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SB771 • 2025

creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway

creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway

Housing
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Senators Wall and Ratcliff, cosponsored by Representatives Bare, Brown, Roe, Subeck, DeSmidt, Stroud and Anderson
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
S - Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry
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.

creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway

creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway Status: S - Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

What This Bill Does

  • creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway Status: S - Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

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. 2026-03-23 Sen.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. 2026-02-10 Sen.

    Representative Roe withdrawn as a cosponsor

  3. 2026-01-16 Sen.

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. 2025-12-12 Sen.

    Introduced by Senators Wall and Ratcliff ; cosponsored by Representatives Bare , Brown , Roe , Subeck , DeSmidt , Stroud and Anderson

  5. 2025-12-12 Sen.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

Official Summary Text

creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway
Status: S - Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB771: Bill Text

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SB771: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2644/1
KP:ajk&wlj
2025 SENATE BILL 771
December 12, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
Wall
and
Ratcliff
, cosponsored by Representatives
Bare
,
Brown
,
Roe
,
Subeck
,
DeSmidt
,
Stroud
and
Anderson
. Referred to Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry.
SB771,1,3
1
An Act

to create
15.407 (19), 101.02 (7r) (h) and 101.024 of the statutes;
2
relating to:
creating a multifamily housing innovation council and allowing a
3
multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill does all of the following:
1. Creates a multifamily housing innovation council consisting of one building inspector, one professional firefighter, one fire chief, one member of the Wisconsin State Fire Inspectors Association, one automatic fire sprinkler fitter, one engineer, one expert on the International Residential Code, and at least one employee of the Department of Safety and Professional Services who has expertise with the commercial building code.
2. Requires the council to develop a guidebook that establishes recommendations for the design and construction of a multifamily dwelling that is served by a single stairway. The guidebook must ensure that such dwellings are designed and constructed consistently with safe occupancy and egress satisfying National Fire Protection Association standards.
3. Requires the council to establish a model ordinance that counties, cities, villages, and towns may adopt to allow multifamily housing to be built on land zoned for commercial uses.
4. Requires the council to make recommendations to DSPS and the Commercial Building Code Council regarding any changes to the commercial building code that would facilitate multifamily housing innovation recommendations developed by the council.
5. Requires the council to meet monthly until the council completes the guidebook and model ordinance. The council must also meet on the call of the secretary of DSPS to develop recommendations regarding any matter related to multifamily housing innovation specified by the secretary.
6. Authorizes counties, cities, villages, and towns to enact ordinances consistent with the guidebook that allow a multifamily dwelling up to six stories to be served by a single stairway.
Because this bill may increase or decrease, directly or indirectly, the cost of the development, construction, financing, purchasing, sale, ownership, or availability of housing in this state, the Department of Administration, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this 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:
SB771,1
1
Section

1
.
15.407 (19) of the statutes is created to read:
SB771,2,5
2
15.407
(19)

Multifamily housing innovation council.
There is created in
3
the department of safety and professional services a multifamily housing
4
innovation council consisting of the following members appointed by the secretary
5
of safety and professional services for 4-year terms:
SB771,2,6
6
(a) One member who is a building inspector.
SB771,2,8
7
(b) One member who is a professional firefighter and who is recommended by
8
Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Inc., or its successor.
SB771,2,10
9
(c) One member who is a fire chief and who is recommended by Wisconsin
10
State Fire Chiefs Association, Inc., or its successor.
SB771,2,12
11
(d) One member who is a member of and who is recommended by Wisconsin
12
State Fire Inspectors Association or its successor.
SB771,2,14
13
(e) One member who is an automatic fire sprinkler fitter and who is
14
recommended by Sprinkler Fitters Local 183 or its successor.
SB771,3,2
1
(f) One member who is an engineer and who is recommended by International
2
Union of Operating Engineers or its successor.
SB771,3,3
3
(g) One member who is an expert on the International Residential Code.
SB771,3,5
4
(h) At least one member who is an employee of the department and who has
5
expertise with the commercial building code, as defined in s. 101.01 (1g).
SB771,2
6
Section

2
.
101.02 (7r) (h) of the statutes is created to read:
SB771,3,10
7
101.02
(7r)
(h) Notwithstanding par. (a), a county, city, village, or town may
8
enact and enforce an ordinance that allows a multifamily dwelling up to 6 stories to
9
be served by a single stairway and that is consistent with the guidebook developed
10
under s. 101.024.
SB771,3
11
Section

3
.
101.024 of the statutes is created to read:
SB771,3,13
12
101.024

Multifamily housing innovation council; duties.

(1)
The
13
multifamily housing innovation council shall do all of the following:
SB771,3,20
14
(a) Develop a guidebook that establishes recommendations for the design and
15
construction of a multifamily dwelling that is served by a single stairway. The
16
guidebook shall establish building specifications for a single stairway for a
17
multifamily dwelling up to 6 stories and shall ensure that such a multifamily
18
dwelling is designed and constructed in a manner that is consistent with safe
19
occupancy and egress and that meets the standards of the National Fire Protection
20
Association.
SB771,3,23
21
(b) Establish a model ordinance and recommendations that will enable a
22
county, city, village, or town to allow multifamily housing to be built on land zoned
23
for commercial uses.
SB771,4,3
24
(c) Make recommendations to the department and the commercial building
1
code council regarding any changes to the commercial building code that would
2
facilitate multifamily housing innovation recommendations developed by the
3
council under this section.
SB771,4,8
4
(2)
(a) The multifamily housing innovation council shall meet monthly until
5
the council completes its work on the guidebook and model ordinance required
6
under sub. (1). Thereafter, except as provided in par. (b), the council shall meet
7
annually to review and evaluate the guidebook and model ordinance and update
8
them as appropriate.
SB771,4,11
9
(b) The multifamily housing innovation council shall meet on the call of the
10
secretary to develop recommendations regarding any matter related to multifamily
11
housing innovation specified by the secretary.
SB771,4
12
Section

4
. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB771,4,16
13
(
1
)
Staggering of terms.
Notwithstanding the length of terms specified for
14
the members of the council under s. 15.407 (19), half of the initial members shall be
15
appointed for terms expiring on July 1, 2027, and half of the initial members shall
16
be appointed for terms expiring on July 1, 2029.
SB771,4,17
17
(end)

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