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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 768

Operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty

Topics: Aviation, Electric utility, Petroleum, Police, Public utility, Telecommunications, Waterworks

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 3, 2026. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 17, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 17, 2026

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 17, 2026

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2025 Wisconsin Act 194

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 3, 2026: “Published 4-4-2026”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 766. 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.

Current law prohibits the unauthorized, noncommercial operation of a drone over a correctional institution. Any person who violates this prohibition may be required to forfeit not more than $5,000. This bill prohibits the unauthorized operation of a drone at an altitude of less than 300 feet over or within 500 feet of a parcel on which certain water reclamation, power, telecommunications, and water system facilities are located. The penalty for a violation of this prohibition is the same as for unauthorized operation of a drone over a correctional institution.

Who's behind it

13 representatives are its ⁠. 11 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 18 names

Authors (13)

Signed on in support (5)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 15 to 0 · Jan 22, 2026

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 2 · Jan 22, 2026

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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 85 to 14 · Feb 17, 2026

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (85)

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

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Mar 3, 2026

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 16, 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. Apr 3, 2026

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 3, 2026

    The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 194.

  3. Apr 2, 2026

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 17, 2026

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  5. Mar 17, 2026

    The Senate passed it too.

  6. Mar 16, 2026

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

  7. Mar 3, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  8. Feb 20, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  9. Feb 18, 2026

    The Senate received it.

  10. Feb 17, 2026

    The Assembly passed it, 85 to 14.

  11. Feb 17, 2026

    The Assembly adopted it.

  12. Feb 11, 2026 to Feb 16, 2026

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  13. Jan 22, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  14. Jan 22, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 2.

  15. Jan 14, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  16. Dec 17, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

  17. Dec 17, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Donovan, Dittrich, Goodwin, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman, Sinicki, Tittl and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk and James

  2. Dec 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Jan 6, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  4. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Donovan

  6. Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  8. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 2

  9. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Donovan

  11. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative McCarville added as a coauthor

  12. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026

  13. Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  14. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  17. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  19. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 85, Noes 14

  20. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Feb 20, 2026 · Senate

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

  23. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  24. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

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

  25. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  27. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  31. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  32. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  33. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  35. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2026

  36. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  37. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 194

  38. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-4-2026

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

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary