Relating to: the agricultural conservation easement purchase program and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB 840 creates new funding streams to support Wisconsin's Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, which helps farmers protect working land by restricting development. The bill allocates funds from the "working lands fund" and "capital improvement fund" to cover costs for purchasing conservation easements, with a maximum $25 million public debt limit for these purchases. It directly affects farmers who participate in the program and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which administers the easement acquisitions. The legislation modifies existing statutes to establish these funding mechanisms and streamline payments related to easement agreements.
Bill status
failed
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 15, 2026
Last action Mar 23, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
5
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 15, 2026
Introduced
Introduced by Senators Spreitzer, Smith, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, Keyeski, Larson, Pfaff, Ratcliff and Roys;
cosponsored by Representatives Brown, Anderson, Arney, Bare, Billings, Clancy, DeSanto, DeSmidt, Emerson, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Hong, Hysell, J. Jacobson, Joers, Johnson, Madison, McCarville, Miresse, Neubauer, Phelps, Roe, Sheehan, Sinicki, Stubbs, Subeck, Tenorio and Udell
upper
12 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Brad Pfaff
DDemocratic
P
Chris Larson
DDemocratic
P
Dianne Hesselbein
DDemocratic
P
Dora Drake
DDemocratic
P
Jeff Smith
DDemocratic
P
Jodi Habush Sinykin
DDemocratic
P
Kelda Roys
DDemocratic
P
Kristin Dassler-Alfheim
DDemocratic
P
Mark Spreitzer
DDemocratic
P
Melissa Ratcliff
DDemocratic
P
Sarah Keyeski
DDemocratic
P
Tim Carpenter
DDemocratic
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