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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 840

Certain requirements related to data centers

Topics: Data processing, Energy conservation, Natural Resources, Department of: Administration, Public Service Commission, Public utility, Water supply

Passed the Assembly, then stopped

The Assembly passed it on Jan 20, 2026, but the Senate never voted on it. A bill has to ⁠. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 9, 2026

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 20, 2026

  4. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The Senate never voted on it.

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to concur in pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 843. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

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

This bill establishes the following requirements related to data centers:

1. The Public Service Commission must ensure in its rate-making orders that no costs associated with the construction or extension of electric infrastructure that primarily serves a data center are allocated to or recovered from any other customer. Under current law, a public utility generally may not make a change to its rate schedules that constitutes an increase in rates, except by order of PSC after an investigation and opportunity for hearing.

Read the full summary

2. Any renewable energy facility that primarily serves the load of a data center must be located at the site of the data center.

3. Water used by a data center for cooling purposes must be contained in a closed-loop cooling system, which is a system for removing heat from equipment and that relies on a fixed volume of water that is continually recycled.

4. The operator of a data center must annually report to the Department of Natural Resources the total amount of water used by the data center for the 12-month period prior to submitting the report.

5. A person may not operate a data center unless they file with DNR a bond or other security in an amount sufficient to cover the estimated cost of fulfilling any required reclamation.

6. If construction of a proposed data center is not completed, the owner must notify DNR and commence restoring the parcel to the condition that existed prior to any construction on the data center.

Who's behind it

29 representatives are its ⁠. All 29 are Republicans.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 35 names

Authors (29)

Signed on in support (6)

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 7 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on State Affairs vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 3 · Jan 15, 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 State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 55 to 43 · Jan 20, 2026

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

Official motion: “Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 55, Noes 43”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 53 to 45 · Jan 20, 2026 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (53)

No (45)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 56 to 42 · Jan 20, 2026 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (56)

No (42)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 53 to 44 · Jan 20, 2026

See how each of the 97 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (53)

No (44)

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

Assembly vote

Failed, 45 to 53 · Jan 20, 2026

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

Official motion: “Refused to refer to committee on Energy and Utilities, Ayes 45, Noes 53”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Utilities vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 13, 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 Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 13, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  3. Feb 17, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Jan 23, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism.

  5. Jan 20, 2026

    The Senate received it.

  6. Jan 20, 2026

    The Assembly passed it, 53 to 44.

  7. Jan 20, 2026

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Jan 20, 2026

    “Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  9. Jan 20, 2026

    “Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  10. Jan 15, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Jan 15, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 3.

  12. Jan 14, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Jan 9, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

  14. Jan 9, 2026

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Zimmerman, Born, Allen, Armstrong, Brooks, Dallman, Dittrich, Duchow, Green, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Krug, Kreibich, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Nedweski, Neylon, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman, Petersen, Snyder, Sortwell, Summerfield, Tranel, Wittke and Hurd; cosponsored by Senators Quinn, Feyen, Jagler, James, Marklein and Wimberger

  2. Jan 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules

  5. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3

  7. Jan 15, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Refused to refer to committee on Energy and Utilities, Ayes 45, Noes 53

  10. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 offered by Representative Phelps

  11. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  12. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  13. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 53, Noes 45

  14. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Stroud

  15. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  16. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  17. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 56, Noes 42

  18. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Stroud

  19. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 55, Noes 43

  20. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Zimmerman

  21. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  22. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  24. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 44, Paired 2

  25. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Jan 20, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  27. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 2)

  28. Jan 23, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism

  29. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  30. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  31. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  32. Mar 13, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  33. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Nass

  34. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary

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

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

Second chamber's vote

A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.

Official term: Concurrence

More in the glossary

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary