Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB1195

Introduced

3/19/26

Refer

3/19/26

Failed

3/23/26

Caption

An Act to renumber and amend 799.20 (4); to amend 704.17 (4), 799.09, 799.12 (6) (c) (intro.), 799.14 (2), 799.16 (3) (b), 799.16 (4) (c) (title), 799.20 (title), 799.20 (1), 799.206 (3), 799.207 (1) (a), 799.207 (1) (b), 799.21 (2), 799.22 (2) and 799.41 (1); to create 20.640, 20.923 (4) (f) 2g., 230.08 (2) (qm), 704.145, 758.10, chapter 759, 799.05 (8), 799.16 (4) (d), 799.20 (3), 799.20 (4) (a), 799.22 (4) (b) 4., 799.40 (4) (c) and 799.425 of the statutes; Relating to: creating an Office of Civil Legal Aid to be overseen by a Civil Legal Aid Board, providing a right to the appointment of counsel at state expense for residential tenants in eviction actions, and making an appropriation. (FE)

Summary

AB1195 would create a statewide civil legal aid system for residential eviction cases and establish a right for residential tenants to have counsel appointed at public expense. To carry out that right, the bill creates an Office of Civil Legal Aid and a nine-member Civil Legal Aid Board appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The board would hire a director, oversee the office’s budget, set conflict-of-interest rules, approve appeals on billing and attorney-list decisions, and coordinate with bar associations, law firms, public defender organizations, and other programs to secure representation. The bill also rewrites Wisconsin’s eviction procedures to ensure tenants are notified of the right to counsel and to require courts to refer eligible tenants for appointment of counsel. It adds notice language to residential rental agreements, eviction summonses, and related court forms, and it directs courts to stay eviction proceedings while counsel eligibility is determined or until the tenant waives the right or obtains counsel. The bill sets attorney compensation at $100 per hour for case work, with annual CPI adjustments beginning in 2027, plus limited travel reimbursement, and it requires quarterly reporting on caseloads, spending, and any projected funding shortfalls.

Impact

AB1195 would significantly amend Wisconsin’s landlord-tenant and small-claims eviction statutes by creating chapter 759, adding a new statutory right to counsel in residential eviction actions, and modifying chapter 799 procedures to incorporate that right. It would also create new state appropriations for civil legal aid operations and program implementation, authorize new positions, and require courts and clerks to provide notices and process requests for appointed counsel. The practical effect would be to expand legal representation for tenants facing eviction, impose new duties on courts and landlords, and establish a new state-administered funding and oversight structure for civil legal aid.

Sentiment

The bill’s overall posture is pro-tenant and access-to-justice oriented, with its text reflecting a strong policy choice to provide counsel in eviction cases and to prioritize tenants in high-eviction counties and those at disproportionate risk of eviction. Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no documented debate or formal vote history to gauge bipartisan support or opposition. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are fiscal cost, administrative complexity, and the scope of the new entitlement. The bill requires state funding for a new office, board, staff, attorney compensation, and outreach, while also limiting appointments to available funds and requiring quarterly shortfall planning. Landlords and court administrators may also view the new notice, stay, and referral requirements as adding delay and procedural burdens to eviction cases. On the other hand, tenant advocates would likely support the bill’s mandatory counsel provisions, automatic stays, and expanded notice requirements as necessary to protect unrepresented tenants in a high-stakes housing process.

Latest WI AB1195 Activity

View All Events: WI 2025-2026 Regular Session AB1195

Companion Bills

WI SB1165

Crossfiled An Act to renumber and amend 799.20 (4); to amend 704.17 (4), 799.09, 799.12 (6) (c) (intro.), 799.14 (2), 799.16 (3) (b), 799.16 (4) (c) (title), 799.20 (title), 799.20 (1), 799.206 (3), 799.207 (1) (a), 799.207 (1) (b), 799.21 (2), 799.22 (2) and 799.41 (1); to create 20.640, 20.923 (4) (f) 2g., 230.08 (2) (qm), 704.145, 758.10, chapter 759, 799.05 (8), 799.16 (4) (d), 799.20 (3), 799.20 (4) (a), 799.22 (4) (b) 4., 799.40 (4) (c) and 799.425 of the statutes; Relating to: creating an Office of Civil Legal Aid to be overseen by a Civil Legal Aid Board, providing a right to the appointment of counsel at state expense for residential tenants in eviction actions, and making an appropriation. (FE)

Previously Filed As

WI SB1165

Creating an Office of Civil Legal Aid to be overseen by a Civil Legal Aid Board, providing a right to the appointment of counsel at state expense for residential tenants in eviction actions, and making an appropriation. (FE)

