Transportation (Traffic Safety)

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 522: Relating to: use of skateboards on roadways.

AB 522 clarifies rules for skateboard and in-line skate use on public roads. It establishes that riders must follow safety rules (e.g., riding carefully, not attaching to vehicles) and prohibits use on certain roadways without local permission. Local governments gain authority to restrict skateboard use on their streets via ordinance, while still allowing crosswalk crossings. The bill also updates legal definitions to exclude skateboards from "recreational vehicles" and prohibits towing them. These changes directly affect skateboard users, municipalities, and road safety regulations.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationEstablishes safety rules for skateboarders on roadways, enhancing transportation safety standards through defined rider responsibilities and local authority for road use regulations.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Pedestrian Safety Roads & Highways Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 375: Relating to: the use of speed safety camera systems and traffic control photographic systems in a first class city and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 375 allows first-class cities to use traffic control photographic systems (red-light cameras) to automatically detect vehicles running red lights at intersections. The bill requires cameras to be placed only at intersections with a documented annual accident rate of 1.0 or higher, mandates clear signage, and requires photographs to focus on license plates from the rear. Vehicle owners receive written notices with photos within 30 business days, and fines range from $20 to $40 for first offenses, with proceeds funding system costs and traffic safety programs. This directly affects drivers in first-class cities who violate red-light laws, as cities may implement the system at no more than five intersections per aldermanic district.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill implements red-light cameras at high-accident intersections to enhance traffic safety, directly advancing transportation safety standards per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 433: Relating to: local traffic calming grants and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 433 creates a new $60 million annual grant program for local governments to fund traffic calming infrastructure projects. It directly affects counties, cities, villages, towns, and federally recognized tribes by providing funding for projects designed to slow vehicle speeds, such as speed bumps or road redesigns. Projects must align with the federal transportation alternatives program and be administered by the state Department of Transportation. The bill establishes a formal grant process with application requirements and evaluation criteria, but does not change existing traffic laws or require local matching funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $60M annual appropriation for traffic calming infrastructure grants, directly funding public safety projects through state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill creates $60M annual grant program funding traffic calming infrastructure (speed bumps, road redesigns) to enhance transportation safety, directly advancing infrastructure projects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Bicycle Infrastructure Pedestrian Safety Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 660: Relating to: a public information campaign related to aggressive driving and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 660 creates a statewide public information campaign to reduce aggressive driving behaviors like excessive speeding, illegal racing, and fleeing police. The campaign, funded with $500,000 over two fiscal years, must run for 1-2 years and prioritize local governments with the highest rates of these incidents. It requires using billboards, radio, TV, and digital ads, while partnering with local creative agencies and community groups (like schools and churches) to share real stories from affected drivers and families. The law mandates that materials reflect the experiences of high-risk drivers and target communities most impacted by aggressive driving.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $500,000 for a public safety campaign, directly funding a state program under government spending.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationSB 660 funds a public safety campaign targeting aggressive driving (speeding, illegal racing), directly enhancing road safety - a core transportation safety initiative.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 659: Relating to: installation of a speed limiter for repeated reckless driving violations, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)

SB 659 requires courts to order drivers convicted of two or more serious speeding violations (exceeding speed limits by 20+ mph) within five years to install a speed limiter on all their vehicles. The speed limiter is an aftermarket device that prevents vehicles from exceeding a set speed, and courts must order this for "Class D" vehicles (typically passenger cars). Drivers with household incomes below 150% of the poverty line may have costs reduced by half, and failure to install or tampering with the device is a punishable offense. The bill establishes a state program to manage speed limiter providers and fees, using existing infrastructure from ignition interlock programs. It directly affects repeat reckless drivers, not the general public.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationMandates speed limiters for reckless speeding violators, directly enhancing road safety regulations under transportation policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Traffic Safety

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signed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SB 678: Relating to: the use of oral fluids for preliminary screening of a person suspected of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

SB 678 allows law enforcement officers to request a sample of a person's oral fluids (or breath) as a preliminary screening tool when they suspect someone is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This applies before an arrest for DUI violations, and the test results can only be used to decide whether to arrest the driver or request a formal chemical test later. The bill specifies that refusal to take this oral fluid screening does not trigger penalties under other statutes, and the results cannot be used as evidence in court except to establish probable cause for an arrest. It directly affects drivers suspected of DUI and officers conducting roadside screenings.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill enhances road safety by enabling preliminary DUI screening via oral fluids, directly supporting transportation safety standards without infrastructure/funding aspects.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Traffic Safety

failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 655: Relating to: installation of a speed limiter for repeated reckless driving violations, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)

AB 655 requires courts to order drivers convicted of two or more reckless speeding violations (exceeding speed limits by 20+ mph) within five years to install a speed limiter on their vehicles. The law applies specifically to "Class D" vehicles and mandates that the device prevent operation above a set speed, with financial hardship exceptions for low-income individuals. Courts must order the speed limiter installation, maintenance, and removal costs (capped at 50% for qualifying low-income drivers), and violations of this order carry fines up to $600 or imprisonment. The bill creates a state program using existing ignition interlock infrastructure to manage provider rules, reporting, and enforcement under sections 343.347 and 347.414.

Topics ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill mandates speed limiters for reckless drivers to enhance road safety, directly strengthening transportation safety standards through vehicle regulation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 654: Relating to: a public information campaign related to aggressive driving and making an appropriation. (FE)

AB 654 creates a public information campaign to reduce aggressive driving behaviors like excessive speeding, illegal racing, and fleeing police. The bill allocates $500,000 over two fiscal years ($250,000 annually) for the campaign, which must run for 1-2 years and prioritize areas with the highest incidents of such driving. It requires using billboards, radio, TV, and digital ads, while prioritizing local contractors and featuring stories from affected individuals like young drivers and families. The campaign targets high-risk drivers and must partner with community organizations to influence behavior, without making specific policy changes to traffic laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $500,000 for public safety campaign via state appropriation, directly funding a government program under budgetary spending.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationFunds public safety campaign targeting aggressive driving to enhance road safety, directly advancing transportation safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Roads & Highways Traffic Safety

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passed · Wisconsin · Assembly Mar 23, 2026

AB 561: Relating to: owner liability for illegally passing a school bus and providing a penalty.

AB 561 allows school buses to install and monitor cameras to record vehicles illegally passing them, and permits school bus operators or third-party vendors to submit photo or video evidence of these violations to local traffic authorities. Traffic officers can then issue citations based on this evidence, imposing fines of $30 to $500 on the vehicle owner. The bill specifies that these fines do not result in license suspension or demerit points. This law directly affects drivers who illegally pass school buses and the school bus operators or vendors reporting violations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances student safety during school bus stops by enforcing penalties for illegal passing, directly protecting educational access and student safety at school zones.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill enhances road safety by enabling enforcement against illegal school bus passing, directly supporting transportation safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Transportation Driver Licensing Public Transit Traffic Safety

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failed · Wisconsin · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 661: Relating to: a local intersection safety program and making an appropriation. (FE)

SB 661 creates a $6 million program to fund safety improvements at high-crash intersections in cities and counties. Local governments can apply for reimbursement or grants to upgrade signalized and stop-sign intersections identified as having excessive crash rates, using data from 2019-2024. The program prioritizes projects in the 10% of counties with the highest intersection crash rates. This is a direct appropriation from the transportation budget for fiscal year 2025-26, with no new legal requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $6M from transportation budget for intersection safety program, increasing public service funding per appropriation language.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationFunds $6M for intersection safety upgrades in high-crash areas, directly enhancing transportation infrastructure and safety through targeted appropriations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Pedestrian Safety Traffic Safety

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