Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: county public works notice and competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)
Public works Purchasing government
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- 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
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 pageNo 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 pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Sep 18, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor and Novak
- Sep 18, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government
- Sep 23, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Dec 4, 2025 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Tomczyk
- Dec 9, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Jan 13, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jan 16, 2026 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Senator Tomczyk
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1