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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 202

Voidable provisions in residential rental agreements and the application of the Wisconsin Consumer Act to leases. (FE)

Topics: Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Department of, Consumer protection, Lease, Mobile home

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Mar 27, 2026. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 17, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 17, 2026

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 18, 2026

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Mar 27, 2026.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 13, 2026: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 206. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a residential lease is void and unenforceable if it contains certain provisions (voidable provisions). Examples of voidable provisions include provisions that: 1) allow landlords to refuse to renew a lease because a tenant has contacted an entity for law enforcement, health, or safety services; 2) waive a landlord’s obligation to mitigate damages; 3) impose liability on a tenant for personal injury arising from causes clearly beyond the tenant’s control, and; 4) allow landlords to terminate a tenancy for a crime committed in relation to the rental property when the tenant’s lease did not include a statutorily required notice of domestic abuse protections.

This bill provides that if court of competent jurisdiction finds that a residential lease includes a voidable provision, a tenant may elect to: 1) void the lease and have their tenancy converted into a periodic tenancy, or; 2) sever the voidable provision from their lease and continue under the remainder of the lease.

Read the full summary

In addition, in April 2024, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals published a decision, Koble Invs. v Marquardt , 2024 WI App 26, regarding certain landlord and tenant matters. As of February 28, 2025, the case was on appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, with parties’ first briefings due to the court in March 2025.

Among the holdings in Koble , the court of appeals determined that a particular landlord was acting as a “debt collector” and that landlord’s tenant was a “customer” as those terms are defined under Wisconsin Consumer Act. The court of appeals also held that because the landlord violated a provision of the Wisconsin Consumer Act, the tenant’s attorney was entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs. Under this bill, the Wisconsin Consumer Act does not apply to residential leases or mobile home leases.

In the same case, the court of appeals held that the tenant’s lease was void and unenforceable under landlord and tenant law, and that, under another law enforcing fair methods of competition, the tenant could recover twice the amount of the tenant’s pecuniary loss, together with reasonable attorney fees and court costs. The bill provides that under landlord and tenant law, a person injured by a voidable provision can recover twice the amount of the pecuniary loss, together with reasonable attorney fees and court costs, and provides that such pecuniary loss does not include any rent paid by the tenant. The bill also limits the remedies a person may seek when a rental agreement includes a voidable provision to only those remedies provided in the bill.

Who's behind it

19 representatives are its ⁠. 18 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 27 names

Authors (19)

Signed on in support (8)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate vote on an amendment

Passed, 11 to 4 · Feb 5, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 4 · Feb 5, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 18, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 13, 2026

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Mar 27, 2026

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Feb 18, 2026

    The Senate passed it too.

  4. Feb 18, 2026

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  5. Feb 18, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  6. Feb 18, 2026

    The Senate received it.

  7. Feb 17, 2026

    The Assembly passed it.

  8. Feb 17, 2026

    The Assembly adopted it.

  9. Feb 17, 2026

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  10. Feb 5, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Feb 5, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 4.

  12. May 15, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Apr 22, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  14. Apr 17, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

  15. Apr 17, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Krug, Brooks, Allen, Armstrong, Franklin, Goeben, B. Jacobson, Kaufert, Kitchens, Moses, Murphy, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Sortwell, Spiros, Tusler, Wittke, Behnke and Snyder; cosponsored by Senators Feyen, Jacque, Jagler, Nass, Quinn, Stafsholt and Wanggaard

  2. Apr 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Housing and Real Estate

  3. Apr 22, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor

  4. May 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Krug

  6. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  8. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  9. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026

  11. Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Krug

  12. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  13. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  14. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  17. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  19. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  20. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  23. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  24. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-18-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  25. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended and taken up

  26. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  27. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  29. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  32. Feb 24, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 1)

  33. Feb 24, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-24-2026

  34. Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-27-2026

  35. May 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  36. May 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary