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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 420

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: prohibiting rights of nature ordinances. (FE)

Natural resource Ordinance

  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

This bill prohibits a city, village, town, or county from enacting a “rights of nature ordinance,” meaning an ordinance conferring legal rights to a natural resource to exist, to be protected against pollution, or to maintain a healthy ecosystem.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Nass (R) , Tomczyk (R)

8 cosponsors

Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Goeben (R) , Gustafson (R) , Moses (R) , Murphy (R) , Nedweski (R) , Wichgers (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 10

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 Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Jan 13, 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 19–14 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

Assembly: CONCURRENCE

Passed 54–41 Feb 19, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 54

Nay · 41

Not voting · 4

Full history

  1. Sep 4, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Nass and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Goeben, Brill, Moses, Gustafson, Murphy, Behnke, Nedweski and Wichgers

  2. Sep 4, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Sep 12, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Dec 9, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  7. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

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

  9. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  10. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 19, Noes 14

  11. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  12. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 11, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  16. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:19 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14

  17. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  18. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 54, Noes 41

  21. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 23, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  23. Feb 26, 2026 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  24. Mar 18, 2026 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  25. Mar 20, 2026 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026

  26. May 12, 2026 · Senate

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

  27. May 13, 2026 · Senate

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