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AB253 • 2025
independence accounts
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
independence accounts Status: A - Enacted into Law
Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 225
Published 4-9-2026
Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
Report correctly enrolled on 3-25-2026
Senator Spreitzer added as a cosponsor
Received from Senate concurred in
Read a second time
Ordered to a third reading
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
Read a third time and concurred in
Senator Smith added as a cosponsor
Ordered immediately messaged
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization , pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m) , Ayes 3, Noes 2
Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
Available for scheduling
Read a second time
Representative Vining added as a coauthor
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
Ordered to a third reading
Rules suspended
Read a third time and passed
Ordered immediately messaged
Received from Assembly
Representatives Madison and Clancy added as coauthors
Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care , Ayes 14, Noes 0
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care , Ayes 14, Noes 0
Referred to committee on Rules
Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor
Executive action taken
Representatives Palmeri and Stubbs added as coauthors
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Brooks
Fiscal estimate received
Public hearing held
Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor
Introduced by Representatives Brooks , Kaufert , Allen , Knodl , Murphy , Mursau , Subeck , Wichgers and Behnke ; cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Feyen
Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care
independence accounts Status: A - Enacted into Law
Wisconsin Legislature: AB253: Bill Text Skip navigation Home Documents Senate Assembly Committees Service Agencies Docs Options Help 2025 Biennium Statutes Admin. Rules Indices Miscellaneous Archives Home Bill, Rule, and Appointment Histories Senators Representatives Committees Text of Introduced Proposals Amendment Text Acts Veto Messages Enrolled Bills Votes Assembly and Senate Floor Calendars Schedule of Committee Activities Assembly and Senate Journals Committee Records (ROCPs) Legislative Rules All Session-Related Documents Subject Index to Acts Subject Index to Legislation Subject Index to Journals Author Index to Legislation Subject Index to Clearinghouse Rules Miscellaneous Budget Documents Executive Orders Rulings of the Chair Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules Opinions of the Attorney General Town Law Forms Law Districts Session Drafting Files Feeds Preferences Show tree Hide tree Feedback Help Home Senate Home Senators Committees Session Chief Clerk Sergeant at Arms Civics Education Human Resources Assembly Home Representatives Committees Session Chief Clerk Sergeant at Arms Human Resources Schedule Joint Senate Assembly Study Legislative Audit Bureau Legislative Council Legislative Fiscal Bureau Legislative Human Resources Office Legislative Reference Bureau Legislative Technology Services Bureau Menu » 2025 » Related Documents » Proposal Text » AB253: Bill Text Up Up 2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2875/1 JPC:emw 2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 253 May 8, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Brooks , Kaufert , Allen , Knodl , Murphy , Mursau , Subeck , Wichgers and Behnke , cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Feyen . Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care. AB253,1,2 1 An Act to create 49.472 (3m) of the statutes; relating to: independence 2 accounts. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. For further information see the state 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: AB253,1 1 Section 1 . 49.472 (3m) of the statutes is created to read: AB253,2,4 2 49.472 (3m) Independence accounts . (a) The department shall allow an 3 individual to deposit up to $15,000 of the individual’s gross earnings in an 4 independence account over a 12-month period. AB253,2,6 5 (b) In determining assets under sub. (3) (b), the department may not include 6 assets that are acquired by inheritance. AB253,2,13 7 (c) If the department determines that federal approval is required to 8 implement any part of this subsection, the department shall submit any state plan 9 amendment, waiver of federal Medicaid law, or other request for federal approval 10 necessary to implement this subsection. The department shall implement this 11 subsection to the extent that the federal department of health and human services 12 does not disapprove of the plan amendment, waiver request, or other request for 13 federal approval. AB253,2,14 14 (end) Down Down /2025/related/proposals/ab253 true proposaltext /2025/related/proposals/ab253 proposaltext/2025/REG/AB253 proposaltext/2025/REG/AB253 section true Menu » 2025 » Related Documents » Proposal Text » AB253: Bill Text × Details for PDF view Link (Permanent link) Bookmark this location View toggle Go to top of document Search in this chapter Search in this section Search in this agency Search in this chapter group Search in this chapter Search in this section Cross references for section Acts affecting this section References to this 1970 Statutes Annotations Appellate Court Citations Administrative Code Index Reference lines Clear highlighting