Feb. 9, 2026 – The Wisconsin Legislature’s last weeks of session are comparable to a student cramming for a week of finals. There is always a sense of urgency among legislators at this time to get their priorities and business done as quickly as possible, to avoid being caught up in last-minute session wrangling that could affect the passage of pending legislation.

Currently, the legislature has their final floor periods of the session scheduled from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19. An additional three floor days are scheduled from March 17 to March 19, but if we use past schedules as a model, they might only use these days for limited action, or one house might meet just to take up bills that have been amended or passed by one house and not the other.

Summary of Legislative Bills of Interest Being Considered by Legislature

Below is a short summary of proposals that might be of interest to State Bar members. Most of the proposals listed have positions taken by either the State Bar’s Board of Governors or by one of the Bar’s 13 active lobbying practice sections.

• Assembly Bill 296/Senate Bill 300 - eliminating the 13-week limit on the garnishment of earnings of certain debtors.

• Assembly Bill 320/Senate Bill 333 - increasing certain court fees and surcharges and indexing those amounts for inflation. (State Bar Board of Governors neutral on substitute amendment)

• Assembly Bill 377/Senate Bill 357 - establishing English as the official state language, use of artificial intelligence or other machine-assisted translation tools in lieu of appointing English language interpreters, and use of English for governmental oral and written communication and for nongovernmental purposes. (multiple State Bar lobbying sections oppose)

• Assembly Bill 390/Senate Bill 388 - access to an original impounded birth record. (Children and the Law Board opposes)

• Assembly Bill 514/Senate Bill 546 - authorizing additional circuit court and criminal justice system positions. (State Bar Board of Governors supports)

• Assembly Bill 583/Senate Bill 577 - resolution of claims against the state for wrongful imprisonment of innocent persons, exempting from taxation certain amounts an individual receives from the claims board or legislature, health benefits and other assistance for wrongfully imprisoned persons, and making an appropriation. (State Bar Board of Governors supports)

• Assembly Bill 598/Senate Bill 578 - consent to admissions to certain health care facilities by patient representatives without requiring a petition for guardianship or protective placement. (Elder Law and Special Needs Board opposes)

• Assembly Bill 972/Senate Bill 970 - financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. (Elder Law and Special Needs Board opposes)

Wisconsin Eye Returns

On February 2, Wisconsin Eye returned to the air, after having been shuttered in December of 2025 due to financial difficulties. WisEye is Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN, a television and internet broadcasting service airing video from legislative floor sessions, committee public hearings and news interviews. Launched in 2007, the site archives previous broadcast footage and is searchable by committee or date.

A bipartisan deal reached in late January (Assembly Bill 974) would create a $10 million endowment for the organization, which will supplement continued fundraising efforts to meet immediate operational needs. For now, enough funding has been secured to resume broadcasting for the remainder of the month.

For questions or more information on pending legislation please feel free to contact State Bar Government Relations Coordinators, Lynne Davis (ldavis@wisbar.org) or Cale Battles (cbattles@wisbar.org). For grassroots advocacy questions please contact Devin Martin (dmartin@wisbar.org). To stay up date on budget news please subscribe to the Rotunda Report and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) to stay informed and get involved in the legislative process.