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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 223

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: residency requirements for persons circulating nomination papers or recall petitions.

Elections Elections — Registration Recall United states — President

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, any person may circulate nomination papers for a candidate if the person is eligible to vote in Wisconsin or is a U.S. citizen aged 18 or older who, if he or she were a Wisconsin resident, would not be disqualified from voting in the state. A person is eligible to vote in Wisconsin if he or she is a U.S. citizen aged 18 or older who has resided in an election district in this state for at least 28 consecutive days.

Under this bill, a person must be eligible to vote in Wisconsin in order to circulate nomination papers for a candidate. However, under the bill, nomination papers and petitions for the candidacy of candidates for the offices of president and vice president of the United States may continue to be circulated by any person eligible to vote in Wisconsin or by any U.S. citizen aged 18 or older who, if he or she were a Wisconsin resident, would not be disqualified from voting in the state.

Similarly, under current law, any person who is eligible to vote in Wisconsin or who is a U.S. citizen aged 18 or older and who, if he or she were a Wisconsin resident, would not be disqualified from voting in the state may circulate a recall petition.

Under the bill, a person must be eligible to vote in Wisconsin in order to circulate a recall petition and have the signatures on the petition be counted toward a recall.

Sponsors

Introduced by: B. Jacobson (R) , Brooks (R) , Dittrich (R) , Duchow (R) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Nedweski (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Rodriguez (R) , Spiros (R) , Steffen (R) , Tucker (R)

4 cosponsors

Marklein (R) , Quinn (R) , Tomczyk (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Votes

Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 1

Passed 6–1 Oct 16, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Jan 16, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 18–15 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

Senate: CONCURRENCE

Passed 19–14 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

Full history

  1. Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Piwowarczyk, B. Jacobson, Brooks, Dittrich, Duchow, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, O'Connor, Penterman, Rodriguez, Spiros, Steffen and Tucker; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Marklein, Quinn and Tomczyk

  2. Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections

  3. Jun 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Oct 16, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 1

  6. Oct 16, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-19-2025 by Committee on Rules

  8. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  9. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  10. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  13. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  14. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development

  15. Jan 7, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  16. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  17. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  18. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  19. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  20. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Smith, Carpenter, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff and Wall

  21. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  22. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken

  23. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  24. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  26. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 14

  27. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-13-2026

  30. Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly

    Attempted to present to the Governor on 3-24-2026 by directive of the Speaker

  31. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-25-2026 by directive of the Speaker

  32. Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 126

  33. Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 3-28-2026