Relating to: challenges to the validity of administrative rules and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB 276 changes how legal fees are handled when courts invalidate agency rules. It requires courts to award reasonable attorney fees and costs to parties successfully challenging administrative rules or guidance documents, provided the challenge is based on constitutional violations, exceeding statutory authority, or improper rule-making procedures. These fees and costs must be paid from specific state appropriations outlined in statutes (20.865 (1) (a), (g), or (q)), not from general funds. The bill directly affects individuals or organizations challenging agency rules and state agencies responsible for paying these costs.
Bill status
vetoed
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Assembly Passage
Feb 2026
Vetoed
Mar 2026
Introduced May 21, 2025
Vetoed Mar 20, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill Text
→
Text as Enrolled
·
2 edits
MINOR
The bill was converted from a draft proposal to its final enacted form. The substantive policy content remains focused on requiring courts to award attorney fees and costs to parties who successfully challenge the validity of administrative rules. The final text consolidates the provisions into a single section rather than splitting them across multiple sections, but the legal effect is unchanged.
Scope change
The scope of the bill's applicability remains the same, covering judicial reviews of administrative rules and guidance documents.
TECHNICAL
The bill structure was simplified by combining multiple sections into one, removing the separate sections for different statute amendments and the initial applicability clause.
The header information was updated to reflect the final enacted status, including the official act title and date of enactment, replacing the draft bill metadata.
Floor votes · Assembly Feb 12, 2026
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
41
Key actions
5
Committee
3
Amendments
2
Mar 20, 2026
Vetoed
Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 53, Noes 45
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 18, Noes 15
upper
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Introduced
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wimberger
upper
Feb 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4
upper
Jan 30, 2026
Committee
Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)
upper
Nov 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Report passage recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
May 21, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Senators Wimberger, Bradley, Cabral-Guevara, Feyen, Hutton, Nass, Stafsholt and Tomczyk;
cosponsored by Representatives Tusler, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, Neylon, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Rodriguez, Steffen, Tittl, Tranel, Wichgers and Wittke
upper
8 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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