February Floorperiod Delivers Wins for Municipalities

Every biennial session inevitably comes down to the wire, and the Assembly’s final days in the 2025-2026 regular session were no different. With two days of floor action during the week of February 9th and four straight days of session during the week of February 16th culminating in a vote on PFAS liability protections and grant programs around 9pm on Friday, tensions mounted at times, but in the end, collegiality and bipartisanship around efforts to support municipal governments prevailed.

It’s expected that the Assembly has completed its work for the session, meaning that any bill which has not yet passed the full Assembly is expected to be unable to progress any further. With six days of Assembly action and two days of Senate action in the February floorperiod, there’s a lot of action of note to municipal officials. We encourage you to click the button below and read the full recap of the February floorperiod. 

🎥Film Wisconsin Office and Tax Credit Program Launch

During his final State of the State address last Tuesday, February 17th, Governor Evers announced the launch of Film Wisconsin, the new state film office at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, and an accompanying tax credit program. Hearing from members on the excitement over the possibility having more movies and TV shows produced throughout our great state, the League supported this initiative through legislation and budget action to have Wisconsin join the ranks of 45 other states with a film office and 40 other states with tax credits for the production of movies and television.

The creation of Film Wisconsin will make us competitive with our neighboring states in the eyes of film and television producers, helping to ensure that people throughout the country and even the world may recognize all that Wisconsin has to offer visitors and prospective residents. From scenic beauty to delicious food and engaging attractions to quaint downtowns, this office and incentive program aren’t just a destination piece of legislation, it’s a workforce driver. Our members can now get rolling🎥 and help to promote and support the film and television industry in Wisconsin!

Learn more about Film Wisconsin and sign up for their newsletter on Tourism’s website. Film Wisconsin has also produced a series of resources and frequently asked questions. To learn more about the League’s support, read our testimony on the legislation that precipitated the 2025-2027 State Budget action on our website. 

Recently Introduced Legislation of Municipal Importance

The following bills have been recently introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature and have been added to the list of those being monitored by the League. Unless otherwise indicated, no formal position has been taken on these proposals to date.

• Senate Bill (SB) 969: Use of Nondisclosures in Data Center Projects - Sen. Jacque (R-New Franken) and Rep. Moses (R-Menomonie) - This legislation prohibits a data center from entering into nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that have the purpose or effect of concealing the details of the data center development from the public. Local governments would also be prohibited from signing an NDA for the same purpose or with the same effect and would be prohibited from permitting or approving a data center if the NDA prohibition was violated. The prohibition on NDAs would not apply to an agreement with the sole purpose of preventing public disclosure of a trade secret.

• SB 1021: Fall Prevention Training in Long-Term Care Facilities - Sen. Dassler-Alfheim (D-Appleton) and Rep. Palmeri (D-Oshkosh) - This legislation requires the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to develop or identify fall prevention and recovery training programs that certain employees and residents in long-term care facilities must complete. Further, this legislation requires that long-term care facilities have at least one employee on the premises at all times that is certified in CPR and first aid and has completed fall prevention and recovery training. Finally, this legislation creates a duty of care for staff at long-term care facilities to administer CPR and first aid before the arrival of EMS and to attempt to lift residents that have fallen before contacting EMS. 

Federal Forecast

There’s still two years left of reporting for the American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF), and while the 2026 reporting deadline of Thursday, April 30th may seem like a long way away, it’s never too early to start preparing. New municipal employees that haven’t filed your city or village’s report in the past should take special note of this deadline and ensure you can access the U.S. Department of the Treasury portal so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute. Failure to file a report may result in Treasury beginning recoupment proceedings, meaning all ARPA-SLFRF funds received would need to be repaid.

The National League of Cities recently published an article addressing many of the questions you may have as you prepare your ARPA-SLFRF report for 2026. The article may be found on NLC’s website and includes helpful links such as step-by-step instructions on gaining access to Treasury’s portal. For those needing additional assistance, NLC has scheduled office hours on dates throughout April to help any League members with their ARPA-SLFRF questions. Information on those office hours may also be found in the NLC article.