Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 2 R cosponsors

AB 459 — Relating to: county public works notice and competitive bidding thresholds. (FE)

Last action — Published 3-28-2026

  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 September 26, 2025. It awaits signature.

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

Odds of enactment

High chance

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

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

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

Prognosis

Likely to advance 68% · moderate confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 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 renumber and amend 59.52 (29) (a); to create 59.52 (29) (c) 2., 59.52 (29) (c) 3. and 59.52 (29) (e) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

78 added · 13 removed

Plain-language change summary

The changes to Bill AB 459 involve increasing the thresholds for public works project notifications and bidding. Specifically, the notification requirement will now kick in for projects estimated between $10,000 and $50,000, up from the previous limits of $5,000 and $25,000, respectively. This adjustment, which includes a stipulation for inflation updates every five years, aims to streamline the process and reduce the burden on counties for smaller projects. Additionally, new exceptions are created, particularly regarding housing for certain individuals and improvements donated to the county, which further defines the scope of these rules.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBs0248/1 EVM:klm ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 2, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 459 January 16, 2026 - Offered by RepresentativONNOR .
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-3665/1 EVM:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 459 September 26, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives O'C ONNOR and N OVAK, cosponsored by Senator T OMCZYK .
A N A CT to create 59.52 (29m) of the statutes;
Referred to Committee on Local Government.
A N A CT to renumber and amend 59.52 (29) (a);
to create 59.52 (29) (c) 2., 59.52 (29) (c) 3.
and 59.52 (29) (e) of the statutes;
exceptions to county contracting requirements.
county public works notice and competitive bidding thresholds.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, if the estimated cost of a county public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the county must generally provide a notice before it contracts.
SECTION 1.
If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, a county must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
59.52 (29m) of the statutes is created to read:
This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation.
59.52 (29m) E XCEPTION TO PUBLIC WORK REQUIREMENTS .
The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a county after the completion of construction.
Subsection (29) does not apply to the purchase of used mobile homes and park model homes for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release under s.
With regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-3665/1 EVM:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 459 SECTION 1 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
S ECTION 1.
59.52 (29) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 59.52 (29) (a) 1.
and amended to read:
59.52 (29) (a) 1.
All public work, including any contract for the construction, repair, remodeling, or improvement of any public work, building, or furnishing of supplies or material of any kind where the estimated cost of such work will exceed $25,000 the bidding threshold under par.
(e) 1.
a.
shall be let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
3.
Any public work, the estimated cost of which does not exceed $25,000 the bidding threshold under par.
(e) 1.
a., shall be let as the board may direct.
4.
If the estimated cost of any public work is between $5,000 the notice threshold under par.
(e) 1.
b.
and $25,000 the bidding threshold under par.
(e) 1.
a., the board shall give a class 1 notice under ch.
985 before it contracts for the work or shall contract with a person qualified as a bidder under s.
66.0901 (2).
2.
A contract, the estimated cost of which exceeds $25,000 the bidding threshold under par.
(e) 1.
a., shall be let and entered into under s.
66.0901, except that the board may by a three-fourths vote of all the members entitled to a seat provide that any class of public work or any part thereof may be done directly by the county without submitting the same for bids.
(c) 1.
Show all 73 changed rows (33 more)
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This subsection does not apply to public construction if the materials for such a the project are donated or if the labor for such a the project is provided by volunteers.
(d) This subsection does not apply to highway contracts which the county - 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRB-3665/1 EVM:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 459 SECTION 1 highway committee or the county highway commissioner is authorized by law to let or make, which shall be let or made under s.
83.04.
S ECTION 2.
59.52 (29) (c) 2.
of the statutes is created to read:
59.52 (29) (c) 2.
This subsection does not apply to the construction by a private person of an improvement that is donated to the county after the completion of construction.
S ECTION 3.
59.52 (29) (c) 3.
of the statutes is created to read:
59.52 (29) (c) 3.
This subsection does not apply to public work for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release under s.
END )
S ECTION 4.
59.52 (29) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
59.52 (29) (e) 1.
Beginning on the effective date of this subdivision ....
[LRB inserts date}, the thresholds under par.
(a) are the following:
a.
For general public works contract bidding, $50,000.
b.
For general public works contract notice, $10,000.
2.
On the 5th year commencing after the effective date of this subdivision ....
[LRB inserts date], and each subsequent 5th year, the thresholds under subd.
1.
shall be increased by a percentage equal to the percentage change in the U.S.
consumer price index for the previous 5 years, as determined by the federal department of labor, rounded to the nearest multiple of $1,000.
S ECTION 5.
Initial applicability.
(1) This act first applies to bids solicited on the effective date of this subsection.
(END)
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Action History

  1. Published 3-28-2026

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 119

  3. Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2026

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 2-13-2026

  5. Received from Senate concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

  7. Read a third time and concurred in

  8. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Read a second time

  11. Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

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

  13. Available for scheduling

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

  15. Received from Assembly

  16. Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Read a third time and passed, Ayes 83, Noes 14

