Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 493: Relating to: prohibitions concerning state or local government assistance with federal immigration enforcement.

SB 493 prohibits state and local government agencies, including law enforcement, from detaining individuals solely because they are not lawfully present in the United States. The bill also bans state and local entities from entering into or continuing agreements with the federal government for immigration enforcement under 8 USC 1357(g). However, it does not prevent cooperation with federal authorities when required by a valid judicial warrant. This law directly affects all state agencies and local governmental units in the state.

Topics ✓ Immigration

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 3: Relating to: requiring local approval for certain wind and solar projects before Public Service Commission approval.

SB 3 requires local governments to approve certain wind and solar energy projects before the Public Service Commission can review them. This directly affects renewable energy developers seeking to build projects and local municipalities responsible for granting permits. The bill creates a new step where community-level approval must be secured prior to state-level review by the Public Service Commission. This changes the current process by adding a mandatory local consent requirement before state agencies can act on these projects.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 444: Relating to: prohibitions concerning use of state and local facilities to detain individuals on the basis of immigration status.

AB 444 prohibits state agencies, local governments, and county sheriffs from using public facilities (including jails) to detain people solely based on immigration status. It also bans state or local funding for immigrant detention facilities. The bill directly affects all state and local entities that operate facilities or manage public funds, preventing them from participating in immigration enforcement through detention or financial support. The law creates a clear legal barrier to state involvement in immigration detention systems, effective upon enactment.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Immigration

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 206: Relating to: voidable provisions in residential rental agreements and the application of the Wisconsin Consumer Act to leases. (FE)

SB 206 makes certain terms in Wisconsin residential rental agreements void and unenforceable if they violate specific protections. It directly affects tenants and landlords by prohibiting clauses that allow retaliation for contacting services (e.g., law enforcement or health services), termination due to a tenant being a crime victim, or termination without required notice for crimes on property. Tenants can choose to void their entire lease or sever only the prohibited clause, with remedies including a periodic tenancy (renewable month-to-month) and double damages for financial losses caused by prohibited terms. The bill specifically targets provisions under sections 704.44(1m) to (10) of Wisconsin statutes, creating clear legal pathways for tenants to challenge unfair lease terms.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 7: Relating to: requiring local approval for certain wind and solar projects before Public Service Commission approval.

AB 7 requires local governments (cities, villages, or towns) to approve large-scale wind and solar projects (15 megawatts or more) before the Public Service Commission can approve them. Developers must seek municipal approval, which must be granted or denied within 90 days (with possible 90-day extensions for specific reasons). If a municipality fails to act within the deadline, the project is automatically approved. This bill directly affects renewable energy developers and local governments, shifting approval authority to municipalities for qualifying projects.

Topics ✗ Energy ✓ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 206: Relating to: the procedure for adding federal newborn screening recommendations to the state-required newborn screenings, granting rule-making authority, and providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures. (FE)

AB 206 establishes a process for Wisconsin to add federal newborn screening recommendations to its state-required screening list. It requires the Department of Health Services to evaluate new federal recommendations within 18 months and begin rulemaking to add disorders to the screening list if deemed appropriate. The bill also mandates annual reviews of disorders not included in current screenings to assess new medical evidence and departmental capacity, with a 6-month timeline for implementing new screenings after rules are finalized. This streamlines rulemaking by exempting the department from standard emergency rule procedures, ensuring timely updates to newborn screening protocols without delaying public health protections. The bill directly affects newborns in Wisconsin by determining which genetic disorders are screened for at birth.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 180: Relating to: modifications to housing programs under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. (FE)

SB 180 modifies Wisconsin's housing programs under the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). It allows WHEDA to offer loans with interest rates at or below market rate minus 1% (or no interest) and requires newly constructed workforce or senior housing to remain affordable for 10 years after initial occupancy. For owner-occupied homes, it restricts resale prices to the original purchase price plus annual inflation (capped at 5% per year), with these rules recorded on property deeds and published online by WHEDA. The bill directly affects developers receiving WHEDA loans and future homeowners purchasing qualifying affordable housing units, applying to new loans starting January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Housing

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 369: Relating to: prohibiting the state from sharing data with the federal government that contains personally identifiable information if the data is not first masked or otherwise anonymized and authorizing a civil cause of action for negligent violations of that prohibition. (FE)

SB 369 prohibits state agencies from sharing personally identifiable information (PII) with the federal government unless the data is first masked or made anonymous. It directly affects state agencies (like departments, courts, and commissions), requiring them to anonymize PII before federal data sharing, except for limited exceptions like complying with other laws or carrying out official duties. The bill also creates a civil lawsuit option for individuals harmed by negligent violations, allowing claims for actual damages, up to $1,000 in punitive damages, and attorney fees. This law aims to strengthen data privacy protections for residents by limiting how state data can be shared federally.

Topics ✓ Immigration ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 405: Relating to: explaining pregnancy, prenatal development, and childbirth as part of a human growth and development instructional program. (FE)

AB 405 requires public schools in Wisconsin to include specific instruction on pregnancy, prenatal development, and childbirth within existing human growth and development curriculum. It directly affects K-12 students and educators by mandating these topics be taught as part of standard health education. The bill amends current curriculum standards to ensure this content is integrated into required instructional programs. This is a substantive policy change to educational content, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 378: Relating to: prohibiting the state from sharing data with the federal government that contains personally identifiable information if the data is not first masked or otherwise anonymized and authorizing a civil cause of action for negligent violations of that prohibition. (FE)

AB 378 requires all state agencies to mask or anonymize personally identifiable information (PII) before sharing it with the federal government, directly affecting state agencies handling sensitive data like health records or social services. The bill allows limited exceptions for sharing unmasked data when required by law, for legislative constituent services, or for court operations. It also creates a civil lawsuit option for individuals harmed by negligent violations, allowing recovery of actual damages, up to $1,000 in punitive damages, and attorney fees. The law aims to strengthen data privacy protections by limiting federal access to identifiable state records without explicit safeguards.

Topics ✓ Immigration ✓ Technology

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 388: Relating to: access to an original impounded birth record. (FE)

SB 388 simplifies access to original birth records for adoptees and birth parents affected by pre-1982 adoptions. It allows anyone 18+ adopted before February 1, 1982, or whose birth parents consented to adoption before that date to request their unaltered birth record and birth parent information from the state registrar. The bill creates a clear process where adoptees can receive an uncertified copy of their impounded birth record upon request, with the state registrar providing birth parent details unless the parent has revoked consent or is deceased. This applies only to records filed before 1982, with no fees for the uncertified copy (as clarified in Section 9).

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 181: Relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.

AB 181 modifies grant eligibility for county forest programs by allowing counties to receive funding for one professional forester in a county forest administrator or assistant role. The bill specifies that grants cover up to 50% of the forester’s salary and up to 40% of fringe benefits (capped at 40% of salary), using funds from a designated appropriation. It defines a qualifying "county forest administrator" as someone with a forestry degree (or equivalent), natural resources degree with 3+ years’ experience, or an associate degree in forestry with 3+ years’ experience managing county forests - excluding department employees. The changes apply retroactively to grant applications submitted on or after the bill’s effective date (January 1, 2025). This bill directly affects counties managing forest programs seeking state funding for their designated forest administration staff.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results