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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 530

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: the operation of drones over school property and providing a penalty.

Aviation Forfeiture Indians and tribal issues Parochial and private schools Police School — Administration School — Building Sheriff Shoreland zoning

  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

Current law prohibits the operation of a drone over a correctional institution without the express authorization of the secretary of corrections for a state facility or of the sheriff of the county for a county facility. A person who violates this prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of up to $5,000.

This bill prohibits the operation of a drone over a property owned by a public, private, or tribal school or on which a public, private, or tribal school is located with the following exceptions: 1) with the express authorization of the school board, governing body, or governing board with jurisdiction over the school; and 2) for limited purposes at the direction of the chief of a public protective services agency with jurisdiction over the territory on which the school property is located. The penalty for a violation of this prohibition is the same as for a violation of the restriction of operating a drone over a correctional institution.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Behnke (R) , Dittrich (R) , Franklin (R) , Goodwin (D) , Gundrum (R) , Kitchens (R) , Knodl (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Sheehan (D) , Sinicki (D) , Steffen (R) , Stroud (D) , Wichgers (R)

7 cosponsors

J. Jacobson (D) , James (R) , Marklein (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Smith (D) , Stubbs (D) , Tomczyk (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 4

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 Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 6, Noes 0

Passed 6–0 Nov 12, 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 Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 5, Noes 1

Passed 5–1 Nov 12, 2025 official source full page

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

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

Passed 8–0 Mar 12, 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 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. Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Kitchens, Franklin, Steffen, Behnke, Dittrich, Goodwin, Gundrum, Knodl, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Sheehan, Sinicki, Stroud and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators James, Marklein and Tomczyk

  2. Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly

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

  3. Oct 22, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 30, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  5. Nov 4, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kitchens

  6. Nov 5, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Nov 12, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  8. Nov 12, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Science, Technology, and AI, Ayes 5, Noes 1

  9. Nov 12, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Nov 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-19-2025 by Committee on Rules

  11. Nov 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Stubbs added as a coauthor

  12. Nov 18, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor

  13. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  15. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  17. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  18. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  20. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  21. Mar 12, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  22. Mar 12, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  23. Mar 12, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  24. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  25. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  26. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  27. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  31. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  33. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2026

  34. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  35. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 189

  36. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-4-2026