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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 208

An income and franchise tax exemption for broadband expansion grants and for federal high-cost program funding for broadband expansion. (FE)

Topics: Data processing, Federal aid, Franchise: Taxation, Income tax: Deduction, Legislature: Tax Exemptions, Joint Survey Committee on

Stopped before the full Assembly voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 23, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 176. That version was vetoed.

What it would have done

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

This bill exempts from state income and franchise taxes income received in the form of a grant issued by this state; a city, village, town, or county of this state; a tribal government in this state; or the federal government for broadband expansion in this state. The bill also exempts from income and franchise taxes income received in the form of funding from the federal government for any high-cost universal service funding for broadband expansion. Current law provides an income and franchise tax exemption for income received in the form of allocations issued by this state with moneys received from the federal coronavirus relief fund to be used for broadband expansion. The bill prohibits claiming the exemptions under the bill and the exemption under current law for the same grant.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

Who's behind it

24 representatives are its ⁠. 19 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats.

14 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 38 names

Authors (24)

Signed on in support (14)

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 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Ways and Means vote to recommend it

Passed, 10 to 0 · May 8, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Ways and Means, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Joint Committee on Finance vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 4 · Feb 4, 2026

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

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 4, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Feb 4, 2026

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

  4. Jan 30, 2026

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  5. Nov 11, 2025

    “Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received” (the official wording)

  6. Nov 7, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions.

  7. May 13, 2025 to Jun 10, 2025

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  8. May 8, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  9. May 8, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 0.

  10. Apr 30, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  11. Apr 25, 2025 to Apr 30, 2025

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  12. Apr 24, 2025

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  13. Apr 23, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means.

  14. Apr 23, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Summerfield, Steffen, Gustafson, Armstrong, Callahan, Dittrich, Green, B. Jacobson, J. Jacobson, Johnson, Kaufert, Kitchens, Kreibich, Moses, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Subeck, Swearingen, Tucker, Udell, VanderMeer, Wittke and Joers; cosponsored by Senators Quinn, Bradley, Feyen, James, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Stafsholt, Testin, Tomczyk and Wimberger

  2. Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Ways and Means

  3. Apr 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Apr 25, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Miresse added as a coauthor

  5. Apr 30, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Stubbs added as a coauthor

  6. Apr 30, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  7. May 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. May 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Ways and Means, Ayes 10, Noes 0

  9. May 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. May 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative McCarville added as a coauthor

  11. Jun 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Bare added as a coauthor

  12. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (4)

  13. Nov 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken by joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions

  14. Nov 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received

  15. Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Assembly Rule 24 (3)(a)

  16. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken by joint committee on Finance

  17. Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  18. Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  19. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:10 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14

  20. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Stubbs withdrawn as a coauthor

  21. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Summerfield

  22. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Laid on the table

  23. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

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

Author

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

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

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

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

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

Official term: Fiscal estimate

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote