Assembly Bill 217
Local government competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)
Topics: Consumer protection, Milwaukee: Sewerage, Public works, Purchasing, Government
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 3, 2026. It's .
-
Introduced, passed
Apr 23, 2025
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 17, 2026
-
Senate vote, passed
Passed Mar 17, 2026
-
Governor, passed
Signed
-
Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 188
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 3, 2026: “Published 4-4-2026”
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
Embed this on your site
Paste this code into your page. The card shows the latest record each time it loads. Preview the card
The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 216. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, in general, if the estimated cost of a local government public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the local governmental unit must provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, the local governmental unit must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation. The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work by a county for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a town or county after the completion of construction. With regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village.
Who's behind it
14 representatives are its . All 14 are Republicans.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 20 names Hide the names
Authors (14)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Nancy VanderMeer · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Ortiz-Velez, Miresse and Anderson
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
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 Local Government vote on an amendment
Passed, 10 to 0 · May 29, 2025
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 Local Government, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Local Government vote to recommend it
Passed, 10 to 0 · May 29, 2025
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 Local Government, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 16, 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
-
Apr 3, 2026
The new law was published.
-
Apr 3, 2026
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 188.
-
Apr 2, 2026
Sent to the governor.
-
Mar 17, 2026
1 more senator signed on in support.
-
Mar 17, 2026
The Senate passed it too.
-
Mar 16, 2026
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
-
Feb 20, 2026
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
-
Feb 18, 2026
The Senate received it.
-
Feb 17, 2026
The Assembly passed it.
-
Feb 17, 2026
The Assembly adopted it.
-
Jul 28, 2025 to Feb 16, 2026
4 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
-
May 29, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
May 29, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 0.
-
May 15, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
-
May 7, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
-
May 7, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Apr 23, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Local Government.
-
Apr 23, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives O'Connor, Brooks, Armstrong, Novak, Donovan, Kitchens, Franklin, VanderMeer, B. Jacobson, Gundrum, Knodl, Mursau, Dittrich and Melotik; cosponsored by Senator Tomczyk
- Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government
- May 6, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives O'Connor, Maxey and Donovan
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- May 14, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative O'Connor
- May 15, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Tittl added as a coauthor
- May 28, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- May 29, 2025 · Assembly
Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 10, Noes 0
- May 29, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 10, Noes 0
- May 29, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jul 28, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Udell added as a coauthor
- Sep 23, 2025 · Assembly
Senator Carpenter added as a cosponsor
- Oct 28, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative O'Connor
- Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026
- Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly
Representatives Ortiz-Velez, Miresse and Anderson added as coauthors
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 18, 2026 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 20, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Feb 20, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Senator Smith added as a cosponsor
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 26, 2026 · Assembly
LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1)
- Mar 26, 2026 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-26-2026
- Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
- Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 188
- Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly
Published 4-4-2026
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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
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