Assembly Bill 223

Residency requirements for persons circulating nomination papers or recall petitions

Topics: Elections, Elections: Registration, Recall, United States: President

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 27, 2026. It's ⁠.

Introduced, passed

Apr 23, 2025
Committee, passed

Approved
Assembly vote, passed

Passed Nov 19, 2025
Senate vote, passed

Passed 19 to 14
Governor, passed

Signed
Law, here now

2025 Wisconsin Act 126

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 27, 2026: “Published 3-28-2026”

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 220. 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

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, 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.

Read the full summary

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.

Who's behind it

18 representatives are its ⁠. All 18 are Republicans.

4 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 22 names

Authors (18)

Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
Amanda Nedweski · Republican, Assembly
Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
Jessie Rodriguez · Republican, Assembly
John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly

Signed on in support (4)

Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate

Versions and amendments

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

Amendment Histories

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 1 · Oct 16, 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 Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Government Operations vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Jan 16, 2026

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 18 to 15 · Feb 11, 2026

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (18)

No (15)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 19 to 14 · Feb 11, 2026

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (19)

André Jacque (R, 1)
Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
Cory Tomczyk (R, 29)
Dan Feyen (R, 20)
Devin LeMahieu (R, 9)
Eric Wimberger (R, 2)
Howard Marklein (R, 17)
Jamie Wall (D, 30)
Jesse James (R, 23)
John Jagler (R, 13)
Julian Bradley (R, 28)
Mary Felzkowski (R, 12)
Patrick Testin (R, 24)
Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R, 19)
Rob Hutton (R, 5)
Rob Stafsholt (R, 10)
Romaine Quinn (R, 25)
Steve Nass (R, 11)
Van Wanggaard (R, 21)

No (14)

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

Mar 27, 2026

The new law was published.
Mar 27, 2026

The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 126.
Mar 25, 2026

Sent to the governor.
Mar 24, 2026

“Attempted to present to the Governor on 3-24-2026 by directive of the Speaker” (the official wording)
Feb 11, 2026

The Senate passed it too, 19 to 14.
Feb 11, 2026

“Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken” (the official wording)
Jan 16, 2026

The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.
Jan 7, 2026

The committee held a public hearing.
Nov 20, 2025

Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
Nov 20, 2025

The Senate received it.
Nov 19, 2025

The Assembly passed it.
Oct 16, 2025

Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
Oct 16, 2025

The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 1.
Jun 3, 2025

The committee held a public hearing.
Apr 23, 2025

Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
Apr 23, 2025

Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word

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
Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections
Jun 3, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
Oct 16, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 1
Oct 16, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 11-19-2025 by Committee on Rules
Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
Nov 20, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly
Nov 20, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development
Jan 7, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2
Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
Feb 9, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Smith, Carpenter, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff and Wall
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate, Ayes 18, Noes 15
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 14
Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-13-2026
Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly
Attempted to present to the Governor on 3-24-2026 by directive of the Speaker
Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-25-2026 by directive of the Speaker
Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 126
Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly
Published 3-28-2026

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

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

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary