Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: free state park admission for veterans and gold star families. (FE)
Family Motor vehicle State park Veteran
- 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, no person may operate a vehicle in any state park or in certain other recreational areas on state land unless the vehicle displays a vehicle admission receipt.
This bill provides that a vehicle admission receipt is not required for any vehicle occupied by a person who is a veteran under federal law or who qualifies under federal law for a gold star lapel button (commonly known as gold star family), which signifies that the recipient is the immediate family member of a member of the U.S. armed forces who died while serving during a time of conflict.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Introduced by: Arney (D) , Bare (D) , Behnke (R) , DeSanto (D) , Joers (D) , Kaufert (R) , McCarville (D) , Miresse (D) , Neubauer (D) , Palmeri (D) , Prado (D) , Rivera-Wagner (D) , Roe (D) , Sheehan (D) , Sinicki (D) , Snodgrass (D) , Stroud (D) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Tenorio (D) , Udell (D)
14 cosponsors
Anderson and Johnson , Carpenter (D) , Drake (D) , Emerson (D) , Habush Sinykin (D) , Hesselbein (D) , J. Jacobson (D) , Jacque (R) , Keyeski (D) , L. Johnson (D) , Larson (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Smith (D) , Spreitzer (D)
Registered lobbying interests · 1
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
Full history
- Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Sinicki, Rivera-Wagner, Miresse, Prado, Joers, DeSanto, Subeck, Palmeri, Stubbs, Udell, Sheehan, Kaufert, Roe, McCarville, Snodgrass, Bare, Tenorio, Arney, Behnke, Neubauer and Stroud; cosponsored by Senators Hesselbein, Habush Sinykin, Drake, Ratcliff, L. Johnson, Smith, Jacque, Carpenter, Larson and Spreitzer
- Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs
- Jan 5, 2026 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 5, 2026 · Assembly
Senator Keyeski added as a cosponsor
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Emerson added as a coauthor
- Jan 27, 2026 · Assembly
Representatives Anderson and Johnson added as coauthors
- Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly
Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1