Senate Bill 216
Local government competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)
Topics: Public works, Purchasing, Government
Stopped before the full Senate voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Apr 16, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 217. That version became law.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, in general, if the estimated cost of a local government public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the local governmental unit must provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, the local governmental unit must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation. The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work by a county for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a town or county after the completion of construction. With regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village.
Who's behind it
Cory Tomczyk, a Republican, is its .
19 more lawmakers .
See all 20 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (19)
- Clint Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
- Nancy VanderMeer · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
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 2 votes on this bill.
Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote on an amendment
Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 30, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 30, 2025
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 Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 13, 2026 to Feb 17, 2026
3 more representatives signed on in support.
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Nov 18, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Sep 30, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Sep 30, 2025
“Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Sep 23, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Sep 23, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jul 28, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 7, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 16, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
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Apr 16, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 16, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor, Brooks, Armstrong, Novak, Dittrich, Donovan, Franklin, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kitchens, Knodl, Melotik, Mursau and VanderMeer
- Apr 16, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government
- May 7, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- May 27, 2025 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk
- Jul 28, 2025 · Senate
Representative Udell added as a cosponsor
- Sep 23, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Sep 23, 2025 · Senate
Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor
- Sep 26, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Sep 30, 2025 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Sep 30, 2025 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Sep 30, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 15, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk
- Nov 14, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 2 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senators Smith, Hesselbein, Spreitzer, Drake, L. Johnson, Pfaff, Keyeski, Dassler-Alfheim, Ratcliff, Larson, Habush Sinykin, Carpenter, Roys, Wall and Wirch
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Feb 13, 2026 · Senate
Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor
- Feb 16, 2026 · Senate
Representative Miresse added as a cosponsor
- Feb 17, 2026 · Senate
Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
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.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote