Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: zero-based biennial budget requests by executive branch agencies. (FE)
Administration department of — Budget and fiscal issues Administrative code Budget bills and process State agencies
- 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
This bill provides that the Department of Administration, beginning with the 2027−29 fiscal biennium, must require 20 percent of executive branch agencies to submit their biennial budget requests prepared using the principles of zero−based budgeting for each of their activities, units, and programs. In each subsequent fiscal biennium, DOA must require a different 20 percent of executive branch agencies to submit their budget requests prepared using zero−based budgeting principles, with each agency required to do so at least once during any five consecutive fiscal biennia. The bill defines “zero−based budgeting” as the compilation of an agency’s budget in which each component is justified on the basis of cost, need, and relation to the statutory responsibilities of the agency.
The bill also requires that agency budget base reports, which all agencies must submit each fiscal biennium under current law, identify the intended goal of each appropriation and analyze whether each appropriation completely succeeded in meeting its intended goal and, if not, an explanation as to why not. The bill also requires that DOA post the reports on its website.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 3
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
Full history
- Oct 17, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kapenga, Hutton, Bradley, Jacque, Nass, Tomczyk and Quinn; cosponsored by Representatives Brill, Nedweski, Knodl, Allen, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Kreibich, Melotik, Murphy, O'Connor and Wichgers
- Oct 17, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs
- Oct 28, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 28, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Nov 3, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 26, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1