2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-2701/1

EVM:emw

2025 SENATE BILL 216

April 16, 2025 - Introduced by Senator Tomczyk, cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor, Brooks, Armstrong, Novak, Dittrich, Donovan, Franklin, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kitchens, Knodl, Melotik, Mursau and VanderMeer. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

SB216,1,5 An Act to renumber and amend 59.52 (29) (a), 60.47 (1) (a), 60.47 (5) and 62.15 (1); to amend 60.47 (2) (a), 60.47 (2) (b), 60.47 (3), 60.47 (4) and 60.47 (5) (title); to create 59.52 (29) (c) 2., 59.52 (29) (c) 3., 59.52 (29) (e), 60.47 (1) (ag), 60.47 (1) (as), 60.47 (2m), 60.47 (2s), 60.47 (5) (c), 62.15 (1) (b) and 62.15 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: local government competitive bidding thresholds.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, in general, if the estimated cost of a local government public works project is between $5,000 and $25,000, the local governmental unit must provide a notice before it contracts. If the estimated cost exceeds $25,000, the local governmental unit must solicit bids and award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

This bill increases the notice threshold to $10,000 and the bidding threshold to $50,000 and adjusts these amounts quinquennially for inflation. The bill also provides exceptions to these bidding requirements for 1) public work by a county for the purpose of providing housing for persons placed on supervised release as sexually violent persons and 2) improvements that are constructed by a private person and donated to a town or county after the completion of construction. With regard to the latter, a similar exception for donated improvements currently exists for improvements donated to a city or village.

For further information see the state and local 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:

SB216,1 Section 1. 59.52 (29) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 59.52 (29) (a) 1. and amended to read:

SB216,2,7 59.52 (29) (a) 1. All public work, including any contract for the construction, repair, remodeling, or improvement of any public work, building, or furnishing of supplies or material of any kind where the estimated cost of such work will exceed $25,000 the bidding threshold under par. (e) 1. a. shall be let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

SB216,2,9 3. Any public work, the estimated cost of which does not exceed $25,000 the bidding threshold under par. (e) 1. a., shall be let as the board may direct.

SB216,2,13 4. If the estimated cost of any public work is between $5,000 the notice threshold under par. (e) 1. b. and $25,000 the bidding threshold under par. (e) 1. a., the board shall give a class 1 notice under ch. 985 before it contracts for the work or shall contract with a person qualified as a bidder under s. 66.0901 (2).

SB216,2,18 2. A contract, the estimated cost of which exceeds $25,000 the bidding threshold under par. (e) 1. a., shall be let and entered into under s. 66.0901, except that the board may by a three-fourths vote of all the members entitled to a seat provide that any class of public work or any part thereof may be done directly by the county without submitting the same for bids.