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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 459

County public works notice and competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)

Topics: Mobile home, Public works, Purchasing, Government, Sex crimes

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 26, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 22, 2026

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 11, 2026

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2025 Wisconsin Act 119

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

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 428. That version died when the session ended.

What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, if the estimated cost of a county public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the county must generally provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, a county must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation. The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a county after the completion of construction. With regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village.

Who's behind it

2 representatives are its ⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

1 more lawmaker ⁠.

See all 3 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (1)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

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

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Local Government vote on an amendment

Passed, 6 to 3 · Nov 7, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Local Government vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 3 · Nov 7, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 83 to 14 · Jan 22, 2026 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (83)

Didn't vote (2)

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

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 9, 2026

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 27, 2026

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 27, 2026

    The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 119.

  3. Mar 26, 2026

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 11, 2026

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 9, 2026

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

  6. Jan 26, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Jan 22, 2026

    The Senate received it.

  8. Jan 22, 2026

    The Assembly passed it, 83 to 14.

  9. Jan 22, 2026

    The Assembly adopted it.

  10. Nov 7, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Nov 7, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 3.

  12. Oct 10, 2025

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  13. Oct 8, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Sep 26, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Local Government.

  15. Sep 26, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 26, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives O'Connor and Novak; cosponsored by Senator Tomczyk

  2. Sep 26, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government

  3. Oct 2, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative O'Connor

  4. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Oct 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  8. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  9. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative O'Connor

  11. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

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

  12. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  13. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted

  14. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  16. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 83, Noes 14

  17. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Jan 26, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  20. Jan 26, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  21. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

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

  22. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

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

  23. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  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

  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 26, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2026

  31. Mar 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 119

  32. 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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

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