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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 415

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: use restrictions on state and local government electronic devices.

Administration department of — Agency and general functions Data processing International relations Legislative technology services bureau Municipality State agencies State courts director of Telecommunications

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, stopped here
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under this bill, no official, employee, or contractor of a state agency or local governmental unit, other than a law enforcement officer for law enforcement purposes, may use an electronic device that is owned, operated, or leased by a state agency or local governmental unit to do any of the following:

1. Download, use, or access a web-based or other social media application, channel, or platform that is owned or operated by an entity located in a foreign country of concern.

2. Use any software, software application, or artificial intelligence tool or algorithm that is owned or operated by an entity located in a foreign country of concern.

Under the bill a “foreign country of concern” is a country designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a foreign adversary of the United States. Those countries currently include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro.

In addition to law enforcement officers as noted above, the bill provides and exemption for an official, employee, or contractor of a state agency or local governmental unit who obtains a written waiver from the secretary of administration for limited purposes related to the performance of their duties. The secretary of administration may issue such waivers at his or her discretion.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Dittrich (R) , Duchow (R) , Goeben (R) , Gundrum (R) , Gustafson (R) , Knodl (R) , Melotik (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Tittl (R)

3 cosponsors

Bradley (R) , Cabral-Guevara (R) , Nass (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 8

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 adoption recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 4, Noes 2

Passed 4–2 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.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 4, Noes 2

Passed 4–2 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.

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 53–44 Jan 22, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 53

Nay · 44

Not voting · 2

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Feb 4, 2026 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 Feb 17, 2026 official source full page

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

Senate: Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15

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

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

Senate: CONCURRENCE

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

Full history

  1. Sep 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Knodl, Gustafson, Dittrich, Duchow, Goeben, Gundrum, Melotik, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Bradley and Nass

  2. Sep 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Science, Technology, and AI

  3. Oct 21, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Knodl

  4. Oct 22, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Nov 4, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Knodl

  6. Nov 4, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Knodl

  7. Nov 18, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Knodl

  8. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 adoption recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 4, Noes 2

  11. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 4, Noes 2

  12. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-22-2026 by Committee on Rules

  13. Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Knodl

  14. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 adopted

  16. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 adopted

  17. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  19. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 44

  20. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Jan 26, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Local Government

  23. Feb 4, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  24. Feb 4, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  25. Feb 4, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

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

  27. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

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

  28. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Smith

  29. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  30. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  31. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  32. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  33. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  34. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  35. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  36. Feb 25, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 3)

  37. Feb 25, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2026

  38. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  39. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026

  40. May 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  41. May 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82