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Updates on the EMS Legislative Package
In April, the League joined members from around the state in Senate and Assembly public hearings to testify in-support of a package of three bills aimed at addressing the emergency medical services (EMS) crisis in Wisconsin. With hours of detailed testimony and heart-wrenching stories, legislators responded, passing 2025 Wisconsin Acts 35 and 36. Thank you to the authors, Senator Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) for your leadership on these initiatives. The new laws were outlined in the October 27th edition of the Legislative Bulletin, but we now have a few updates to share.
EMS Training Courses
ďťżAct 35 created three new programs, including a grant program for technical colleges to expand access to emergency medical technician (EMT) courses, a reimbursement program for EMT initial training costs, and a pilot program for 911 video calls to dispatchers. While the legislation was signed into law, the three agencies responsible for the programs were required to come back to a legislative committee with a proposal seeking approval to release funding.
On Thursday, December 11th, the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) had $7 million for its EMS education grant program released. As municipalities across the state seek more EMTs to fill workforce shortages and prepare for current practitioners to age out of service, this funding improves access for training new individuals to join their departments. The League thanks WTCS for its quick funding request and the Joint Committee on Finance for approving the release of the funding.
Fire District ERP Exemption
Act 36 included three unique provisions based on concerns heard by Wisconsinâs EMS leaders. One provision exempted the annual growth in the current levy limit exemption for fire and EMS districts from the calculation for the Expenditure Restraint Program (ERP). Following clarification from the Department of Revenue (DOR), weâve learned that this exemption will first apply to ERP forms submitted by May 1, 2026 for ERP payments distributed in 2027. While the law was in effect prior to 2026 payments, estimated distributions were calculated prior to the law taking effect, leading to this delay in implementation.
EMS Levy Limit Exemption
Acts 35 and 36 were just two pieces of the three bill package heard in April. The third companion piece of legislation, Senate Bill 181 and Assembly Bill 197, have regrettably reached a point where the League has moved our registration from in-favor to opposed as a result of a counterproductive amendment being introduced.
Under current law, fire and EMS districts charges assessed by the district to the municipality are exempt from levy limit calculations and are allowed to grow at an annual rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase plus 2% per year. Additionally, under current law, any county can establish a countywide EMS system outside of their levy limits with no constraints on the growth.
As originally introduced, these bills would have created a third levy limit exemption for EMS that was meant to mimic the countywide levy limit exemption while recognizing that county borders may not always be the most logical territory for EMS response. If an EMS department provides service to an area that includes at least eight cities, villages, and towns or serves at least 232 square miles â both figures representing the smallest counties in Wisconsin â then their charges could be outside of levy limit calculations with an annual growth of CPI plus 5%.
To address concerns over property tax increases raised by the single stakeholder group opposed to these bills, an amendment was introduced. This amendment not only removes the benefit of this legislation but sets a dangerous precedent for the existing levy limit exemptions for EMS and other exempt costs like disaster response and transferred services.
Senate and Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 would require a referendum to establish the regional district that could implement the levy limit exemption and would then require a referendum every five years to maintain the levy limit exemption. If any referendum fails, the levy limit exemption would be void, potentially resulting in EMS interruptions, EMT layoffs, contract disruptions, and debt defaults, all while straining intergovernmental cooperation. Further, the amendment lowers the allowable annual growth in the levy limit exemption from CPI plus 5% to CPI plus 2%, matching the current fire and EMS district exemptionâs allowable growth that is approved by a vote of the governing body.
Municipalities are thinking creatively and working tirelessly to continue providing timely, high-quality EMS to their residents. Increasingly this includes service consolidation with neighboring cities, villages, and towns. Incentivizing consolidation as the original legislation sought to do was a net benefit, leading to the Leagueâs support. The amendment disincentivizes consolidation, requiring a tedious, burdensome, and expensive process with little to no benefit to residents or local governments.
As of today, the Senate Committee on Health recommended the bill for passage without the amendment on a 5-0 vote. Thank you to Chairwoman Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and committee members for supporting the original legislation. After the vote, the amendment was introduced in the Senate. However, the full Senate would have to vote to adopt the amendment on the floor if the bill is scheduled for a full Senate vote. In the other chamber, the Assembly Committee on State Affairs voted on the bill with the amendment attached, regrettably leading to a unanimous 10-0 vote in support as amended.
Municipalities are already contemplating referenda to address their growing EMS costs, but these referenda may be one-time, not every five years, and municipalities can set the amount of funding requested from voters without being restricted by the tight requirements of the amended legislation. The League regrets that a once promising initiative to address the EMS crisis in Wisconsin has now turned into an avenue for powerful lobbyists to continue to attack the mechanism that can provide necessary relief for local governments in funding a critical need. With very restrictive levy limits, it is unfortunate that emergency medical service was the area selected to draw a hard line in the sand. Due to the amendment the League must move to opposed. If this legislation passes, make no mistake: this will not be the Wisconsin Realtors Associationâs last attack on levy limits.
The League will be preparing an opposition memo to the legislation prior to the January floorperiod where the bill may be voted on by the full chambers. This legislation as amended hurts, not helps the EMS crisis in Wisconsin.
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