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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 7

Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state

Topics: Eminent domain, Energy conservation, Farmland preservation, Forestry, International relations, Real property

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Mar 20, 2026. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 24, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Jan 21, 2026

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 22, 2026

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Mar 20, 2026.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 13, 2026: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 30. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill generally prohibits a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state. In the bill, “foreign adversary” means a foreign government or nongovernment person determined by the federal secretary of commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of U.S. persons.

Current law generally prohibits a nonresident alien or a corporation that is not created under federal law or the laws of any state (foreign person) from acquiring, owning, or holding more than 640 acres of land in this state. However, that prohibition does not apply to any of the following activities:

Read the full summary

1. An exploration mining lease and land used for certain mining and associated activities.

2. Certain manufacturing activities.

3. Certain mercantile activities.

4. A lease for exploration or production of oil, gas, coal, shale, and related hydrocarbons, including by-products of the production, and land used in connection with the exploration or production.

Those exceptions have been interpreted to be “extremely broad, embracing almost every conceivable business activity [other than a]ctivities relating to agriculture and forestry.” See Opinion of Wis. Att’y Gen., OAG 11-14, ¶5, available at https://www.doj.state.wi.us. In other words, under current law, a foreign person may acquire, own, and hold unlimited amounts of land for most nonagricultural and nonforestry purposes, but a foreign person may not acquire, own, or hold more than 640 acres of land for agricultural or forestry purposes.

The bill retains the current law restriction on foreign person ownership of agricultural and forestry land and adds a provision that prohibits a foreign adversary from acquiring any land for agricultural or forestry purposes.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

19 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 22 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (19)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 5 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 3 · Jan 14, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 3 · Jan 14, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote on an amendment

Passed, 18 to 15 · Jan 21, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 18 to 15 · Jan 21, 2026

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 55 to 42 · Jan 22, 2026 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (55)

No (42)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE AS AMENDED”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 13, 2026

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Mar 20, 2026

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Mar 18, 2026

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 18, 2026

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Jan 22, 2026

    The Senate adopted it.

  6. Jan 22, 2026

    The Assembly passed it too, 55 to 42.

  7. Jan 22, 2026

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Jan 22, 2026

    “Read” (the official wording)

  9. Jan 22, 2026

    The Assembly received it.

  10. Jan 21, 2026

    The Senate passed it, 18 to 15.

  11. Jan 21, 2026

    The Senate adopted it.

  12. Jan 14, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.

  13. Jan 14, 2026

    “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 5, Noes 3” (the official wording)

  14. Jun 4, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Jan 24, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.

  16. Jan 24, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 24, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque, Cabral-Guevara and Nass; cosponsored by Representatives Penterman, Behnke, Allen, Armstrong, Brill, Brown, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Sortwell, Steffen, Wichgers and Tusler

  2. Jan 24, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Revenue

  3. Apr 25, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  4. Jun 4, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 8, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Brown withdrawn as a cosponsor

  6. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  8. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  9. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 1-21-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  11. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senators Pfaff, Spreitzer, Keyeski, Smith, Hesselbein, Larson, L. Johnson, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Dassler-Alfheim, Wall, Ratcliff, Wirch and Roys

  12. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  14. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  15. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  17. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  18. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  20. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read

  21. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  22. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  23. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Penterman

  24. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  25. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  27. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 55, Noes 42

  28. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Jan 22, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  30. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

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

  31. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 concurred in

  32. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  33. Feb 23, 2026 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  34. Mar 18, 2026 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  35. Mar 20, 2026 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026

  36. May 12, 2026 · Senate

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

  37. May 13, 2026 · Senate

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

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary