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SB742: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5487/1
MJW:cjs&wlj
2025 SENATE BILL 742
December 12, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
Drake
and
Larson
, cosponsored by Representatives
Clancy
,
Madison
,
Arney
,
Hong
,
Phelps
,
Tenorio
,
Bare
,
Joers
,
Prado
,
Rivera-Wagner
,
Stroud
,
Stubbs
,
Taylor
and
Udell
. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
SB742,1,2
1
An Act
to create
302.071 and 302.072 of the statutes;
relating to:
inmate
2
access to transparent windows and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Corrections and county sheriffs to ensure that in every state correctional institution and county jail, in every inmate residential cell that is connected to an exterior wall, a window that is at least 1.5 square feet in size and that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the outdoors be installed by October 1, 2030, provided that the correctional institution or county jail will remain structurally sound with the windows in place.
The bill also requires DOC or the county sheriff to provide every inmate with three hours per day of outdoor viewing time through a window that provides 92 percent visibility to the outdoors. This requirement may be met by time spent outdoors, by time spent in the inmate’s cell if the cell has such a window, or, if the inmate’s cell does not have such a window, by moving the inmate to a location within the state correctional institution or county jail that does have a window that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the outdoors.
The bill provides to DOC $500,000 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2026-27 for the purpose of installing windows in state correctional institutions to meet the requirements of the bill.
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:
SB742,1
1
Section
1
.
302.071 of the statutes is created to read:
SB742,2,9
2
302.071
Window access by inmates of state correctional institutions.
3
(1)
The department shall ensure that, by no later than October 1, 2030, in each
4
state correctional institution, every inmate residential cell that utilizes an exterior
5
wall of the structure has a window in the cell that is at least 1.5 square feet in size,
6
that is constructed of a transparent material, and that provides at least 92 percent
7
visibility to the outdoors. The requirement under this subsection applies only if the
8
state correctional institution will remain structurally sound with the windows in
9
place.
SB742,2,15
10
(2)
The warden or superintendent shall ensure that each inmate in a state
11
correctional institution is permitted to view the outdoors through a transparent
12
window that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the outdoors for at least 3
13
hours per day unless the inmate is subject to a prison lockdown or is being held in
14
solitary confinement. The requirement under this subsection may be met in any of
15
the following ways:
SB742,2,16
16
(a) By time spent outdoors.
SB742,2,19
17
(b) By time spent in the inmate’s residential cell if the cell has a window that
18
is constructed of a transparent material and that provides at least 92 percent
19
visibility to the outdoors.
SB742,3,4
20
(c) If the inmate’s residential cell does not have a window that is constructed
1
of a transparent material and that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the
2
outdoors, by time spent in another location within the state correctional institution
3
where the inmate may access a window that provides at least 92 percent visibility to
4
the outdoors.
SB742,2
5
Section
2
.
302.072 of the statutes is created to read:
SB742,3,12
6
302.072
Window access by inmates of county jails.
(1)
The sheriff shall
7
ensure that, by no later than October 1, 2030, in the county jail, every inmate
8
residential cell that utilizes an exterior wall of the structure has a window in the
9
cell that is at least 1.5 square feet in size, that is constructed of a transparent
10
material, and that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the outdoors. The
11
requirement under this subsection applies only if the county jail will remain
12
structurally sound with the windows in place.
SB742,3,17
13
(2)
The sheriff shall ensure that each inmate in a county jail is permitted to
14
view the outdoors through a transparent window that provides at least 92 percent
15
visibility to the outdoors for at least 3 hours per day unless the inmate is subject to
16
a jail lockdown or is being held in solitary confinement. The requirement under
17
this subsection may be met in any of the following ways:
SB742,3,18
18
(a) By time spent outdoors.
SB742,3,21
19
(b) By time spent in the inmate’s residential cell if the cell has a window that
20
is constructed of a transparent material and that provides at least 92 percent
21
visibility to the outdoors.
SB742,4,2
22
(c) If the inmate’s residential cell does not have a window that is constructed
23
of a transparent material and that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the
1
outdoors, by time spent in another location within the county jail where the inmate
2
may access a window that provides at least 92 percent visibility to the outdoors.
SB742,3
3
Section
3
. Fiscal changes.
SB742,4,11
4
(
1
)
Installation of windows in state correctional institutions.
In the
5
schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of corrections
6
under s. 20.410 (1) (aa), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2025-26 is increased by
7
$500,000 to install windows in state correctional institutions as required under s.
8
302.071 (1). In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the
9
department of corrections under s. 20.410 (1) (aa), the dollar amount for fiscal year
10
2026-27 is increased by $3,000,000 to install windows in state correctional
11
institutions as required under s. 302.071 (1).
SB742,4
12
Section
4
. Effective date.
SB742,4,15
13
(
1
)
Outdoor viewing requirements.
The treatment of ss. 302.071 (2) and
14
302.072 (2) take effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after the effective
15
date of this subsection.
SB742,4,16
16
(end)
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