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Final Floor Sessions for 2025
The Senate will be meeting on Tuesday, November 18th and the Assembly will be meeting on Wednesday, November 19th. These are the last floor sessions for 2025. Committees will continue to hold hearings and take executive action on bills, but the full legislature is not scheduled to hold another floor session until the week of January 12, 2026. It is expected at this time the Senate and Assembly will both hold floor sessions in January. It is unclear what will happen after that, but they do have additional dates available for floor sessions in February and March, although Speaker Vos has said publicly he intends for the Assembly to adjourn in February.
Recent Legislation Circulated
The following bills are being circulated for cosponsorship.
Neighborhood Improvement Districts
Cosponsorship Memo. Relating to: financing certain infrastructure by special charge approved by a neighborhood improvement district.
According to the cosponsorship memo:
There is broad agreement about the need to increase the production of housing to meet current and future demand. One proposal that has yet to be considered in Wisconsin is some version of a district that self-funds infrastructure, oftentimes referred to in other states as community development districts. This bill takes this idea and makes some change to fit into the framework of existing Wisconsin law in the form of Neighborhood Improvement Districts (NIDs).
LRB 5146/5478 allows a NID to be formed by a developer, with local government consent, to set up a structure to pay for the financing of infrastructure improvements. In this arrangement a developer and a city, village or town agree on a plan to put infrastructure within district boundaries for the purpose of developing that land into housing. The community would secure financing, from the markets or BCPL, backed by special assessments that would be placed on the lots after they sell.
According to Legislative Reference Bureau:
Under current law, a municipality may create a neighborhood improvement district (NID) upon being petitioned to do so by an owner of real property that is located in the proposed NID. In general, a NID is an area within a municipality consisting of parcels that are near to one another, but not necessarily contiguous, at least some of which are used for residential purposes and subject to general real estate taxes. A NID is governed by a board, whose members are elected.
A municipality may adopt an initial operating plan for the NID, and the board may annually make changes to the operating plan, subject to the approval of the municipality’s governing body. Under current law, the creating municipality may impose special assessments on the property in a NID, and may appropriate other money to the NID. These funds must be placed in a segregated account and must be spent on implementing the NID’s operating plan. Generally, the NID board determine how funds are spent.
This bill allows a municipality to create a NID that also has the authority to approve a special charge against properties within the NID. The NID may be created only upon petition by all owners of real property subject to general real estate taxes in the proposed NID. In this type of NID, upon request by the NID, the municipality may impose a special charge on properties within the NID with all proceeds of the special charge to be used to fund infrastructure related to residential development within the NID. Special charges imposed under this authority may be collected in installments and may be included on property tax bills.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, an owner selling residential real property or vacant land must give a prospective buyer a form, known as a real estate condition report for residential real property and known as the vacant land disclosure report for vacant land (real estate condition report), on which the owner discloses certain conditions of, and other information about, the real property of which the owner is aware. Currently, as part of the real estate condition report, an owner must disclose whether the owner is aware of pending special assessments. Under the bill, the owner must also disclose whether the owner is aware of any NID special charges.
Vehicle Weight Limits
Cosponsorship Memo. Relating to: weight limits for vehicles transporting grain, feed, or commercial fertilizer.
According to the cosponsorship memo:
This bill creates a new permit to allow more efficient transportation of agricultural commodities on trucks equipped with additional axles. Industry stakeholders cite a continuing shortage of qualified CDL drivers, ongoing efforts to improve fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and growing volumes of cargo that must be moved. These factors support creating a state permit for transporting grain, feedstuffs, and commercial fertilizers on the state highway system.
The proposal authorizes Wisconsin Department of Transportation to issue an annual or consecutive month permit for trucks with at least six axles, allowing operation up to 91,000 pounds. Operation would be limited to DOT approved state trunk highway routes and would exclude Interstates and local highways unless the application includes written approval from the officer responsible for maintaining the affected local highway.
According to Legislative Reference Bureau:
The bill authorizes DOT to issue permits, for a fee of $325, for the transport of grain, feed, or commercial fertilizers at a weight not to exceed 91,000 pounds. The permit is valid for the transportation of grain, feed, or commercial fertilizer only on highways that are within the state trunk highway system and only on a route specified by the department. Other highways may be used with written approval of the officers in charge of maintenance of the other highways. DOT may suspend the permit during a spring thaw.