WI HB642

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-2499.8, 2.2-2818, 2.2-2905, 2.2-3114, 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 2.2-3802, 2.2-4024, 3.2-4112, 3.2-4113, 3.2-4116, 3.2-4126, 3.2-5145.1, 3.2-5145.2:1, 3.2-5145.4, 4.1-103, 4.1-105, 4.1-352, 4.1-600, 4.1-601, 4.1-603, 4.1-604, 4.1-606, 4.1-607, 4.1-611, 4.1-614, 4.1-621, 4.1-1100, 4.1-1101, 4.1-1121, 4.1-1402, 4.1-1500, 4.1-1501, 4.1-1502, 4.1-1600 through 4.1-1603.2, 4.1-1604, 5.1-13, 9.1-1101, 15.2-912.4, 16.1-69.40:1, 16.1-260, 16.1-273, 16.1-278.9, 18.2-46.1, 18.2-247, 18.2-248, 18.2-248.01, 18.2-251, 18.2-251.03, 18.2-251.1:1, 18.2-251.1:2, 18.2-251.1:3, 18.2-252, 18.2-254, 18.2-255, 18.2-255.1, 18.2-255.2, 18.2-258, 18.2-258.02, 18.2-258.1, 18.2-265.1, 18.2-265.2, 18.2-265.3, 18.2-287.2, 18.2-308.012, 18.2-308.4, 18.2-371.2, 18.2-460, 18.2-474.1, 19.2-66, 19.2-81, 19.2-81.1, 19.2-83.1, 19.2-188.1, 19.2-303.01, 19.2-386.22 through 19.2-386.25, 19.2-389, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 19.2-389.3, 19.2-392.02, 19.2-392.6 and 19.2-392.12:1, as they shall become effective, 22.1-206, 22.1-277.08, 23.1-1301, 46.2-105.2, 46.2-347, 48-17.1, 53.1-231.2, 54.1-2903, 54.1-3401, 54.1-3443, 58.1-301, and 59.1-200 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Subtitle II of Title 2.2 a part labeled D, containing a chapter numbered 61, consisting of a section numbered 2.2-6100, by adding in Chapter 6 of Title 4.1 sections numbered 4.1-629 and 4.1-630, by adding in Title 4.1 chapters numbered 7 through 10, consisting of sections numbered 4.1-700 through 4.1-1010, by adding sections numbered 4.1-1102 through 4.1-1105, 4.1-1106, 4.1-1106.1, 4.1-1113, 4.1-1114, 4.1-1115, 4.1-1117, 4.1-1118, and 4.1-1119, by adding in Title 4.1 a chapter numbered 12, consisting of sections numbered 4.1-1200 through 4.1-1206, by adding in Chapter 13 of Title 4.1 sections numbered 4.1-1300, 4.1-1301, and 4.1-1303 through 4.1-1309, by adding in Chapter 14 of Title 4.1 sections numbered 4.1-1403 through 4.1-1407, by adding a section numbered 4.1-1602.1, by adding in Title 4.1 a chapter numbered 17, consisting of sections numbered 4.1-1700 through 4.1-1705, by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 1 of Title 6.2 a section numbered 6.2-108, and by adding in Chapter 44 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-4426; and to repeal Article 4 (§§ 3.2-4122 through 3.2-4126) of Chapter 41.1 of Title 3.2 and §§ 3.2-5145.4:1, 4.1-1101.1, 4.1-1105.1, 18.2-248.1, and 18.2-251.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to cannabis control; retail market; penalties.

WI HB219

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 15.2-2028, 46.2-100, 46.2-600, 46.2-752, and 46.2-754 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 46.2-730.2, by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 46.2 a section numbered 46.2-818.3, by adding in Chapter 13 of Title 46.2 a section numbered 46.2-1316, and by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 15 of Title 46.2 a section numbered 46.2-1507.1, relating to kei vehicles; operation and requirements.

WI SB121

An act relating to the Budget Act of 2025.

WI H3613

Executive Office of Health Policy

WI AB121

An act to amend Sections 1622, 1623, 1630, 8281.

WI HB1179

Transportation; changes various provisions of existing funds, etc.

WI HB1179

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 33.2-359, 33.2-371, 33.2-1526, 33.2-1526.1, 33.2-3102, 33.2-3401, 33.2-3402, 33.2-3403, 33.2-3502, 46.2-774, and 46.2-2099.48 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 19 of Title 33.2 a section numbered 33.2-1904.1, by adding in Article 11 of Chapter 19 of Title 33.2 a section numbered 33.2-1937, by adding in Chapter 24 of Title 33.2 a section numbered 33.2-2402, by adding in Chapter 7 of Title 46.2 a section numbered 46.2-775, by adding a section numbered 58.1-603.3, and by adding in Chapter 17 of Title 58.1 articles numbered 13, 14, and 15, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-1749, 58.1-1750, and 58.1-1751; and to repeal § 33.2-3100.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to transportation funding.

WI SB1272

AN ACT, to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 6; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 9; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14; Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2; Title 49, Chapter 18, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 3; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 31; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 41; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 50; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2 and Chapter 1005 of the Public Acts of 2024, relative to education.

WI HB1308

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.