Wisconsin Bills | MyRepTracker

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 6, 2026

AB 1044: Relating to: grants for patient lift devices and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 1044 creates a state grant program allocating $300,000 for the 2025-26 fiscal year to help adult family homes, community-based residential facilities, nursing homes, and residential care apartment complexes purchase patient lift devices. These devices must be state-approved, allow independent or staff-assisted operation, and mechanically lift a person. Facilities receiving grants must report usage data, with up to $100,000 of the appropriation reserved for collecting and analyzing this information.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

Karen Kirsch (D) Maureen McCarville (D) Christine Sinicki (D) Jeff Mursau (R) Lee Snodgrass (D)

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 6, 2026

AB 992: Relating to: requirements for proposed administrative rules that impose costs. (FE)

AB 992 revises cost thresholds for administrative rule reviews, lowering the trigger point from $10 million to $4 million in projected costs for businesses, local governments, and individuals over two years. It prohibits agencies from splitting a single rule into multiple rules to avoid this cost analysis requirement. Agencies must halt rulemaking if costs exceed the threshold unless they modify the rule to reduce costs, then re-evaluate. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and entities bearing compliance costs.

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 729: Relating to: large energy customer fees; electric utility very large customer class; a renewable resource tariff; building requirements for data centers; water usage by large customers; required pay rate on large-scale data center projects; and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

SB 729 imposes annual fees on large energy customers (primarily large data centers) based on their peak electricity demand: $2 million for 100-250 MW, $3 million for 250-500 MW, and $1 million more for each additional 250 MW. Fifty percent of these fees fund the Green Innovation Fund via the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill also requires data centers to report actual water usage annually and certify compliance with sustainable building standards (like LEED or BREEAM) within three years of operation. It defines "large-scale data centers" as projects costing $250 million+ in construction or equipment over 60 months.

Topics ✓ Energy

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 6, 2026

AB 722: Relating to: large energy customer fees; electric utility very large customer class; a renewable resource tariff; building requirements for data centers; water usage by large customers; required pay rate on large-scale data center projects; and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

AB 722 imposes annual fees on large energy customers in Wisconsin based on their peak electricity demand, starting at $2 million for those using 100-250 megawatts and increasing by $1 million for each additional 250-megawatt increment. Fifty percent of these fees will fund the Green Innovation Fund, managed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill also requires data centers to report annual water usage to local governments, certify adherence to sustainable building standards (like LEED or BREEAM) within three years of operation, and pay workers the prevailing wage rate for large-scale construction projects exceeding $250 million in cost. These provisions directly affect large energy users, data center operators, and local governments managing water reporting.

Topics ✓ Energy

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 780: Relating to: a percentage of income payment program for electricity and gas service, electricity and gas service disconnections, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 780 establishes a "percentage of income payment program" to help low-income households manage electricity and gas costs. It caps utility payments at 2% of a household's annual income (divided by 12) for those spending 2-4% of income on utilities ("energy burdened") or 4%+ ("severely energy burdened"), prioritizing households earning ≤300% of federal poverty guidelines. The program is funded by an existing "energy burden relief fund" and requires automatic enrollment for eligible households, with utilities prohibited from disconnecting service for qualifying households due to nonpayment. Key provisions include online enrollment, outreach to historically impacted communities, and annual reporting on program effectiveness.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 6, 2026

AB 785: Relating to: a percentage of income payment program for electricity and gas service, electricity and gas service disconnections, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 785 establishes a program to cap electricity and gas costs at 2% of a household's annual income for energy burdened households (spending 2-4% of income on utilities) and severely energy burdened households (spending 4% or more, or having no income with utility bills). It prohibits utility disconnections for residential customers with income up to 300% of the federal poverty level due to nonpayment and creates an "energy burden relief fund" to finance the program. The bill requires automatic enrollment for eligible households, an online application portal, and annual reporting by the Public Service Commission on program administration and barriers to participation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 128: Relating to: programs and requirements to address PFAS.

SB 128 establishes a Municipal PFAS Grant Program to help communities test for and address PFAS ("forever chemicals") in drinking water systems. It allows water utilities to use service funds to cover up to half the cost of source reduction measures (like filtration) if cheaper than endpoint treatment, and creates an exception for utilities acting quickly on unexpected PFAS contamination (without penalties if they notify regulators within 30 days and costs stay under $2 million). The bill prioritizes projects addressing serious health risks and extends grant eligibility to disadvantaged communities affected by water contamination, regardless of their existing service area status. It also creates a referral system connecting PFAS contamination claims to the existing Innocent Landowner Grant Program.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare

failed · Wisconsin · Senate Apr 6, 2026

SB 127: Relating to: exempting certain persons from PFAS enforcement actions under the spills law. (FE)

SB 127 exempts specific entities from PFAS-related enforcement actions under Wisconsin's spills law, provided they allow the state to clean up contaminated land at no cost to them. It directly affects landowners who spread permitted biosolids/wastewater containing PFAS, fire departments using PFAS in emergencies, airports, municipalities, solid waste facilities, and property owners not responsible for the contamination. The key provision requires these entities to grant permission for state-led remediation, removing liability under certain enforcement sections of the spills law. This applies to PFAS chemicals commonly found in firefighting foam and industrial products. The bill does not change PFAS contamination standards but alters enforcement responsibilities for qualifying parties.

Topics ✗ Environment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 3, 2026

AB 1198: Relating to: grants to school districts for safe transportation for school-sponsored events and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill creates a new state grant program to help school districts provide safe transportation for high school students attending school-sponsored events. It allocates $500,000 for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years, with funding distributed through the Department of Public Instruction. The grants are intended to support transportation methods that ensure student safety during events organized by schools. The program is set to expire on June 30, 2027, after which no new grants may be awarded under this provision.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 3, 2026

AB 1148: Relating to: grants to school districts to pay student teachers an hourly wage, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill establishes a state grant program to help school districts pay student teachers an hourly wage of at least $15 for their teaching hours during the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The funding comes from a state appropriation, with the Department of Public Instruction calculating and distributing payments to school boards based on the number of hours each student teacher worked in their district. The legislation also gives the department authority to create rules for administering the program and defines student teachers as individuals enrolled in approved teacher preparation programs who are completing their student teaching component.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 3, 2026

AB 1095: Relating to: speech-language pathologist licenses issued by the Department of Public Instruction and modifying administrative rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction. (FE)

This bill updates Wisconsin's licensing requirements for speech-language pathologists working in public schools by allowing the Department of Public Instruction to issue licenses to individuals who already hold valid licenses from the state's hearing and speech examining board or possess a valid compact privilege. The legislation modifies existing statutes and administrative rules to streamline the licensing process, ensuring that qualified professionals can transition from clinical practice to school employment without redundant certification steps. Additionally, the bill includes broader changes to teacher licensing standards, such as requiring full semester student teaching for all teacher preparation programs, including those outside the state. These provisions aim to align school-based speech-language pathology credentials with established professional standards while maintaining oversight through the state superintendent.

Topics ✓ Education

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Apr 3, 2026

AB 1076: Relating to: sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 1076 modifies rules for sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits in Wisconsin. It directs $7 from each permit fee toward managing the species and funding research (Section 1). The bill updates the permit allocation system: applicants earn preference points for past unissued permits, with random selection within categories if demand exceeds supply (Section 2), and requires the department to allocate permits between residents and nonresidents based on applicant numbers (Section 3). It also adjusts permit processing fees to $2.75 for some licenses and $9.75 for sharp-tailed grouse permits (Sections 4-5).

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes