Sen. Chris Kapenga

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole for individuals convicted of specific child sex offenses, including sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a child. It creates new statutory provisions that remove these offenders from eligibility for parole, work release, and extended supervision programs, ensuring they remain incarcerated for the duration of their sentences. The legislation also defines crimes punishable by death and adjusts sentencing guidelines for repeat offenders of serious violent crimes, while including administrative provisions for emergency rule procedures and controlled substance permits for executions.

Maddy summarySB 1010 requires the state Department of Health Services to compile and share specific data about individuals participating in the federal food stamp program (SNAP) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service. The data must cover people who received benefits since January 1, 2020, are currently receiving benefits, or applied for them, as specified in a federal letter and executive order. The state must complete this data compilation and share it within six months of the bill's effective date. This bill mandates a data-sharing process between the state and federal government but does not change SNAP eligibility or benefits.

Maddy summarySB 995 would appropriate state funds to cover individual income tax rebates for 2026, directly affecting eligible Wisconsin residents who qualify for these rebates under prior law. The bill creates a new statutory provision requiring the state to allocate sufficient funding to make these rebate payments. It references a 2025 legislative act that established the rebate program but does not change the rebate eligibility or amounts. The bill is currently pending in the Agriculture and Revenue Committee after a committee recommendation for passage.

Maddy summarySB 1 provides a one-time tax rebate to Wisconsin taxpayers who filed individual income tax returns for 2023-2024. Eligible married couples filing jointly receive $1,000, while other individuals receive $500, capped at their actual tax liability for that period. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue will automatically identify eligible taxpayers and issue payments by September 15, 2026, with a claim process available through December 31, 2026, for those who don’t receive the full amount. The bill applies specific tax refund procedures to these rebates, treating them as tax liabilities under existing Wisconsin law.

Maddy summarySJR 124 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the Wisconsin legislature to suspend state agency rules using a simple majority vote in a joint resolution. If passed, the legislature could stop any rule (or part of a rule) from taking effect - either indefinitely or for a set period - without needing the governor's approval or following regular lawmaking procedures. This would immediately make suspended rules unenforceable during the suspension period. The bill is a constitutional amendment proposal, not a regular law, and is currently in committee review.

Maddy summarySB 940 limits state agencies' rule-making authority by requiring explicit and specific statutory permission for agencies to interpret or implement laws. It prohibits agencies from using policy statements, federal compliance plans, settlement agreements, or court orders as justification for creating rules. The bill also adds a new requirement that agencies must obtain approval from the governor and the relevant policy-making body before drafting new rules. This directly affects state agencies responsible for creating regulations, such as environmental or health departments, by tightening oversight of their regulatory actions.

Maddy summarySB 1034 prohibits former members of the Public Service Commission from working for compensation with investor-owned public utilities or transmission companies for 36 months after leaving office. Specifically, it bans employment in roles involving policy-making, executive decisions, operations management, or government relations at these companies. The law applies retroactively to those who left the Commission in the year before the bill's effective date. This directly affects former commissioners seeking jobs at regulated utility companies, creating a cooling-off period to prevent potential conflicts of interest. The bill establishes this restriction through new statutory language (19.45 (8m)) in the state code.

Maddy summarySB 763 requires Wisconsin’s state retirement system and Milwaukee’s city/county retirement systems to vote on securities solely based on participants’ economic interests, not environmental, social, or ideological goals. It mandates that voting decisions must maximize risk-adjusted investment returns for participants, with specific rules for handling shareholder proposals and proxy advisory firm recommendations. The bill prohibits using proxy advisors whose recommendations prioritize non-economic factors or conflict with issuer board advice, unless an economic analysis proves the vote serves participants’ financial interests. This directly affects how these retirement systems manage assets and cast votes on company shareholder proposals.

Maddy summarySB 781 modifies how Wisconsin calculates state aid for public school districts by excluding costs funded through voter-approved referendums from the "shared cost" formula. Specifically, it removes referendum-funded expenditures (like those for capital projects or debt service) when determining eligibility for general equalization aid, which directly affects school districts relying on such local funding. The bill creates new rules to exclude referendum-authorized levies and related debt service from the calculation, ensuring these costs don't reduce state aid payments. This change aims to prevent school districts from losing state funding due to referendum-based spending.

Maddy summarySB 117 requires public and participating private schools to designate all athletic teams based solely on the sex assigned at birth (as recorded on a birth certificate), labeling them as "males" or "females." It prohibits students designated as male from participating on female-designated teams or using female-designated facilities like locker rooms. The bill allows female-identified students to sue schools for violations of these rules and creates legal protections against retaliation for reporting such violations. This directly affects school athletic programs and students participating in sports, particularly those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.