Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 216

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: local government competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)

Public works Purchasing government

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

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.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Tomczyk (R)

19 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Brooks (R) , Carpenter (D) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Franklin (R) , Gundrum (R) , Kitchens (R) , Knodl (R) , Melotik (R) , Miresse (D) , Mursau (R) , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Udell (D) , VanderMeer (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 21

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

Passed 5–0 Sep 30, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

Passed 5–0 Sep 30, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. 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

  2. Apr 16, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government

  3. May 7, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. May 27, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk

  5. Jul 28, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Udell added as a cosponsor

  6. Sep 23, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Sep 23, 2025 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor

  8. Sep 26, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Sep 30, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Sep 30, 2025 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  11. Sep 30, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  12. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk

  13. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  14. 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

  15. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  16. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Referred to committee on Senate Organization

  17. Feb 13, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor

  18. Feb 16, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Miresse added as a cosponsor

  19. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor

  20. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1