2025-2026 WI Animal Legislation

On 3/23/26, pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, all of the proposed legislation listed below FAILED TO PASS with three exceptions.

 

AB366/SB327, which relate to emotional support animals in housing, falsely claiming that an animal is a service animal, and providing a penalty, 12/5/25 vetoed by the governor.

 

AB239, which relates to the harassment of search and rescue dogs and provides a penalty was correctly enrolled 1/23/26. 4/2/26 approved by the governor and published 4/3/26, Wisconsin Act 152. 

 

AB1032, which relates to the sale of property under DNR jurisdiction to prevent the spread of avian flu was correctly enrolled 3/20/26. 4/3/26 vetoed by the governor.

 

An enrolled bill has passed both houses of the legislature and incorporates all final amendments to the bill. It is formatted as an act. The enrolled copy of a bill is sent to the governor for approval.   

 

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AB1185: AB1185 was introduced 3/19/26 and referred to the Assembly  Committee on State Affairs. AB1185 relates to testing cosmetics on animals and provides a penalty.

 

AB693/SB680: AB693 was introduced 11/26/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB680 was introduced on 11/20/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. These bills exempt certain deer from a prohibition on selling, purchasing, bartering, or trading wild animals.

 

 Sandhill Cranes

On 1/15/26 the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage recommended passage as amended of AB117 by a vote of 7 Ayes, Noes 3. A public hearing on AB117, which includes the hunting of sandhill cranes,was held by the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage on 1/6/26. Read the written testimony submitted here.

 

A public hearing on SB112, which includes the hunting of sandhill cranes, was held by the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage on 11/19/25. Read the written testimony submitted here. The Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage met in executive session on 1/7/26 and voted (3 Ayes and 2 Noes) to recommend passage of SB112 as amended. As of 1/7/26, SB112 is available for scheduling.

 

The Joint Legislative Council met on 2/26/25. The Council considered Agenda Item 5, Report of the Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes. The Study Committee voted to support a proposed bill, LRB-0815/1, which directs the DNR, upon approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to authorize sandhill crane hunting in Wisconsin. On 3/7/25 The Joint Legislative Council introduced SB112. SB112 was referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. On 3/11/25 AB117 was introduced by the Joint Legislative Committee and was referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage.

 

The League of Humane Voters supports these bills.

 

AB865/SB851: AB865 was introduced 1/16/26 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care. SB851 was introduced 1/15/26 and referred to the Senate Committee on Health. These bills prohibit an educational institution from using live animals to train medical students, residents, fellows, interns or physicians if one of two conditions exist. It further provides that a person who violates the prohibition must forfeit $1,000 for each live animal used. The Senate Committee on Health held a public hearing on SB851 on 1/29/26. Read the written testimony submitted here.

 

AB289/SB298: Introduced 5/30/25, these bills prohibit, with limited exceptions, the DNR from using any insecticide from the neonicotinoid class on land maintained by the DNR. AB289 was referred to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. SB298 was referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.

 

AB732/SB709: AB732 was introduced 12/3/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Environment. SB709 was introduced 12/2/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. These bills relate to prohibiting noncommercial uses of neonicotinoid pesticides. The Assembly Committee on Environment held a public hearing on AB732 on 12/18/25.

 

 

AB781/SB774: AB781 was introduced 12/17/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB774 was introduced 12/12/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. These bills appropriate $3,525,000 annually from the conservation fund to the DNR for wolf monitoring and projects for non-lethal abatement of wolves.

 

The League of Humane Voters stands opposed to these bills.

 

 

AB687/SB665: AB687 was introduced 11/26/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB665 was introduced 11/20/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. These bills require the DNR to establish a statewide wolf population goal in its wolf population management plan. The Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage held a public hearing on SB665 on 1/22/26. Read the written testimony submitted here. On 1/27/26 the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage voted (3 Ayes and 2 Noes) to recommend passage of SB665.

 

The League of Humane Voters is Neutral on these bills.

 

AB436/SB414: AB436 was introduced 9/19/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. SB414 was introduced 9/4/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development. These bills require animal testing facilities and persons that breed cats or dogs for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility to offer to a releasing agency for eventual adoption certain dogs and cats that do not pose a risk to public health. A person who violates the provisions of the bills shall be subject to a forfeiture not to exceed $5,000. The Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development held a public hearing on SB414 on 1/27/26. Read the submitted written testimony here. The Assembly Committee on State Affairs held a public hearing on AB436 on 2/11/26. Read the submitted written testimony here. On 2/19/26 AB436 as amended was passed by the Assembly. On 2/25/26 AB436 was read for the first time in the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.

 

LOHV has changed it's position and is neutral on this bill due to the added amendment(s).

 

AB239/SB238: These bills relate to the harassment of search and rescue dogs and provide a penalty. AB239 was introduced 5/2/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. SB238 was introduced 5/9/25 and referred to the Senate Commitee on Judiciary and Public Safety. On 10/14/25 the Assembly passed AB239.

 

 

AB366/SB327: These bills relate to emotional support animals in housing, falsely claiming that an animal is a service animal, and provide a penalty. The bills were passed as amended, presented to the governor on 12/4/25, and vetoed by the governor on 12/5/25.

 

AB551/SB548: AB551 was introduced 10/15/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB548 was introduced 10/17/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. Current law allows the DNR to manage and provide funding to conduct testing for CWD in cervids. Currently the DNR administers a program under which it provides CWD sampling stations, including self-service kiosks where hunters may drop off deer carcass parts for sampling. These bills codify this program by requiring the DNR to establish and administer it and provide one million dollars in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium for the program. The bills allows the DNR to contract with private entities to conduct the sampling and to pay private entities per sample taken.

 

AB552/SB549: AB552 was introduced 10/15/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB549 was introduced 10/17/25 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. Under these bills the DNR may research CWD in cervids in addition to managing and providing funding to conduct testing for CWD, which the DNR is authorized to do under current law. A cervid is any species of deer or elk that is present in the wild and is not a farm-raised deer. The bills also appropriate three million dollars annually from the general fund in fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for research on and management of CWD. Current law appropriates no money for this purpose.

 

 

AB553/SB550: AB553 was introduced 10/15/25 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB550 was introduced 10/1725 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. These bills require the DNR to provide large metal containers where hunters may dispose of deer carcasses to be placed in locations throughout the state as determined by the DNR. The bills provide in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium one million dollars for the carcass disposal sites. The bills also provide in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium $500,000 for the DNR to provide education to hunters about CWD and the importance of proper carcass disposal.

 

AB902/SB891: AB902 was introduced 1/23/26 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB891 was introduced 1/27/26 and referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. These bills prohibit the DATCP from ordering the quarantine of a farmed animal that belongs to a species that is neither known to carry nor be susceptible to CWD, including fallow deer, based solely on an incident of the animal having been exposed to CWD. On 2/10/26 the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage held a public hearing on SB891. Read the submitted written testimony here.

 

AB1021/SB1007: AB1021 was introduced 2/6/26 and referred to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture. SB1007 was introduced on 2/12/26 and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. These bills relate to agricultural damage done by elk.

 

AB1032/SB1084: AB1032 was introduced 2/6/26 and referred to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. This bill relates to the sale of property under DNR jurisdiction to prevent the spread of avian flu. A public hearing was held on 2/11/26. Read the submitted written testimony here. On 2/19/26 AB1032 was passed by the Assembly. SB1084 was introduced on 2/27/26 and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue held a public hearing on AB1032 and SB1084 on 3/10/26. Read the submitted written testimony here. On 3/11/26 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue voted 5 to 3 to recommend AB1032 for concurrence.

 

AB1076/SB1060: these bills were introduced 2/26/26. They relate to making an appropriation for administering sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits and for sharp-tailed grouse management and research activities. AB1076 was referred to the Assembly Committee on Sporting Heritage. SB1060 was referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage.