Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 2 R cosponsors

AB 882 — Relating to: town authority over the water elevation of an artificial water body created by a dam and recourse due to damage caused by an obstructed waterway.

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

  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 January 16, 2026. It awaits signature.

Vetoed by Governor Tony Evers (Democratic) on April 08, 2026.

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

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low 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 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 renumber 82.03 (5) (c); to amend 88.90 (1); to create 82.03 (5) (ag) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

22 added · 46 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Assembly Bill 882 allows town boards in Wisconsin to set maximum water levels for artificial ponds created by dams, specifically when those levels cause flooding on local roads. This change gives towns more control over local water management, which could help prevent damage to infrastructure. Additionally, it clarifies that landowners can request the removal of obstructions in natural watercourses only if the damage is directly linked to flooding. This specificity helps streamline the process for addressing water-related issues in the community.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2231/3 EHS:skw&cjs ASSEMBLY BILL 882 January 16, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives T UCKER and B ORN , cosponsored by Senator QUINN .
Date of enactment:
Referred to Committee on Environment.
Assembly Bill 882 Date of publication*:
A N A CT to renumber 82.03 (5) (c);
WISCONSIN ACT A N A CT to renumber 82.03 (5) (c);
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Current law grants the Department of Natural Resources the authority to regulate and control the level and flow of water in all navigable waters.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in sen- S ECTION 3.
This bill gives a town board the authority to prescribe the maximum water elevation for an artificial water body created by a dam that includes the use of a diversion pump and and that is located in the town if the town board has determined that a certain water elevation of that water body causes the road bed of a highway in the town to be saturated.
88.90 (1) of the statutes is amended to ate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Current law provides a procedure whereby the owner or occupant of any lands damaged by an obstruction in a natural watercourse due to negligent action by the owner, occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the obstruction is located may request and ultimately require removal of the obstruction.
read:
The bill specifies that the damage triggering this authority must be due to ground or surface water flooding.
SECTION 1.
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2231/3 EHS:skw&cjs ASSEMBLY BILL 882 SECTION 1 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
82.03 (5) (ag) of the statutes is created 88.90 (1) Whenever any natural watercourse be- to read:
S ECTION 1.
comes obstructed so that the natural flow of water along 82.03 (5) (ag) Notwithstanding s.
82.03 (5) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:
31.02 (2), the the same is retarded by the negligent action of the owner, town board may prescribe the maximum water elevation occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the for an artificial water body created by a dam that in- obstruction is located, the owner or occupant of any cludes the use of a diversion pump and that is located in the town if the town board has determined that a certain lands damaged due to ground or surface water flooding water elevation of that water body causes the road bed of caused by such obstruction may request the removal a highway in the town to be saturated.
82.03 (5) (ag) Notwithstanding s.
thereof by giving notice in writing to such owner, occu- pant, or person in charge of the land on which the ob- SECTION 2.
31.02 (2), the town board may prescribe the maximum water elevation for an artificial water body created by a dam that includes the use of a diversion pump and that is located in the town if the town board has determined that a certain water elevation of that water body causes the road bed of a highway in the town to be saturated.
82.03 (5) (c) of the statutes is renum- bered 82.03 (5) (b) 3.
S ECTION 2.
struction is located.
82.03 (5) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 82.03 (5) (b) 3.
* Section 991.11, ISCONSINSTATUTES:
S ECTION 3.
Effective date of acts.
88.90 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
“Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the gov- ernor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.”
88.90 (1) Whenever any natural watercourse becomes obstructed so that the natural flow of water along the same is retarded by the negligent action of the owner, occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the obstruction is located, the owner or occupant of any lands damaged due to ground or surface water flooding caused by such obstruction may request the removal thereof by giving notice in writing to such owner, occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the obstruction is located.
(END)
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Action History

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

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

  3. Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-8-2026

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

  5. Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026

  6. Received from Senate concurred in

  7. Ordered immediately messaged

  8. Read a third time and concurred in

  9. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  10. Ordered to a third reading

  11. Read a second time

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

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

  14. Available for scheduling

  15. Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Executive action taken

  17. Public hearing held

  18. Read first time and referred to committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

  19. Received from Assembly

  20. Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Read a third time and passed

  22. Rules suspended

  23. Ordered to a third reading

  24. Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted

  25. Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Tucker

  26. Read a second time

  27. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Neubauer

  28. Made a special order of business at 1:29 PM on 2-18-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 13

  29. Senator Stafsholt added as a cosponsor

  30. Representative Moses added as a coauthor

  31. Referred to committee on Rules

  32. Report passage recommended by Committee on Environment, Ayes 4, Noes 2

  33. Executive action taken

  34. Public hearing held

  35. Read first time and referred to Committee on Environment

  36. Introduced by Representatives Tucker and Born; cosponsored by Senator Quinn

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 129 not signed on

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

Subjects

public-safety environment
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 882 do?
An Act to renumber 82.03 (5) (c); to amend 88.90 (1); to create 82.03 (5) (ag) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 882?
AB 882 is sponsored by Quinn, Born, Mark (Republican), and Tucker, Duke (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 882?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 16, 2026. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 882?
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