Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: exempting certain agricultural warehouses from automatic fire sprinkler requirements.
Agriculture Agriculture trade and consumer protection department of Fertilizer Financial institution Fire Safety and professional services department of Sales Warehouse Water — Pollution
- Introduced, completed
- Passes Assembly, completed
- Passes Senate, stopped here
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill exempts specified agricultural warehouses used to store any of the following from being required to have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed: 1) liquid bulk fertilizer or liquid bulk pesticide if the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection requires the storage container of the liquid bulk fertilizer or pesticide to be located within a secondary containment structure that complies with rules promulgated by DATCP and 2) dry bulk fertilizer and dry bulk pesticide. The bill defines a “specified agricultural warehouse” as a building designed for the primary purpose of storing agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides, and other crop protection products for distribution to agricultural producers, and the bill applies only to specified agricultural warehouses for which construction is initiated after the bill takes effect. Under the bill, the exemption applies only if the owner of a specified agricultural warehouse notifies the chief of the local fire department that water should not be used to suppress any fire at the warehouse and of any changes to the chemicals stored at the warehouse. Also, the exemption does not apply to an office or store within or attached to the specified agricultural warehouse. Under current law, the Department of Safety and Professional Services may promulgate rules requiring owners of places of employment and public buildings to install fire detection, prevention, or suppression devices.
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 11
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
- Cooperative Network
- CropLife America
- Dairy Business Association
- GROWMARK, Inc.
- National Fire Sprinkler Association
- Sprinkler Fitters Local 183
- Wisconsin Agri-Business Association
- Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
- Wisconsin Farmers Union
- Wisconsin Pork Association
- Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association
Votes
Assembly: Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3
Passed 7–3 Feb 12, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 1
Passed 7–1 Mar 11, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 Mar 16, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Hurd, Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kreibich, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Spiros, Summerfield and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators James, Marklein and Quinn
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs
- Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor
- Feb 6, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Doyle added as a coauthor
- Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Hurd
- Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3
- Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Penterman added as a coauthor
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 11:50 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 23, 2026 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 27, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Agriculture and Revenue
- Mar 11, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 11, 2026 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Mar 11, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026
- Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
- Apr 8, 2026 · Assembly
Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-8-2026
- May 12, 2026 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- May 13, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82