The bill also modifies the maximum wage earnings limit for businesses that enter into contracts with WEDC after December 31, 2025. Under current law, the maximum wage earnings that may be considered per employee for the enterprise zone tax credit is $100,000. The bill increases this amount to $151,300, which is adjusted annually for inflation, and establishes the same dollar amount limit for the business development tax credit.
The bill also adjusts the definition of “full-time job” for the purposes of the business development and enterprise zone jobs tax credits by removing the current requirement that a worker work at least 2,080 hours per year, including paid leave and holidays, in order to be considered “full-time.”
Enterprise zone designations
Under current law, WEDC may designate any number of enterprise zones for purposes of certifying taxpayers to claim tax credits for certain activities carried out within an enterprise zone. However, current law subjects WEDC’s designation of a new enterprise zone to the approval of JCF under passive review. The bill provides that WEDC may designate no more than 30 enterprise zones and eliminates the requirement that WEDC seek approval for a new enterprise zone from JCF under passive review.
Adjustment to WEDC appropriation
The bill adjusts the calculation used to determine the amount of WEDC’s GPR appropriation. The bill does not raise the expenditure cap on that appropriation, which is $16,512,500 per fiscal year.
WEDC’s unassigned fund balance
Current law requires that WEDC establish policies and procedures concerning its unassigned fund balance, which is defined as all moneys held by WEDC that WEDC is not obligated by law or by contract to expend for a particular purpose or that WEDC has not otherwise assigned to be expended for a particular purpose. Under current law, those policies and procedures must include as a target that WEDC’s unassigned fund balance on June 30 of each fiscal year be an amount equal to or less than one-sixth of WEDC’s total administrative expenditures for that fiscal year. The bill eliminates the requirement that WEDC’s policies and procedures include that target for WEDC’s unassigned fund balance.
Main street bounceback grants
The bill increases by $50,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025-26 for the purpose of awarding grants of $10,000 each to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that open a new location or expand operations in a vacant commercial space. A recipient of a grant under the bill may use grant moneys for commercial lease and mortgage payments, business operating expenses, and commercial building repair and tenant improvements.
Advanced manufacturing grants
The bill increases by $5,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025-26 for the purpose of establishing a program to award matching grants to small and midsized manufacturing companies located in this state to invest in advanced manufacturing technologies. No one company may receive more than $200,000 in grants under the bill, and no one grant under the bill may be for more than one-third of the amount invested in advanced manufacturing technologies by the company. To receive a grant under the bill, a company must commit to not reduce its employment below the level when the grant is awarded. If a company that receives a grant under the bill fails to meet this commitment within 10 years after receiving the grant, the company must repay the grant amount to WEDC. WEDC may provide an exemption to the repayment requirement if it finds that the company has undergone a unique hardship.
Funding for the green innovation fund
The bill increases by $50,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025-26 for the purpose of supporting the green innovation fund.
Funding for the Forward Agriculture program
The bill increases by $15,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025-26 for the purpose of providing state matching funds related to federal funding in conjunction with WiSys’s Forward Agriculture program to promote sustainable agriculture.
Accelerate Wisconsin
The bill increases by $10,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025-26 for the purpose of supporting a business accelerator program to be administered in cooperation with the UW System and aimed at developing research, including research from the UW System, into new startup businesses. As part of the program, WEDC may award grants directly to businesses to assist in their growth and development and may award grants to or in support of business incubators.
Tribal enterprise accelerator program
The bill increases by $5,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025–26 for the purpose of creating a tribal enterprise accelerator program to offer statewide technical assistance and grants for community development investment and capacity building to American Indian tribes or bands in this state to diversify their revenue strategies in industries other than the gaming and entertainment industries.
Thrive Rural Wisconsin funding accessibility
The bill increases by $5,000,000 the amount WEDC may expend from its GPR appropriation for general operations and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025–26 for the purpose of supporting WEDC’s Thrive Rural Wisconsin program. Under the bill, WEDC must provide funding to its established regional and tribal partners to develop and fund projects in nonmetropolitan municipalities with populations of less than 10,000 to provide for increased availability and accessibility of local project capital.
Financing projects for qualifying tax-exempt organizations
Under current law, WHEFA may issue bonds to finance certain projects of health, educational, research, and other nonprofit institutions. The bill requires that those health, educational, research, and other nonprofit institutions be located in this state, headquartered in this state, or serving a population in this state.
Financing working capital costs of certain nonprofit institutions
Under current law, WHEFA may issue bonds to finance certain projects of health, educational, research, and other nonprofit institutions. The bill authorizes WHEFA to issue bonds for the purpose of financing such institutions’ working capital costs.
Landlord-tenant
Notification of building code violations
Under current law, before entering into a lease with or accepting any earnest money or a security deposit from a prospective tenant, a landlord must disclose to the prospective tenant any building code or housing code violations of which the landlord has actual knowledge if the violation presents a significant threat to the prospective tenant’s health or safety. The bill eliminates the condition that the landlord have actual knowledge of such a violation and that the threat to the prospective tenant’s health or safety be “significant”; under the bill, the landlord must disclose to a prospective tenant a building code or housing code violation, regardless of whether the landlord has actual knowledge of the violation, if the violation presents a threat to the prospective tenant’s health or safety.
Local landlord-tenant ordinances, moratoria on evictions, and rental property inspection requirements
The bill also makes changes to local landlord-tenant ordinances, local moratoria on evictions, and local rental property inspection requirements. See Local Government.
Tourism
Tourism marketing funding from Indian gaming receipts
Current law requires DOA to transfer portions of Indian gaming receipts to the Department of Tourism for certain tourism marketing expenses. The bill eliminates that requirement. The bill leaves in place an appropriation funding the same purposes from GPR and from the transportation fund.
American Indian tourism marketing
The bill requires DOA to award an annual grant to the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council to provide funding for a program to promote tourism featuring American Indian heritage and culture. As a condition of receiving the grant, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council must include information on the tourism promotion program in its annual report to DOA. The bill also transfers from the Department of Tourism to DOA a contract between the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council and the Department of Tourism that relates to the promotion of tourism featuring American Indian heritage and culture.
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
Adult correctional system
Earned compliance credit
The bill creates an earned compliance credit for time spent on extended supervision or parole. Under current law, a person’s extended supervision or parole may be revoked if he or she violates a condition or rule of the extended supervision or parole. If extended supervision or parole is revoked, the person is returned to prison for an amount of time up to the length of the original sentence, less any time actually served in confinement and less any credit for good behavior. Under current law, when extended supervision or parole is revoked, the time spent on extended supervision or parole is not credited as time served under the sentence.
Under the bill, an eligible inmate receives an earned compliance credit for time served on extended supervision or parole. The earned compliance credit equals the amount of time served on extended supervision or parole without violating any condition or rule of extended supervision or parole. Under the bill, a person is eligible to receive the earned compliance credit only if the person is not required to register as a sex offender and is serving a sentence for a crime that is not a specified violent crime or a specified crime against a child. Under the bill, if a person’s extended supervision or parole is revoked, he or she may be incarcerated for up to the length of the original sentence, less any credit for time served in confinement, any credit for good behavior, and any earned compliance credit.
Earned release
Under current law, an eligible inmate may earn early release to parole or extended supervision by successfully completing a substance abuse program. An inmate is eligible for earned release only if the inmate is serving time for a crime that is not a violent crime and, for an inmate who is serving a bifurcated sentence, the sentencing court determines that the inmate is eligible.
Under current law, DOC operates a mother-young child care program in which females in DOC custody who are pregnant or have a child that is less than one year old may be placed in less restrictive custodial placements and participate in services aimed at creating a stable relationship between the mother and her child and preparing the mother to be able to live in a safe, lawful, and stable manner in the community.
The bill expands the earned release program to include two new options: 1) successful completion of the mother-young child care program, or 2) successful completion of a vocational readiness program, which includes educational, vocational, treatment, or other qualifying evidence-based training programs to reduce recidivism. The bill also provides that DOC, not the sentencing court, determines eligibility for earned release for all inmates.
Creating the Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections
The bill creates the Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections, attached to DOC. The office is under the direction of an ombudsperson, who is appointed by the governor, is approved by a three-quarters vote of the senate, and may be removed only by the governor, for just cause. Under the bill, the ombudsperson accepts complaints regarding facilities and abuse, unfair acts, and violations of rights of prisoners and juveniles from persons being held in state prisons and juvenile correctional facilities. Under the bill, the ombudsperson has the power to investigate a variety of actions by DOC and make recommendations on the basis of the investigations. If the ombudsperson determines to make a recommendation to a state prison or juvenile correctional facility, the superintendent of the state prison or juvenile correctional facility has 30 days to respond to the recommendations of the ombudsperson.
