Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB51 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-1545/1
3	3	MPG:emw
4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 51
5	5	February 21, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WIMBERGER, CABRAL-GUEVARA, NASS
6	6	and WANGGAARD, cosponsored by Representatives STEFFEN, BRILL, BROOKS,
7	7	CALLAHAN, DITTRICH, GUNDRUM, B. JACOBSON, KNODL, MAXEY, MURPHY,
8	8	MURSAU, NEDWESKI, PIWOWARCZYK, SPIROS and WICHGERS. Referred to
9	9	Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
10	10	AN ACT to create 1.14 (1) (am) and 1.14 (1m) of the statutes; relating to: flags
11	11	flown at state and local government buildings and eliminating a related
12	12	administrative rule.
13	13	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
14	14	This bill prohibits any flag other than the U.S. flag, the state flag, the official
15	15	POW/MIA flag recognized by Congress, and the official flags of each branch of the
16	16	U.S. armed forces from being flown, hung, or displayed from any flagpole or
17	17	building, structure, or facility, including the state capitol, that is owned or occupied
18	18	entirely by a state agency or authority or by a city, village, town, or county.
19	19	However, the bill authorizes the legislature to make exceptions for state flagpoles
20	20	and facilities by joint resolution adopted by a three-fourths majority vote of all
21	21	members elected to each house. Similarly, a city, village, town, or county may make
22	22	exceptions for its flagpoles and facilities by a three-fourths majority vote of all
23	23	members elected to its governing body.
24	24	The bill also repeals an administrative rule that includes requirements
25	25	similar to those of the bill but that authorizes the governor to make exceptions. The
26	26	bill delays its requirements for state flagpoles and facilities until January 1, 2027.
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29	29	3 2025 - 2026 Legislature
30	30	SENATE BILL 51
31	31	- 2 - LRB-1545/1
32	32	MPG:emw
33	33	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
34	34	enact as follows:
35	35	SECTION 1. 1.14 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
36	36	1.14 (1) (am) XPolitical subdivisionY means any city, village, town, or county.
37	37	SECTION 2. 1.14 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
38	38	1.14 (1m) (a) The U.S. flag, the state flag, the official POW/MIA flag
39	39	recognized by Congress under P.L. 101-355, and the official flags of each branch of
40	40	the U.S. armed forces shall be the only flags flown, hung, or displayed from any
41	41	flagpole or building, structure, or facility, including the state capitol, that is owned
42	42	or occupied entirely by a state agency or state authority, except that the legislature
43	43	may direct otherwise by joint resolution adopted by a three-fourths majority vote of
44	44	all members elected to each house.
45	45	(b) The U.S. flag, the state flag, the official POW/MIA flag recognized by
46	46	Congress under P.L. 101-355, and the official flags of each branch of the U.S. armed
47	47	forces shall be the only flags flown, hung, or displayed from any flagpole or building,
48	48	structure, or facility that is owned or occupied entirely by a political subdivision,
49	49	except that a political subdivision may direct otherwise by a three-fourths majority
50	50	vote of the members elect of its governing body.
51	51	SECTION 3. Adm 2.07 (1) of the administrative code is repealed.
52	52	SECTION 4. Initial applicability.
53	53	(1) STATE FACILITIES. The treatment of s. 1.14 (1m) (a) first applies to flags
54	54	flown, hung, or displayed on January 1, 2027.
55	55	SECTION 5. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after
56	56	publication, except as follows:
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78	78	22 2025 - 2026 Legislature
79	79	SENATE BILL 51
80	80	- 3 - LRB-1545/1
81	81	MPG:emw
82	82	SECTION 5
83	83	(1) Notwithstanding s. 227.265, the treatment of administrative rules takes
84	84	effect on January 1, 2027.
85	85	(END)
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