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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 971

Exempting certain agricultural warehouses from automatic fire sprinkler requirements

Topics: Agriculture, Fertilizer, Fire, Safety and Professional Services, Department of, Warehouse

Stopped in committee

It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 6, 2026

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It sat with the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 956. That version was vetoed.

What it would have done

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

This bill exempts specified agricultural warehouses used to store any of the following from being required to have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed: 1) liquid bulk fertilizer or liquid bulk pesticide if the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection requires the storage container of the liquid bulk fertilizer or pesticide to be located within a secondary containment structure that complies with rules promulgated by DATCP and 2) dry bulk fertilizer and dry bulk pesticide. The bill defines a “specified agricultural warehouse” as a building designed for the primary purpose of storing agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides, and other crop protection products for distribution to agricultural producers, and the bill applies only to specified agricultural warehouses for which construction is initiated after the bill takes effect. Under the bill, the exemption applies only if the owner of a specified agricultural warehouse notifies the chief of the local fire department that water should not be used to suppress any fire at the warehouse and of any changes to the chemicals stored at the warehouse. Also, the exemption does not apply to an office or store within or attached to the specified agricultural warehouse. Under current law, the Department of Safety and Professional Services may promulgate rules requiring owners of places of employment and public buildings to install fire detection, prevention, or suppression devices.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

16 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 19 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (16)

Versions and amendments

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

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 17, 2026

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  3. Feb 12, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Feb 6, 2026 to Feb 10, 2026

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  5. Feb 6, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.

  6. Feb 6, 2026

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators James, Marklein and Quinn; cosponsored by Representatives Hurd, Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kreibich, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Spiros, Summerfield and Tittl

  2. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Revenue

  3. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Doyle added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 10, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Kitchens added as a cosponsor

  5. Feb 12, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  6. Feb 12, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Penterman added as a cosponsor

  8. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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

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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

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

Author

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

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

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

Official term: Cosponsor