Also under the bill, the Office of the Ombudsperson for Corrections must annually publish a report of its findings, recommendations, and investigation results and distribute the report to the governor, the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, and the secretary of corrections.
Contracts for temporary housing for or detention of persons placed on probation or sentenced to imprisonment
Under current law, DOC may contract with local units of government for temporary housing or detention in jails or houses of correction for persons placed on probation or sentenced to imprisonment in state prisons or to the intensive sanctions program. Under such a contract, the rate may not exceed $60 per person per day. The bill increases the rate that may be set under such a contract to up to $80 per person per day.
Juvenile correctional system
Age of juvenile court jurisdiction
Under current law, a person 17 years of age or older who is alleged to have violated a criminal law is subject to the procedures specified in the Criminal Procedure Code and, on conviction, is subject to sentencing under the Criminal Code, which may include a sentence of imprisonment in the Wisconsin state prisons. Currently, subject to certain exceptions, a person under 17 years of age who is alleged to have violated a criminal law is subject to the procedures specified in the Juvenile Justice Code and, on being adjudicated delinquent, is subject to an array of dispositions under that code, including placement in a juvenile correctional facility. The bill raises from 17 to 18 the age at which a person who is alleged to have violated a criminal law is subject to the procedures specified in the Criminal Procedure Code and, on conviction, to sentencing under the Criminal Code.
Similarly, under current law, a person 17 years of age or older who is alleged to have violated a civil law or municipal ordinance is subject to the jurisdiction and procedures of the circuit court or, if applicable, the municipal court, while a person under 17 years of age who is alleged to have violated a civil law or municipal ordinance, subject to certain exceptions, is subject to the jurisdiction and procedures of the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under the Juvenile Justice Code. The bill raises from 17 to 18 the age at which a person who is alleged to have violated a civil law or municipal ordinance is subject to the jurisdiction and procedures of the circuit court or, if applicable, the municipal court.
Seventeen-year-old juvenile justice aids
The bill creates a sum sufficient appropriation under DCF for youth aids-related purposes but only to reimburse counties, beginning on January 1, 2026, for costs associated with juveniles who were alleged to have violated a state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance at age 17.
Juvenile justice reform review committee
The bill creates a juvenile justice reform review committee in DCF with members appointed by the governor. Under the bill, the committee is charged with studying and providing recommendations to DCF and DOC on how to do all of the following:
1. Increase the minimum age of delinquency.
2. Eliminate original adult court jurisdiction over juveniles.
3. Modify the waiver procedure for adult court jurisdiction over juveniles and incorporate offenses currently subject to original adult court jurisdiction into the waiver procedure.
4. Eliminate the serious juvenile offender program and create extended juvenile court jurisdiction with a blended juvenile and adult sentence structure for certain juvenile offenders.
5. Prohibit placement of a juvenile in a juvenile detention facility for a status offense and limit sanctions and short-term holds in a juvenile detention facility to cases where there is a public safety risk.
6. Sunset long-term post-disposition programs at juvenile detention facilities.
7. Create a sentence adjustment procedure for youthful offenders.
8. Conform with the U.S. Constitution the statutes that mandate imposing sentences of life imprisonment without parole or extended supervision to minors.
Under the bill, the committee terminates on September 15, 2026, and DCF and DOC must submit in their 2027–29 biennial budget requests a request to implement the committee’s recommendations.
Contract payments for placement of juveniles
The bill creates a sum sufficient GPR appropriation for DOC to make payments under contracts for the placement of juveniles. The bill limits the appropriation to $20,000,000 in each fiscal year and sunsets it on July 1, 2029.
Juveniles placed at Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center
Under current law, DOC may transfer to the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) juveniles who are under DOC’s supervision or juveniles who are placed in a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility regardless of whether those juveniles are under the supervision of DOC or a county department of social services or human services. Current law requires DOC to reimburse DHS for the cost of providing services to these juveniles at MJTC at a per person daily cost specified by DHS. The bill specifies that DOC is required to reimburse DHS only for the cost of services provided to juveniles who are under DOC’s supervision and are transferred to MJTC.