  18. Rules suspended

  19. Ordered to a third reading

  20. Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted

  21. Read a second time

  22. Placed on calendar 1-22-2026 by Committee on Rules

  23. Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative O'Connor

  24. Referred to committee on Rules

  25. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  26. Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  27. Executive action taken

  28. Fiscal estimate received

  29. Public hearing held

  30. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative O'Connor

  31. Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government

  32. Introduced by Representatives O'Connor and Novak; cosponsored by Senator Tomczyk

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 129 not signed on · 14 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (129)

129 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 129 →

"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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Read a third time and passed

Passed 83 Yea · 14 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 52001
Democrat 281401
Unaffiliated 3000
Total 831402
% of votes cast 84%14%0%2%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Yea
MOORE OMOKUNDE — Yea
SPEAKER — Yea
Anderson, Clinton Democrat Nay
Andraca, Deb Democrat Yea
Arney, Margaret Democrat Yea
Bare, Mike Democrat Yea
Billings, Jill Democrat Yea
Brown, Brienne Democrat Yea
Clancy, Ryan Democrat Yea
Cruz, Angelina Democrat Nay
DeSanto, Karen Democrat Yea
DeSmidt, Ben Democrat Nay
Doyle, Steve Democrat Yea
Emerson, Jodi Democrat Yea
Fitzgerald, Joan Democrat Yea
Goodwin, Russell Democrat Yea
Haywood, Kalan Democrat Nay
Hong, Francesca Democrat Yea
Hysell, Andrew Democrat Nay
Jacobson, Jenna Democrat Yea
Joers, Alex Democrat Nay
Kirsch, Karen Democrat Yea
Madison, Darrin Democrat Yea
Mayadev, Renuka Democrat Yea
McCarville, Maureen Democrat Nay
McGuire, Tip Democrat Nay
Miresse, Vincent Democrat Yea
Neubauer, Greta Democrat Yea
Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Democrat Not Voting
Palmeri, Lori Democrat Yea
Phelps, Christian Democrat Yea
Prado, Priscilla Democrat Nay
Rivera-Wagner, Amaad Democrat Nay
Roe, Ann Democrat Yea
Sheehan, Joe Democrat Nay
Sinicki, Christine Democrat Yea
Snodgrass, Lee Democrat Yea
Spaude, Ryan Democrat Nay
Stroud, Angela Democrat Yea
Stubbs, Shelia Democrat Yea
Subeck, Lisa Democrat Yea
Taylor, Sequanna Democrat Nay
Tenorio, Angelito Democrat Yea
Udell, Randy Democrat Nay
Vining, Robyn Democrat Yea
Allen, Scott Republican Yea
Armstrong, David Republican Yea
August, Tyler Republican Yea
Behnke, Elijah Republican Yea
Born, Mark Republican Yea
Brill, Lindee Republican Yea
Brooks, Robert Republican Yea
Callahan, Calvin Republican Yea
Dallman, Alex Republican Yea
Dittrich, Barbara Republican Yea
Donovan, Bob Republican Yea
Duchow, Cindi Republican Yea
Franklin, Benjamin Republican Yea
Goeben, Joy Republican Yea
Green, Chanz Republican Yea
Gundrum, Rick Republican Yea
Gustafson, Nate Republican Yea
Hurd, Karen Republican Yea
Jacobson, Brent Republican Yea
Kaufert, Dean Republican Yea
Kitchens, Joel Republican Yea
Knodl, Daniel Republican Yea
Kreibich, Rob Republican Yea
Krug, Scott Republican Yea
Kurtz, Tony Republican Yea
Maxey, Dave Republican Yea
Melotik, Paul Republican Yea
Moses, Clint Republican Yea
Murphy, David Republican Yea
Mursau, Jeffrey Republican Yea
Nedweski, Amanda Republican Yea
Neylon, Adam Republican Yea
Novak, Todd Republican Yea
O'Connor, Jerry Republican Yea
Penterman, William Republican Yea
Petersen, Kevin Republican Yea
Piwowarczyk, Jim Republican Yea
Pronschinske, Treig Republican Yea
Rodriguez, Jessie Republican Yea
Snyder, Patrick Republican Yea
Sortwell, Shae Republican Yea
Spiros, John Republican Yea
Steffen, David Republican Yea
Summerfield, Rob Republican Yea
Swearingen, Rob Republican Yea
Tittl, Paul Republican Not Voting
Tranel, Travis Republican Yea
Tucker, Duke Republican Yea
Tusler, Ron Republican Yea
VanderMeer, Nancy Republican Yea
Wichgers, Chuck Republican Yea
Wittke, Robert Republican Yea
Zimmerman, Shannon Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety housing transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 459 do?
An Act to renumber and amend 59.52 (29) (a); to create 59.52 (29) (c) 2., 59.52 (29) (c) 3. and 59.52 (29) (e) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 459?
AB 459 is sponsored by Tomczyk, O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), and Novak, Todd (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 459?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced September 26, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 459?
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