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AB1068 • 2025

broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns

broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns

Energy
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representatives Udell, Stroud, Fitzgerald, Stubbs, Miresse, Sinicki, Moore Omokunde, Anderson, Bare, DeSmidt, Joers, McCarville, Ortiz-Velez, Roe, Sheehan and Tenorio, cosponsored by Senators Smith, Ratcliff, Spreitzer, Roys and Larson
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
A - Energy and Utilities
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns

broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns Status: A - Energy and Utilities

What This Bill Does

  • broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns Status: A - Energy and Utilities

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-30 Asm.

    Senator Keyeski added as a cosponsor

  2. 2026-03-23 Asm.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  3. 2026-03-16 Asm.

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. 2026-03-04 Asm.

    Representative Subeck added as a coauthor

  5. 2026-02-26 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Udell , Stroud , Fitzgerald , Stubbs , Miresse , Sinicki , Moore Omokunde , Anderson , Bare , DeSmidt , Joers , McCarville , Ortiz-Velez , Roe , Sheehan and Tenorio ; cosponsored by Senators Smith , Ratcliff , Spreitzer , Roys and Larson

  6. 2026-02-26 Asm.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Energy and Utilities

Official Summary Text

broadband expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and towns
Status: A - Energy and Utilities

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB1068: Bill Text

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AB1068: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5800/1
EHS:skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 1068
February 26, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Udell
,
Stroud
,
Fitzgerald
,
Stubbs
,
Miresse
,
Sinicki
,
Moore Omokunde
,
Anderson
,
Bare
,
DeSmidt
,
Joers
,
McCarville
,
Ortiz-Velez
,
Roe
,
Sheehan
and
Tenorio
, cosponsored by Senators
Smith
,
Ratcliff
,
Spreitzer
,
Roys
and
Larson
. Referred to Committee on Energy and Utilities.
AB1068,1,5
1
An Act

to repeal
66.0422 (2) (c), 66.0422 (4) and 66.0422 (5);
to amend

2
196.504 (1) (ac) 3. and 196.504 (2) (a) of the statutes;
relating to:
broadband
3
expansion grants for cities, villages, towns, and counties and
4
telecommunications-related construction projects of cities, villages, and
5
towns.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes changes to the broadband expansion grant program that affect cities, villages, towns, and counties (political subdivisions). Under current law, the Public Service Commission administers the program and makes grants to eligible applicants for constructing broadband infrastructure in unserved areas. The bill allows a political subdivision to apply for a grant without submitting the application in partnership with a telecommunications utility or a for-profit or not-for-profit organization, which is required under current law. The bill also allows a political subdivision to use a grant for the following purposes, in addition to constructing broadband infrastructure: 1) planning related to broadband infrastructure construction, including broadband feasibility reports, and 2) defraying no more than 50 percent of the cost of hiring and employing one broadband director.
The bill also eliminates a requirement for a city, village, or town to prepare a report before constructing or operating a facility for providing to the public telecommunications service, cable television or similar video service, or broadband service. With exceptions, current law requires a city, village, or town to hold a hearing before enacting an ordinance or adopting a resolution authorizing it to construct or operate such a facility. In addition, at least 30 days prior to the hearing, the city, village, or town must prepare and make available to the public a report that estimates the total costs and revenues for the facility and includes a cost-benefit analysis of the facility for a period of at least three years. Under the bill, a city, village, or town is not required to prepare that report.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB1068,1
1
Section
1
.
66.0422 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
AB1068,2
2
Section
2
.
66.0422 (4) of the statutes is repealed.
AB1068,3
3
Section
3
.
66.0422 (5) of the statutes is repealed.
AB1068,4
4
Section
4
.
196.504 (1) (ac) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1068,2,6
5
196.504
(1)
(ac) 3. A political subdivision
that submits an application in
6
partnership with an eligible applicant under subd. 1. or 2
.
AB1068,5
7
Section
5
.
196.504 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1068,2,14
8
196.504
(2)
(a) To make broadband expansion grants to eligible applicants for
9
the purpose of constructing broadband infrastructure in unserved areas designated
10
under par. (e)
and to political subdivisions for project planning related to such
11
construction, including broadband feasibility reports, or for defraying no more than
12
50 percent of the cost of hiring and employing one broadband director
. Grants
13
awarded under this section shall be paid from the appropriations under ss. 20.155
14
(3) (r) and (rm) and 20.866 (2) (z), in the amount allocated under s. 20.866 (2) (z) 5.
AB1068,2,15
15
(end)

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