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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 253

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: independence accounts. (FE)

Health services department of — Supportive living and treatment Inheritance Medical assistance

  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

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to allow an individual to deposit up to $15,000 of the individual’s gross earnings in an independence account over a 12-month period. Further, the bill prohibits DHS from including assets acquired by an individual by inheritance when determining the individual’s financial eligibility for Medical Assistance benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan.

Under current law, an independence account is an account approved by DHS that consists solely of savings, dividends, other gains derived from those savings, and income earned from paid employment after the date on which the individual began receiving Medical Assistance benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan. The Medical Assistance purchase plan is a subprogram of the Medical Assistance program that allows individuals who have a qualifying disability and who are working or who want to work to remain eligible for Medical Assistance benefits. To be eligible for benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan, among other things, an individual’s assets must not exceed $15,000, but assets accumulated in an independence account are excluded from the calculation. The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Behnke (R) , Brooks (R) , Kaufert (R) , Knodl (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Subeck (D) , Wichgers (R)

9 cosponsors

Feyen (R) , J. Jacobson (D) , Jacque (R) , Madison and Clancy , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Palmeri and Stubbs , Smith (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Vining (D)

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

Passed 14–0 Sep 15, 2025 official source full page

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

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

Passed 14–0 Sep 15, 2025 official source full page

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

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

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

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

Full history

  1. May 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Brooks, Kaufert, Allen, Knodl, Murphy, Mursau, Subeck, Wichgers and Behnke; cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Feyen

  2. May 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

  3. Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  4. Jun 25, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jul 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Aug 27, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Brooks

  7. Sep 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Sep 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Representatives Palmeri and Stubbs added as coauthors

  9. Sep 9, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor

  10. Sep 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  11. Sep 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  12. Sep 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  13. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules

  14. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Representatives Madison and Clancy added as coauthors

  15. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  16. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Vining added as a coauthor

  17. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  18. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  21. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Jan 20, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Jan 23, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  24. Jan 23, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  25. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  26. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  27. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  31. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  32. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  33. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  34. Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Senator Spreitzer added as a cosponsor

  35. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-25-2026

  36. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  37. Apr 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 225

  38. Apr 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-9-2026