AB 875 creates a new funding line for county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties that have approved land and water conservation plans and choose to allocate matching funds. The bill adds "climate change personnel" as a specific budget item under soil and water management, requiring counties to specifically request funding for these roles in their annual grant applications to the Department of Agriculture. This changes how counties can use state grants by mandating explicit requests for climate-focused staff positions within their conservation planning process. The bill appropriates $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year for this purpose.
AB 879 creates grants for cities, towns, nonprofits (501(c)(3) organizations), and tribes to plant and maintain trees in urban areas to reduce "urban heat islands" (warmer city zones). It provides up to $100,000 per project for tree planting, maintenance, and replacement, with no cost-sharing required for recipients. The bill also adds $500,000 in funding for 2025-26 and includes separate grants for tree recovery after storm damage in declared emergency areas. These grants cover full project costs without requiring applicants to pay any portion upfront.
AB 862 creates a state grant program to help local governments (counties, cities, towns, and regional planning commissions) cover the full cost of including climate change considerations in specific planning documents. The bill requires these local governments to consider climate change effects in comprehensive plans, community health improvement plans, and hazard mitigation plans to the extent practicable. Funding for the grants comes from a new state appropriation, with the department determining the grant amount based on the cost of climate considerations for each plan.
SB 890 modifies eligibility for farmland preservation tax credits by disallowing credits for acres with non-accessory photovoltaic solar energy systems installed during the taxable year. Specifically, it prevents tax credits on qualifying farmland where such solar systems (defined as not being accessory uses, like rooftop installations) are present. The bill creates new provisions to track both total qualifying acres and acres affected by these solar systems. This change directly impacts farmers seeking farmland preservation tax credits who have installed larger-scale solar installations on their land, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
AB 853 allocates $200,000 annually for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to fund two full-time research positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on agriculture and climate change. The positions must be filled using existing vacant research roles (not creating new ones), assigned to the university's extension division, and contribute to increasing the total number of research positions at UW-Madison. The bill modifies the state budget to add this funding under existing appropriations for the University of Wisconsin System. It does not create new positions but directs existing resources toward climate science research in agriculture through UW-Madison's extension program.
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.
AB 877 requires environmental permits for facilities in defined "vulnerable communities" to include reports assessing combined pollution effects, health impacts, and unavoidable harms. It mandates public hearings with 30 days' notice and 21-day newspaper notices in the affected community before permits are issued. The department must deny permits if cumulative pollution from the facility creates an unreasonable health or environmental risk to the community, considering public feedback. This directly affects businesses seeking permits for facilities in census areas with high poverty rates (50%+ low-income households) plus significant minority populations or limited English proficiency.
AB 900 modifies eligibility for farmland preservation tax credits by prohibiting credits for any qualifying farmland where a non-accessory photovoltaic solar energy system (like standalone solar panels) is located during the taxable year. This directly affects farmers or landowners who seek these tax credits but have installed such solar systems on their eligible farmland. The bill creates new definitions to clarify that credits cannot be claimed for acres with these non-accessory solar installations, while maintaining credit eligibility for land without them. The policy change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
SB 855 allocates $200,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to fund two full-time research positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on agriculture and climate change. These positions must use existing vacant research slots, increase the total research staff count, and be assigned to UW-Madison's Division of Extension. The bill modifies the state budget to provide this funding without creating new positions or changing existing law. It directly affects UW-Madison's research staffing structure and extension programs.
AB 872 creates a new Energy Innovation Grant Program to fund projects advancing clean energy technologies. It allocates $10 million annually for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years, directly supporting the Office of Energy Innovation within the Public Service Commission. The program allows the agency to distribute grants for innovative energy solutions, with no specific project types or recipient criteria detailed in the bill. This is a funding measure with no voting record yet, as the bill was introduced on January 16, 2026.