Recent Legislation Introduced
The following bills have been recently introduced and referred to a standing committee.
Disabling Drones
Cosponsorship Memo (SB-626/AB-629) Relating to: police authority to disable drones threatening public safety.
According to the cosponsorship memo:
This legislation was requested by local law enforcement partners, and allows a law enforcement officer to detect, identify, and track a drone to ultimately intercept, disable, or destroy the drone through lawful methods should it be needed to protect the public. It also addresses the concern of how to treat the operator of a weaponized drone. This can include a drone outfitted with a firearm, taser, flamethrower, chemical or explosive device. Should such a drone pose a threat to public safety, the operator would be subject to a Class H felony carrying up to 6 years in jail.
According to the Legislative Reference Bureau:
This bill provides that a law enforcement officer may do any of the following to mitigate the threat posed by a drone that the officer reasonably suspects poses an imminent threat to public safety: 1) detect, track, and identify the drone; and 2) intercept, disable, or destroy the drone through any lawful method, including jamming, hacking, or physically capturing the drone. The bill provides that neither the law enforcement officer nor the agency that employs them is financially liable for damage to or loss of a drone that is intercepted, disabled, or destroyed.
Under current law, no person may operate a drone over a correctional institution without the express permission of the secretary of corrections. A person who violates this prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of $5,000. This bill provides that a person who violates this prohibition by use of a weaponized drone, the use of which poses a threat to public safety, is guilty of a Class H felony. “Weaponized drone” is defined to mean a drone equipped with a taser, firearm, flamethrower, chemical, or explosive device.
Groundwater Standards
Cosponsorship Memo (SB-628/AB-635) Relating to: notifying counties and tribes of an exceedance of groundwater protection standards or standards for PFAS.
According to the cosponsorship memo:
This legislation requires the DNR to notify county and tribal health departments when they discover an exceedance in groundwater quality standards, including proposed PFAS standards. This bill does not change any definitions of groundwater standards or PFAS contamination.
According to the Legislative References Bureau:
Under this bill, if the Department of Natural Resources finds that there has been an exceedance of groundwater standards or of any standard for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance (commonly known as PFAS) in a proposed or promulgated DNR rule, DNR must notify the county health department, tribal health department, and county land and conservation department in the affected county. DNR must also notify the county health department, tribal health department, and county land and conservation department in any adjacent county that DNR determines may be negatively affected by the exceedance.
The bill requires DNR to provide these notices within seven business days after verifying that an exceedance has occurred. The bill also requires DNR to create and maintain a notification system for notifying county health departments, tribal health departments, and county land and conservation departments of the types of exceedances that trigger the notice requirement.
Information Technology
Cosponsorship Memo (SB-633/AB-487), Relating to: meeting in closed session to consider information technology security issues.
According to the cosponsorship memo:
Wisconsin, like all states, depends on IT systems for essential functions, systems that are mission-critical and constant targets of cyberattacks. When public bodies must discuss vulnerabilities in open session, they risk exposing sensitive details that could guide bad actors. Information about outdated software or weak protections should not be broadcast in real time, as it endangers taxpayer dollars, elections, and public trust.
This bill allows certain oversight entities to meet in closed session for the limited purpose of discussing cybersecurity, while still requiring periodic public summaries. The approach balances two key values: security and transparency.
By creating a safe forum for candid discussion, Wisconsin can:
• Identify and mitigate risks.
• Coordinate agency responses.
• Protect elections, finances, and citizen data.
• Maintain public confidence through responsible disclosure.
Cybersecurity is no longer a niche issue; it is central to good governance. This legislation ensures Wisconsin remains vigilant and forward-looking in protecting its digital infrastructure.
According to the Legislative References Bureau:
This bill allows the following entities to go into closed session for the purpose of considering information technology security issues affecting information technology systems over which the entities have jurisdiction or exercise responsibility:
1. The State of Wisconsin Investment Board.
2. The Ethics Commission.
3. The Elections Commission.
4. The Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology.
5. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
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