Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 555

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

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

  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

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

Introduced by: Bradley (R) , Hutton (R) , Jacque (R) , Kapenga (R) , Nass (R) , Quinn (R) , Tomczyk (R)

15 cosponsors

Allen (R) , Armstrong (R) , Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Brooks (R) , Dittrich (R) , Goeben (R) , Green (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Nedweski (R) , O'Connor (R) , Wichgers (R)

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

  1. 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

  2. Oct 17, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Oct 28, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Oct 28, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Nov 3, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Jan 26, 2026 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1