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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 276

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: challenges to the validity of administrative rules and making an appropriation. (FE)

Administrative rules Attorney — Fee Court

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, stopped here
  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, the validity of an administrative rule may be challenged in an action for declaratory judgment or in certain other judicial proceedings when material therein. This bill requires a court, if the court declares a rule invalid, to award the party asserting the invalidity of the rule reasonable attorney fees and costs.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Bradley (R) , Cabral-Guevara (R) , Feyen (R) , Hutton (R) , Nass (R) , Stafsholt (R) , Tomczyk (R) , Wimberger (R)

25 cosponsors

Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Brooks (R) , Callahan (R) , Dittrich (R) , Goeben (R) , Green (R) , Gundrum (R) , Gustafson (R) , Knodl (R) , Maxey (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Nedweski (R) , Neylon (R) , O'Connor (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Rodriguez (R) , Steffen (R) , Tittl (R) , Tranel (R) , Tusler (R) , Wichgers (R) , Wittke (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 17

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 passage recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Nov 7, 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 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4

Passed 11–4 Feb 3, 2026 official source full page

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

Senate: PASSAGE

Passed 18–15 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

Assembly: CONCURRENCE

Passed 53–45 Feb 12, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 53

Nay · 45

Not voting · 1

Full history

  1. May 21, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Wimberger, Bradley, Cabral-Guevara, Feyen, Hutton, Nass, Stafsholt and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Tusler, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, Neylon, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Rodriguez, Steffen, Tittl, Tranel, Wichgers and Wittke

  2. May 21, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs

  3. May 28, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jun 2, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Jun 4, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Jun 4, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Jun 5, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. Jun 13, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  9. Jun 13, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  10. Jun 13, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  11. Jun 30, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  12. Aug 4, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  13. Oct 9, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  14. Nov 7, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  15. Nov 7, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Nov 7, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  17. Dec 4, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  18. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  19. Jan 30, 2026 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  20. Feb 3, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  21. Feb 3, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  22. Feb 3, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  23. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wimberger

  24. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  25. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  26. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  27. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  29. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  30. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  32. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Read

  33. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  34. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  35. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  36. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  37. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 53, Noes 45

  38. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  39. Feb 13, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  40. Feb 20, 2026 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  41. Mar 18, 2026 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  42. Mar 20, 2026 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026

  43. May 12, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  44. May 13, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82