SB 951 creates the Office of Financial Technology Innovation within the Department of Financial Institutions to support emerging financial technologies. The bill establishes a $2 million cryptocurrency pilot project to help businesses navigate regulations, secure licenses, and expand operations. Key provisions include granting the office authority to coordinate regulatory activities across departments and providing guidance to businesses offering innovative financial products. This directly affects financial technology companies, particularly those developing cryptocurrency services, by streamlining state regulatory processes. The pilot project will include grant awards and administrative support for eligible businesses under the new office's oversight.
SB 937 requires app stores to verify the age category of users (e.g., child, teen, adult) when accounts are created and implement age verification methods. For minors (under 18), it mandates linking their accounts to a parent account and obtaining parental consent before purchases, app downloads, or in-app transactions. App stores must also notify parents of significant app changes (like updated content descriptions or new in-app purchases) and provide clear disclosures about data collection. This bill directly affects app stores, developers (who must provide age ratings and content descriptions), and parents of minors using mobile apps.
SB 978 requires online services likely accessed by minors (like social media or games) to design features that protect young users. It prohibits features causing "compulsive use" (e.g., endless scrolling) and restricts collecting sensitive data like biometrics or genetic information without clear consent. Businesses must set default privacy settings to the most protective level for minors and cannot use algorithmic recommendations to target them in ways that disrupt daily activities. The law also gives state agencies authority to create rules for identifying minors and enforcing these requirements, applying to businesses generating most revenue from online services in the state.
SB 1037 establishes requirements for state broadband expansion grants to improve internet access in underserved areas. It defines "broadband infrastructure" as requiring minimum speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload (or federal standards), and mandates that grant recipients report construction progress and service speeds after completion. If projects fail to meet these speed standards or aren’t completed, recipients must reimburse the state. The bill also requires biennial performance audits of the grant program starting in 2027 to ensure accountability. This directly affects grant applicants (like internet providers or local governments) and residents in areas designated as lacking adequate broadband service.
AB 1054 requires the state Department of Administration to create a public affairs network providing free, unedited live video and audio coverage of state government proceedings. This includes live streaming all public legislative sessions, prioritizing senate/assembly floor sessions, committee meetings, court proceedings, and related events, with permanent online archives maintained. The network must remain strictly nonpartisan, prohibit charging for access to key sessions (like assembly floor sessions), and ban using coverage for campaign purposes. It directly affects how the public accesses government transparency, ensuring free, real-time access to official proceedings without partisan editing or fees.
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Government Transparency
AB 1066 would require Wisconsin's broadband expansion grant program to prioritize projects that install fiber optic broadband lines directly to farms. It defines "farm" using existing Wisconsin agricultural definitions (from tax code) to clarify which properties qualify. The bill creates a specific grant priority for fiber projects connecting to these agricultural lands, ensuring farms receive targeted broadband infrastructure support. This policy change would directly affect farmers and agricultural businesses seeking broadband access through state grant programs. The bill is currently pending in the Energy and Utilities Committee after introduction on February 26, 2026.
SB 1038 establishes a legislative study committee to examine implementation strategies for a "Dig Once Law," which would require installing empty conduit lines during infrastructure projects to support future fiber-optic internet expansion. The committee will focus on practical details like communication protocols between municipalities and contractors, ownership of conduit infrastructure, maintenance cost responsibilities, and optimal installation timing during road or utility work. It must submit recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 2027, addressing how such a law could be structured. This bill does not create new law but prepares for potential future legislation.
This bill proposes adding a new constitutional right to privacy. It would create Section 1m in Article I of the state constitution stating: "As a necessary part of a free society, the people have an individual and fundamental right to privacy." If approved by voters, this would establish a fundamental constitutional protection directly affecting all residents, requiring future laws to align with this privacy right. The proposal must be approved by voters in the next general election to become part of the constitution.
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Privacy
SB 933 requires social media platforms serving users in this state to display a clear mental health warning each time a user accesses the platform. The warning must note potential negative mental health effects and provide access to crisis resources like the 988 suicide hotline. Platforms cannot hide the warning, make it less visible, or disable it except under specified conditions. Violations could result in fines up to $5,000 per incident or lawsuits by affected users seeking damages or injunctions.
AB 1036 prohibits local governments and data centers from using nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to hide details about data center development or prevent public review of such facilities. It defines a "data center" as a facility primarily for storing, managing, or processing digital data, including associated infrastructure like servers and security systems. The law specifically bans agreements intended to conceal development details or block public oversight, with an exception for NDAs protecting trade secrets. This directly affects local governments approving data center projects and data center operators themselves.
