February 2026 Legislative Update

Knowles Nelson Reauthorization Unlikely to Get Done

Efforts to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program hit a roadblock this week after the Wisconsin Senate declined to take up legislation that had already cleared the Assembly.

The development comes as the 2025–26 legislative session enters its final days, narrowing the window for lawmakers to act on one of the state’s primary conservation and local park funding programs.

Last month, the State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 315 and Assembly Bill 612 on party-line votes. The bills would reauthorize the Stewardship Program at $28.25 million annually and preserve funding for key grant programs, including the Local Assistance Grant (LUG) program that supports park and recreation projects in communities statewide.

When the bills moved to the Senate, they encountered resistance within the Republican caucus. Bill author Senator Pat Testin introduced amendments in committee in an effort to secure additional support.

The Senate committee approved changes that allocate $2.5 million for land acquisitions by nonprofit organizations, maintain the overall annual funding level at $28.25 million, and place a cap on land purchases north of U.S. Highway 8.

Despite those revisions, the bills failed to gain sufficient support within the Senate Republican caucus. Although they were initially placed on the Senate calendar for a vote this week, they were later removed and were not brought to the floor.

Even with these amendments to scale back the original proposal, the path forward remains unclear. With the Assembly expected to complete its final floor day this week, the remaining opportunity would be for the Senate to pass the Assembly-approved versions of the bills when it reconvenes in March.

Observers say that path would likely require either Republican leadership to consolidate enough votes to pass the original Assembly versions without further amendments, or a bipartisan coalition to emerge in support of the legislation. Both scenarios face political challenges.

Assembly Democrats did not support the bills when they passed that chamber, and some Senate Democrats may see little incentive to advance the current funding levels rather than revisit the issue in a future session.

Other Legislation WPRA is Tracking

Local Government Competitive Bidding Threshold Clears the Assembly

The Assembly has approved Assembly Bill 217, as amended, updating Wisconsin’s local government competitive bidding laws for counties, towns, cities, and certain commissions. The bill modernizes long-outdated bidding thresholds and establishes separate standards for general public works projects and highway projects.

Under the bill, competitive bidding for general public works and construction projects is now required when project costs reach $50,000, with public notice required for projects exceeding $10,000. For public highway projects, competitive bidding is required at $25,000, and public notice is required for projects over $5,000. These changes replace lower thresholds that had not kept pace with rising construction and materials costs.

The legislation also adds an automatic inflation adjustment. Beginning five years after enactment and every five years thereafter, the bidding and notice thresholds will increase based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest $1,000. This is intended to prevent the thresholds from becoming outdated again.

In addition, the bill clarifies statutory definitions for public contracts and public highway contracts, maintains emergency exceptions, and preserves existing exemptions for projects involving donated materials, volunteer labor, or privately constructed improvements that are later donated. Local governments also retain the ability, by a three-fourths vote, to perform certain classes of work directly without competitive bidding.

The updated thresholds apply to bids solicited on or after the bill’s effective date.

The bill is available to be scheduled in the Senate. 

Commercial Driving Grant Program Ready for Governor’s Desk

Another bill WPRA has been tracking cleared both legislative houses and now will be sent to the Governor for his review.

Senate Bill 783 expands eligibility under Wisconsin’s commercial driver training grant program by allowing applicants who pay a third-party provider for CDL training to receive grants, so long as the training meets federal requirements and the provider is listed on the federal Training Provider Registry

The bill maintains the requirement that trainees reside in Wisconsin and obtain an initial CDL in the state, requires applicants to have at least one in-state facility, and limits the program to one grant per individual trained.