Daily rates for juvenile correctional services
Under current law, DOC charges counties for the costs of certain juvenile correctional services DOC provides according to a per person daily cost assessment specified in the statutes (daily rate). Counties use community youth and family aids (youth aids) funding allocated to them from various state and federal moneys to pay these costs. Under current law, the daily rate for care of a juvenile who is in a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility or transferred from a juvenile correctional facility to an inpatient treatment facility is set at $1,268 until June 30, 2025. The bill continues this daily rate until June 30, 2027.
Youth aids; allocations
Under current law, DCF is required to allocate to counties community youth and family aids (youth aids) funding. Youth aids funding comes from various state and federal moneys and is used to pay for state-provided juvenile correctional services and local delinquency-related and juvenile justice services. The bill updates the allocation of youth aids funding that is available to counties for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium.
The bill eliminates current law requirements that some of the youth aids funding be allocated for emergencies related to youth aids, for alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs, and to reimburse counties that are purchasing community supervision services from DOC for juveniles. The bill also eliminates the community intervention program (CIP), under which DCF may award funding to counties for early intervention services for first offenders. The bill replaces these allocations and CIP with the youth justice system improvement program. Under the bill, DCF may use youth aids funding for the youth justice system improvement program to support diversion, prevention, and early intervention programs, to address emergencies related to youth aids, and to fund other activities required of DCF under youth aids.
Youth aids; administration
Under current law, youth aids funding is allocated to counties on a calendar year basis. Youth aids funds that are not spent in the calendar year can be carried forward three ways: 1) DCF may carry forward 5 percent of a county’s allocation for that county for use in the subsequent calendar year; 2) DCF may carry forward $500,000 or 10 percent of its unspent youth aids funds, whichever is larger, for use in the subsequent two calendar years; and 3) DCF may carry forward any unspent emergency funds for use in the subsequent two calendar years.
The bill changes the way that unspent youth aids are carried forward. Under the bill, DCF may still carry forward 5 percent of a county’s allocation for that county to use in the next calendar year. However, instead of carrying forward $500,000 or 10 percent of its unspent youth aids funds, whichever is larger, for use in the next two calendar years, under the bill, DCF may transfer 10 percent of unspent youth aids funds to the appropriation for the youth justice system improvement program.
COURTS AND PROCEDURE
Supreme court and circuit courts
Office of the Marshals of the Supreme Court
The bill creates the Office of the Marshals of the Supreme Court, to consist of one chief marshal of the supreme court, one deputy chief marshal of the supreme court, deputy marshals of the supreme court, and administrative personnel. The bill provides that the Office of the Marshals of the Supreme Court is a law enforcement agency and that the marshals of the supreme court are law enforcement officers who are employed for the purpose of detecting and preventing crime and enforcing laws or ordinances and are authorized to make arrests for violations of the laws or ordinances. The bill requires the marshals of the supreme court to meet the requirements established by the Law Enforcement Standards Board for officer certification, police pursuit, recruitment, and firearms training and to comply with any other statutory requirements applicable to a law enforcement agency.
The bill also provides that marshals of the Supreme Court are protective occupation participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. Current law specifically classifies police officers, firefighters, and various other individuals as protective occupation participants. Under the WRS, the normal retirement age of a protective occupation participant is lower than that of other participants and the percentage multiplier used to calculate retirement annuities is higher for protective occupation participants than for other participants.
The bill further provides that the Office of the Marshals of the Supreme Court may provide police services to the state court system, with statewide jurisdiction; provide protective services for the supreme court justices and their offices; provide security assessments for the justices, judges, and facilities of the state court system; and provide safety and security support services and advanced security planning services for circuit court proceedings. The operation of the Office of the Marshals of the Supreme Court does not affect the operations or jurisdiction of sheriffs or local law enforcement agencies to perform courthouse security, handle active emergencies, perform criminal investigations, or perform any other law enforcement functions.
Circuit court payments
Under current law, the director of state courts must make payments to counties for certain circuit court costs. Under the bill, beginning on January 1, 2026, the director of state courts must make additional payments to circuit courts, including a payment that, beginning January 1, 2027, is available only to counties that operate an alternatives to prosecution and incarceration program.
Circuit court branches
The bill adds two additional circuit court branches for Brown County on August 1, 2026.
