AB 39 Wisconsin Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: requiring state employees to perform their work at the offices of their employer.

AB 39 requires most Wisconsin state employees to work at their agency's office for at least 80% of their regularly scheduled work hours each month. This applies to all state agencies, including departments and boards, but excludes employees whose duties were performed off-site before March 1, 2020, and staff from the investment board. The law mandates in-office work during standard hours, with exceptions for pre-pandemic remote work patterns. It takes effect on December 31, 2025, and does not apply to legislative or judicial staff.

Issues: ✗ Labor & Employment

Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Oct 2025

Assembly Passage

Sep 2025

Senate Passage

Oct 2025

Vetoed

Oct 2025

Introduced Feb 17, 2025 Vetoed Oct 31, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Text → Text as Enrolled · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized as an enrolled act, converting the draft text into official law. The most significant substantive change is the effective date, which was moved from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, delaying the requirement for state employees to return to the office by five months. Additionally, the final text added a specific exemption for employees of the investment board, clarifying that they are not subject to the in-office work mandate.

Scope change

The scope of the mandate was slightly narrowed by explicitly excluding employees of the investment board from the requirement to work in person.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the in-office work requirement was changed from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

Employees of the investment board were added as a specific exemption group, meaning they are not required to perform work duties at the office.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for employees to work in person was clarified to apply for at least 80 percent of their regularly scheduled work hours per month.

Floor votes · Assembly Sep 11, 2025

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

Oct 31, 2025

Vetoed

Report vetoed by the Governor on 10-31-2025

lower

Oct 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Oct 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

upper

Sep 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read a third time and passed, Ayes 51, Noes 44, Paired 2

lower

Sep 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

lower

Sep 11, 2025

Introduced

Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

lower

Sep 11, 2025

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Sinicki

lower

Sep 11, 2025

Introduced

Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

lower

Sep 11, 2025

Introduced

Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Joers

lower

Sep 10, 2025

Introduced

Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Nedweski

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Committee

Referred to committee on Rules

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 6, Noes 2

lower

Feb 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced by Representatives Nedweski, Allen, Behnke, Brill, Dittrich, Green, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Maxey, Murphy, Penterman, Swearingen, Tusler and Vos; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Cabral-Guevara, Quinn, Stafsholt and Wanggaard

lower

15 primary · 0 co-sponsors