Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: making certain child care expenditures eligible for the business development tax credit. (FE)
Business Day care Economic development corporation wisconsin Income tax — Credit Organization miscellaneous
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, a business may receive a refundable business development tax credit for an amount equal to up to 15 percent of the business’s investment in establishing an employee child care program for employees. Such investments may include only capital expenditures made by the person. Because the credit is refundable, if the credit exceeds the claimant’s tax liability, the claimant will receive the difference as a refund check.
Under this bill, a business may receive a credit for an amount of up to 15 percent of the business’s costs incurred to provide child care services for employees. “Costs incurred to provide child care services for employees” includes capital expenditures made to establish a child care program for employees, expenditures for the operation of a child care program for employees, expenditures to reimburse employees for child care expenses, expenditures to purchase or reserve child care slots on behalf of employees, contributions made by an employer to an employee’s dependent care flexible spending account, and any other cost or expense incurred due to a benefit provided by an employer to facilitate the provision or utilization by employees of child care services.
The bill also provides that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation may certify a nonprofit entity described under section
501
(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code for the business development tax credit for expenditures on providing child care services to employees.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 12
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
- Bellin Gundersen Health System, Inc.
- Business Education Fund
- Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce
- Family Friendly Workplaces, Inc.
- League of Wisconsin Municipalities
- League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, Inc
- Thriving Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Dairy Products Association Inc
- Wisconsin Economic Development Association
- Wisconsin Grocers Association
- Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Inc.
- Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
Votes
Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0
Passed 9–0 Jan 15, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Assembly: Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4
Passed 11–4 Feb 4, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- May 30, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Hurd, Armstrong, Behnke, Dittrich, Donovan, Green, Kaufert, Kitchens, Knodl, Kreibich, Krug, Melotik, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman and Steffen; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Cabral-Guevara, Feyen, James, Nass and Quinn
- May 30, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Children and Families
- Jun 17, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jun 25, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jul 10, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Tucker added as a coauthor
- Nov 5, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0
- Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly
Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Assembly Rule 24 (3)(a)
- Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken by joint committee on Finance
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 11:14 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1