Assembly Bill 556
Zero-based biennial budget requests by executive branch agencies. (FE)
Topics: Administration, Department of: Budget and fiscal issues, Budget bills and process, State agencies
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Oct 15, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 555. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill provides that the Department of Administration, beginning with the 2027−29 fiscal biennium, must require 20 percent of executive branch agencies to submit their biennial budget requests prepared using the principles of zero−based budgeting for each of their activities, units, and programs. In each subsequent fiscal biennium, DOA must require a different 20 percent of executive branch agencies to submit their budget requests prepared using zero−based budgeting principles, with each agency required to do so at least once during any five consecutive fiscal biennia. The bill defines “zero−based budgeting” as the compilation of an agency’s budget in which each component is justified on the basis of cost, need, and relation to the statutory responsibilities of the agency.
The bill also requires that agency budget base reports, which all agencies must submit each fiscal biennium under current law, identify the intended goal of each appropriation and analyze whether each appropriation completely succeeded in meeting its intended goal and, if not, an explanation as to why not. The bill also requires that DOA post the reports on its website.
Who's behind it
15 representatives are its . All 15 are Republicans.
7 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (15)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Amanda Nedweski · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (7)
- Julian Bradley · Republican, Senate
- Rob Hutton · Republican, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Government Operations vote to recommend it
Passed, 6 to 3 · Jan 20, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency, Ayes 6, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jan 26, 2026
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 20, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jan 20, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 3.
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Jan 14, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 31, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Oct 28, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Oct 15, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency.
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Oct 15, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Brill, Nedweski, Knodl, Allen, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Kreibich, Melotik, Murphy, O'Connor and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Kapenga, Hutton, Bradley, Jacque, Nass, Tomczyk and Quinn
- Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency
- Oct 28, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 28, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency, Ayes 6, Noes 3
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 26, 2026 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote