Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 8 R · 1 D cosponsors

AB 253 — Relating to: independence accounts. (FE)

Last action — Published 4-9-2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 08, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 90% · high confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    1 primary, 10 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (8 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

An Act to create 49.472 (3m) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

50 added · 14 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to AB 253 changes the rules around how much money individuals can deposit into independence accounts and how inheritance affects eligibility for Medical Assistance benefits. Instead of allowing only $15,000 of gross earnings to be deposited in a year, the bill now allows individuals to deposit all of their earned income. Additionally, it raises the amount that can be excluded from assets acquired by inheritance from unspecified limits to $40,000. These changes aim to provide greater financial flexibility and support for individuals with disabilities who are trying to work while accessing necessary benefits.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0316/1 JPC:ajk&skw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 253 August 27, 2025 - Offered by RepresentatROOKS.
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2875/1 JPC:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 253 May 8, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives B ROOKS , KAUFERT , ALLEN, KNODL , M URPHY , MURSAU , UBECK , W ICHGERS and B EHNKE , cosponsored by Senators JACQUE and FEYEN .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
1.
A N A CT to create 49.472 (3m) of the statutes;
Page 2, line 2:
relating to:
delNDEPENDENCE ACCOUNTS .Y and substitutNCOME AND INHERITANCE.Y.
independence accounts.
2.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Health Services to allow an individual to deposit up to $15,000 of the individual’s gross earnings in an independence account over a 12-month period.
Page 2, line 3:
Further, the bill prohibits DHS from including assets acquired by an individual by inheritance when determining the individual’s financial eligibility for Medical Assistance benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan.
delete lines 3 and 4 and substitute Xindividual to deposit all of the individual[s earned income in an independence account.Y.
Under current law, an independence account is an account approved by DHS that consists solely of savings, dividends, other gains derived from those savings, and income earned from paid employment after the date on which the individual began receiving Medical Assistance benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan.
3.
The Medical Assistance purchase plan is a subprogram of the Medical Assistance program that allows individuals who have a qualifying disability and who are working or who want to work to remain eligible for Medical Assistance benefits.
Page 2, line 5:
To be eligible for benefits under the Medical Assistance purchase plan, among other things, an individual’s assets must not exceed $15,000, but assets accumulated in an independence account are excluded from the calculation.
delete lines 5 and 6 and substitute:
The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources.
X(bm) In determining assets under sub.
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2875/1 JPC:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 253 SECTION 1 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
(3) (b), the department shall exclude up to $40,000 from the value of assets that are acquired by inheritance.Y.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
END )
SECTION 1.
49.472 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:
49.472 (3m) I NDEPENDENCE ACCOUNTS .
(a) The department shall allow an individual to deposit up to $15,000 of the individual’s gross earnings in an independence account over a 12-month period.
(b) In determining assets under sub.
(3) (b), the department may not include assets that are acquired by inheritance.
(c) If the department determines that federal approval is required to implement any part of this subsection, the department shall submit any state plan amendment, waiver of federal Medicaid law, or other request for federal approval necessary to implement this subsection.
The department shall implement this subsection to the extent that the federal department of health and human services does not disapprove of the plan amendment, waiver request, or other request for federal approval.
(END )
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Action History

  1. Published 4-9-2026

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 225

  3. Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 3-25-2026

  5. Senator Spreitzer added as a cosponsor

  6. Received from Senate concurred in

  7. Ordered immediately messaged

  8. Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  9. Read a third time and concurred in

  10. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  11. Ordered to a third reading

  12. Read a second time

  13. Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  14. Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  15. Available for scheduling

  16. Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  17. Received from Assembly

  18. Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Read a third time and passed

  20. Rules suspended

  21. Ordered to a third reading

  22. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  23. Representative Vining added as a coauthor

  24. Read a second time

  25. Representatives Madison and Clancy added as coauthors

  26. Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules

  27. Referred to committee on Rules

  28. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  29. Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  30. Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor

  31. Representatives Palmeri and Stubbs added as coauthors

  32. Executive action taken

  33. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Brooks

  34. Fiscal estimate received

  35. Public hearing held

  36. Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  37. Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

  38. Introduced by Representatives Brooks, Kaufert, Allen, Knodl, Murphy, Mursau, Subeck, Wichgers and Behnke; cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Feyen

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 10 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (10)

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Votes

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 253 do?
An Act to create 49.472 (3m) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 253?
AB 253 is sponsored by Jacque, Feyen, Brooks, Robert (Republican), Kaufert, Dean (Republican), Allen, Scott (Republican), Knodl, Daniel (Republican), Murphy, David (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), Subeck, Lisa (Democrat), Wichgers, Chuck (Republican), and Behnke, Elijah (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 253?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 08, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 253?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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