not a policy change, affecting state government appointees but not altering how vacancies are currently managed.

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Assembly Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Vetoed

Apr 2026

Introduced May 8, 2025 Vetoed Apr 3, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Text → Text as Enrolled · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was converted from a raw draft format to a finalized 'Text as Enrolled' version, which includes the full legal text ready for signing. The most significant substantive addition is a new Section 2 establishing that the law's first application will be to state officers appointed on January 1, 2027, ensuring the new vacancy rules take effect for the next appointment cycle.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by adding a specific timeline for applicability, setting the effective date for the new vacancy rules to January 1, 2027.

TIMELINE

Added Section 2, which specifies that the act first applies to state officers appointed on January 1, 2027.

TECHNICAL

Converted the text from a draft bill format to the official 'Text as Enrolled' format, including the full statutory language and removing metadata headers.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 3, 2026

Vetoed

Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026

lower

Mar 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 17, Noes 16

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

Point of order that Senate Substitute Amendment 1 was not germane well taken

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced

Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senators Larson, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer and Wirch

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report concurrence by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 2, Noes 3

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read a third time and passed

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 adopted

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 offered by Representative Allen

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Snodgrass

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Neubauer

lower

Jan 15, 2026

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Bare

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Placed on calendar 1-15-2026 by Committee on Rules

lower

Nov 20, 2025

Committee

Referred to committee on Rules

lower

Nov 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3

lower

May 8, 2025

Introduced

Introduced by Representatives Allen, Maxey, Behnke, Brill, Brooks, Goeben, Green, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Steffen and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Bradley, Quinn, Cabral-Guevara, Feyen, Marklein and Nass

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors