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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 428

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: county public works notice and 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, if the estimated cost of a county public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the county must generally provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, a county 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 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 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)

2 cosponsors

Novak (R) , O'Connor (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 5

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 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: Report passage as amended 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.

Full history

  1. Sep 18, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor and Novak

  2. Sep 18, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Sep 23, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Dec 4, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk

  6. Dec 9, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  8. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  9. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

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

  10. Jan 13, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  11. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Senator Tomczyk

  12. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1