SB 420 Wisconsin Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: prohibiting rights of nature ordinances. (FE)

SB 420 prohibits cities, towns, villages, and counties from enacting "rights of nature ordinances," which are local laws granting legal rights to natural resources (like rivers or forests) to exist, be protected from pollution, or maintain healthy ecosystems. The bill directly affects local governments that might consider such ordinances. It creates a new statute (66.0132) explicitly banning these ordinances without providing exceptions. The law is purely procedural, preventing local governments from passing this specific type of ordinance.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Assembly Passage
Feb 2026
Vetoed
Mar 2026
Introduced Sep 4, 2025 Vetoed Mar 20, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Text Text as Enrolled · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was converted from a draft introduction format to the final 'Text as Enrolled' version, which is the official legal text signed into law. The substantive policy content remains identical: it prohibits any city, village, town, or county in Wisconsin from passing 'rights of nature ordinances' that grant legal rights to natural resources.
TECHNICAL

Removed draft metadata, committee referral notes, and legislative analysis summaries that were present in the original bill text but are not part of the final law.

Added website navigation links, menu structures, and browser compatibility warnings typical of a digital legislative database view.

Changed the header from '2025 SENATE BILL 420' to 'Wisconsin Legislature: SB420: Text as Enrolled' to reflect the bill's final status.

Floor votes · Assembly Feb 19, 2026

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
27
Key actions
3
Committee
2
Mar 20, 2026
Vetoed
Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 54, Noes 41
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
Referred to committee on Rules
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 19, Noes 14
upper
Jan 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
Sep 4, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Senators Nass and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Goeben, Brill, Moses, Gustafson, Murphy, Behnke, Nedweski and Wichgers
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors