Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has signed 20 bills into law since our last update on gubernatorial actions. On February 21, the governor announced the signing of 2021 Wisconsin Act 140, which created a penalty for refusing or obstructing the installation of a GPS tracker or similar device required for certain offenders.
On March 4, Gov. Evers announced that he had signed a series of 15 bills as Acts 141 through 155, including several bills making minor changes to tax incremental districts and tax law (Acts 142, 149, and 151) and several bills related to data and reporting requirements for the Department of Children and Families (Acts 146, 147, and 148). He also signed a bill to allow the Department of Corrections (DOC) to use billboards to recruit employees (Act 145) and another requiring more frequent overtime reports from DOC (Act 153).
On March 7, Gov. Evers signed two bills related to tax law, announcing the new laws at a bill signing event in Madison:
- Act 156 exempts grant money received under the Restaurant Revitalization Fund from the Wisconsin individual income tax. The restaurant grants are funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Act 156 also conforms Wisconsin tax law with federal treatment of certain loans and assistance programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Act 157 aligns several aspects of Wisconsin tax law with recent changes to the federal tax code.
Most recently, on March 8, Gov. Evers announced that he had signed two bills in a ceremony held at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove:
- Act 158, colloquially referred to as the “Heroes for Healthcare” bill, allows military medical personnel to temporarily practice as a physician, physician assistant, podiatrist, or nurse while they seek to obtain a regular license from a Department of Safety and Professional Services-affiliated credentialing board.
- Act 159 allows Wisconsin-resident military personnel and their immediate family members to continue qualifying for resident tuition at state universities and technical colleges while they are relocated and stationed on active duty in another state.