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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 863

Authorized activities under a no-sale event venue permit issued by the Division of Alcohol Beverages in the Department of Revenue

Topics: Alcohol beverage, Real property, Revenue, Department of

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. 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 16, 2026

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

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

It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. The committee's chair at the time was Rob Swearingen. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 850. 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 allows a person who holds a no-sale event venue permit issued by the Division of Alcohol Beverages (DAB) in the Department of Revenue to rent property for use as an event venue at which alcohol beverages are consumed at up to 36 events per year, with each event lasting no longer than 36 hours.

Under current law, an owner or other person in charge of a public place may not permit the consumption of alcohol beverages at the public place unless the person has an appropriate retail license. However, there are various exceptions to this prohibition, including for county parks, athletic fields, and churches. Beginning on January 1, 2026, there is also an exception for a person who holds a no-sale event venue permit issued by DAB (discussed further below). Although current law does not define “public place,” beginning on January 1, 2026, for purposes of the prohibition, a public place includes a venue or location that is held out or available to the public to rent for an event or social gathering, not including certain locations such as overnight lodging.

Read the full summary

Under current law, beginning on January 1, 2026, DAB may issue a no-sale event venue permit to a property owner authorizing the permittee to rent real property for use as an event venue at which fermented malt beverages (beer) and wine are consumed, but only on six or fewer days per year and not more than one day per month. Subject to certain restrictions, a no-sale event venue permit authorizes the permittee to do any of the following: 1) allow the renter of the event venue to bring the renter’s own beer and wine onto the event venue and serve it to guests without charge; 2) allow the guests of the renter to bring beer and wine onto the event venue to be consumed by the guests without charge; 3) allow the renter to obtain temporary Class “B” and “Class B” licenses for an event held on the event venue and sell beer and wine under the temporary licenses on the event venue; or 4) allow the renter to contract with a caterer for the caterer to provide beer and wine to the renter and guests without charge on the event venue. If the renter contracts with a caterer, the caterer may deliver and serve the beer and wine at the event venue, but service must be performed by bartenders holding an operator’s license. The renter may not allow any person to possess distilled spirits on the event venue. If there are 20 or more people on the event venue, service of beer and wine must be performed by a bartender holding an operator’s license.

This bill allows a person who holds a no-sale event venue permit to rent property for use as an event venue at which alcohol beverages are consumed at no more than 36 events per calendar year, with no monthly limitation. Each event is limited to no more than 36 hours in duration. The bill also allows the consumption of distilled spirits, as well as beer and wine, at an event held under the permit. In addition, if a licensed bartender is required to serve alcohol beverages at an event, a person who holds an operator’s permit issued by DAB satisfies this requirement.

The bill also specifies that the fact that an event venue is a public place for purposes of the prohibition on consuming alcohol in a public place has no effect on whether the event venue is a public or private place for other purposes under law.

Who's behind it

9 representatives are its ⁠. All 9 are Democrats.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (9)

Signed on in support (6)

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jan 27, 2026

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  3. Jan 16, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

  4. Jan 16, 2026

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Anderson, J. Jacobson, Brown, Fitzgerald, Ortiz-Velez, Prado, Roe, Stroud and Udell; cosponsored by Senators Spreitzer, Jacque, Ratcliff, Roys and Hutton

  2. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Jan 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Tucker added as a coauthor

  4. 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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor