Sen. Jesse James

Maddy summarySB 929 allows Wisconsin residents who are members of the National Guard or U.S. military Reserves to exclude certain military pay from their state income tax. Specifically, it creates a new tax subtraction for basic pay received under federal law (37 USC 204(a)(2)) and inactive-duty training compensation (37 USC 206/206a), provided this income isn't already excluded under other rules. The policy applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, directly benefiting eligible service members by reducing their state tax liability. This is a concrete tax policy change, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summarySB 74 ratifies the Social Work Licensure Compact, allowing social workers licensed in one participating state to practice in other compact states without reapplying for a new license. The bill creates a commission to manage the compact and amends multiple statutes to align licensing requirements across participating states, ensuring social workers meet standardized qualifications. This directly affects social workers seeking to practice across state lines, child welfare agencies (which must employ licensed social workers per amended statutes), and licensing boards. Key provisions include standardizing definitions for "social worker" and "licensed treatment professional" in statutes governing employment and service delivery. The compact aims to streamline licensure for social workers while maintaining consistent professional standards.

Maddy summarySB 176 creates tax exemptions for income received from broadband expansion grants and federal high-cost program funding. It exempts from state income and franchise taxes funds provided by the state, local governments, tribal governments, or the federal government for broadband expansion projects. This directly affects businesses, internet service providers, and organizations receiving these specific grants or federal funding. The exemption applies to both state broadband grants and federal high-cost program funds (under 47 USC 254) used for expanding broadband access in the state, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summarySB 291 expands Wisconsin's business development tax credit to include certain employer-provided child care costs. It allows businesses to claim a tax credit equal to up to 15% of qualifying expenses for establishing or operating child care programs for employees, such as upfront setup costs, operational expenses, employee reimbursements, or reserved child care slots. The bill directly affects Wisconsin-based businesses that provide child care benefits to employees, making these costs eligible for the tax credit starting in 2025. Key provisions define "eligible child care costs" broadly to cover capital expenditures, operational spending, and reimbursements, while capping the credit at 15% of those expenses. The law applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summarySB 389 adjusts how Wisconsin school districts calculate their maximum allowable spending limits (revenue limits) for specific school years. It adds $325 per student to the calculation for the 2023-24 through 2026-27 school years, while removing previous adjustments that would have affected spending limits for the 2015-16 through 2018-19 years and the 2021-22 year. The bill also modifies rules for consolidated school districts, changing how their revenue limits are calculated during the 2020-21 through 2026-27 school years. These changes take effect for the 2027-28 school year and beyond, directly impacting all public school districts in Wisconsin.

Maddy summarySB 432 requires certain professionals, including social workers and agency employees who interact directly with children or handle child welfare cases, to report suspected or threatened child abuse to law enforcement. It mandates that county departments, the state department, and licensed child welfare agencies refer most abuse cases to police within 12 hours (excluding weekends/holidays) and adopt written policies for reporting specific types of abuse or neglect defined in state law. The bill adds a new reporting category for child welfare employees and clarifies when written policies must be created for certain abuse cases. This changes existing procedures by expanding who must report and requiring standardized policies for specific scenarios.

Maddy summarySB 810 increases the state reimbursement rate for certified veteran organizations providing military funeral honors from $50 to $100 per funeral. It directly affects local veteran groups certified by the department that offer these honors to eligible individuals. The bill amends statute 45.60(2) to update the reimbursement cap while maintaining the requirement that costs must be covered by the department from a specific appropriation. This is a procedural change to the existing reimbursement policy with no new eligibility criteria.

Maddy summarySB 181 creates a levy limit exemption for local governments that fund regional emergency medical services (EMS). It allows counties or municipalities to count costs for regional EMS (via joint districts or agreements) toward their budget without triggering standard spending limits, provided the service area covers at least 232 square miles or 8+ municipalities. The bill requires that annual EMS funding increases stay within an inflation-adjusted cap (U.S. CPI plus 5%) and that the local government confirms a coordinated regional service area. This directly affects local governments operating regional EMS systems by making their funding more flexible under budget constraints. The exemption applies to costs for fire department-provided EMS and excludes these expenditures from standard spending limit calculations.

Maddy summarySB 392 requires all driver education courses to include specific safety instruction about school buses. It mandates teaching students how to properly cross in front of school buses, recognize school bus lights, and understand when drivers must stop for stopped school buses - including how road design affects these rules. This applies to all driver education courses starting on the bill's effective date. The law directly affects driver education curricula and students learning road safety.

Maddy summarySB 533 defines "equipment" for correctional officers to include tools used for communication, seeking help, or accessing locked areas, alongside items designed to cause harm or restraint. The bill amends penalties for intentionally disarming an officer or removing their issued equipment. It directly affects correctional officers and individuals who interfere with their authorized tools, making such actions a punishable offense under existing law. The legislation clarifies what constitutes prohibited interference with an officer's duties-related equipment.