Wisconsin Bills

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 581: Relating to: shared governance at University of Wisconsin System institutions.

SB 581 amends Wisconsin statutes to clarify and strengthen shared governance roles for faculty, academic staff, and students at University of Wisconsin System institutions. The bill gives faculty primary responsibility for advising on academic matters and requires STEM representation in faculty governance structures. Academic staff gain defined roles in shaping policies affecting their work, while students gain formal input on student life policies and control over fees supporting campus activities. These changes directly affect all faculty, academic staff, and students across UW System campuses by defining their specific participatory roles in institutional decision-making.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 587: Relating to: selling and reselling entertainment tickets and providing a penalty. (FE)

AB 587 requires ticket sellers (including operators, resellers, and online platforms) to clearly display all fees during purchase and prohibits reselling tickets above face value without event operator approval. It applies to all commercial ticket resales, with small sellers earning under $10,000 annually exempt. Violations incur $1,000 fines per violation plus forfeiture of profits from illegal sales. The bill aims to increase transparency and prevent price gouging in entertainment ticket markets.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 573: Relating to: the definition of bingo.

SB 573 amends the legal definition of "bingo" in Wisconsin statutes to explicitly exclude games where participants do not pay to play and prizes are donated (e.g., free cards with donated prizes). This clarification directly affects community and charitable organizations hosting such games, ensuring they are not subject to standard bingo regulations. The bill specifies that "bingo" does not include games with no participant payment, regardless of whether the host covers prize costs. This is a definitional change only, not a new policy or tax. The bill focuses solely on clarifying regulatory boundaries for existing game formats.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 565: Relating to: pupil discrimination and private schools participating in a parental choice program or the Special Needs Scholarship Program, discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression, and providing a penalty.

SB 565 amends Wisconsin law to explicitly prohibit private schools participating in parental choice or scholarship programs (like the Special Needs Scholarship Program) from discriminating against students based on gender identity or gender expression. It specifically requires these schools, which may limit admission by sex, to admit students whose gender identity aligns with the sex they limit to. The bill adds a $1,000 penalty for school officials who intentionally violate these anti-discrimination rules and updates reporting requirements for school compliance. This directly affects students seeking enrollment in participating private schools and mandates new policies for school boards and governing bodies.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 580: Relating to: selling and reselling entertainment tickets and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 580 requires ticket sellers and resellers to clearly display all costs - including fees and surcharges - during ticket purchases, ensuring consumers see the total price upfront. It prohibits resellers from selling tickets above face value without the event operator’s written permission and bans price hikes after initial display (except for physical delivery fees). The bill affects operators (venue owners), ticket resellers, and online ticket platforms, with penalties of $1,000 per violation plus forfeiture of illegal profits. Small resellers earning under $10,000 annually annually are exempt from the "ticket reseller" definition.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 584: Relating to: designating the wild turkey as the state game bird and the ruffed grouse as the state upland game bird.

SB 584 designates the wild turkey (meleagris gallopavo) as Wisconsin's state game bird and the ruffed grouse (bonasa umbellus) as the state upland game bird. The bill amends Wisconsin statutes to add these designations to the list of official state symbols included in the Wisconsin Blue Book. This is a symbolic change with no new policies or regulations; it simply updates the state's official records to recognize these birds. The bill affects state identity and official documentation but does not impact laws, funding, or citizen rights.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 485: Relating to: the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs.

AB 485 simplifies the application process for students continuing in Wisconsin's parental choice programs. It removes the requirement for parents to submit residency documentation for returning students unless their address has changed since the previous school year. The bill modifies administrative rules to streamline verification for schools, applying only to students who attended a participating private school in the prior year. This change takes effect for the 2026-27 school year.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 582: Relating to: the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs.

SB 582 simplifies residency verification for students continuing in Wisconsin's private school choice program. It eliminates the requirement for parents to submit new residency documents when a student re-enrolls in the same participating private school the following school year, unless their address has changed since the last verification. This applies directly to families using the parental choice program and affects all participating private schools in the state. The rule change takes effect for applications submitted for the 2026-27 school year.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 560: Relating to: the sale, service, and labeling of food products containing lab-grown animal cells and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 560 requires clear labeling for food products containing lab-grown meat (cultured animal cells/tissue), mandating the phrase "lab-grown meat" appear prominently on packaging in contrasting color and size. It prohibits restaurants from substituting lab-grown meat for traditional meat without a customer order and restricts its use in state institutions (like hospitals or prisons) except under specific health directives. Violations carry fines of $100-$500 for first offenses and up to $1,000 for repeat violations. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, directly affecting food manufacturers, restaurants, and state institutions serving food.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 585: Relating to: designating the wild turkey as the state game bird and the ruffed grouse as the state upland game bird.

AB 585 designates the wild turkey (*meleagris gallopavo*) as Wisconsin's official state game bird and the ruffed grouse (*bonasa umbellus*) as the state upland game bird. The bill amends Wisconsin statutes to add these specific designations to the list of official state symbols included in the Wisconsin Blue Book. This is a ceremonial, non-regulatory change that formally recognizes these birds as state symbols without altering laws or affecting public policy. The bill does not impose new requirements, fund programs, or impact citizens or wildlife management. It follows standard procedure for designating state symbols through legislative action.

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 586: Relating to: shared governance at University of Wisconsin System institutions.

AB 586 amends Wisconsin statutes to clarify and strengthen shared governance at University of Wisconsin System institutions by defining the roles of faculty, academic staff, and students in institutional decision-making. The bill requires faculty to ensure STEM disciplines are represented in governance structures, gives academic staff the right to organize and advise on policies affecting them, and ensures students actively participate in policies related to student life and fee management. Key provisions specify that faculty have primary responsibility for academic matters, academic staff for their own policies, and students for advising on campus life and fee use. These changes directly affect all faculty, academic staff, and students across UW System campuses by formalizing their participation in governance and policy development.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 562: Relating to: reporting requirements for recipients of economic development grants and loans.

SB 562 requires recipients of economic development grants or loans exceeding $500,000 to submit detailed expenditure reports within 120 days after their fiscal year ends, including verification from an independent auditor. It mandates that these recipients provide supporting documents for inspection and includes these reporting requirements in grant contracts. The bill exempts local governments (cities, counties, tribes) and University of Wisconsin System institutions if they already include these funds in standard annual audits and submit those audits within 120 days of program completion. This change directly affects organizations receiving significant state economic development funding, adding reporting obligations unless they meet existing audit standards. The policy focuses on ensuring proper use of public funds through standardized financial reporting.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results