Wisconsin Senate Bill SB1144

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to create 20.490 (7), 234.47 and 710.15 (5w) of the statutes; Relating to: penalties imposed on owners of mobile or manufactured home communities, grants for mobile homes and manufactured homes, and making an appropriation. (FE)

Summary

SB1144 would create a new statutory framework for mobile and manufactured home communities and homes. It authorizes the Department of Safety and Professional Services to impose a $5,000 forfeiture on a community owner for each year, or part of a year, that the owner violates requirements under existing law governing these communities, including reporting obligations. The bill also provides that unpaid forfeitures, assessments, and fees create a lien on the community property until DSPS releases and discharges it. The bill further directs forfeiture revenue to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, which could award grants in two areas: to owners of mobile or manufactured home communities to help bring communities into compliance with licensing standards, and to owners of mobile or manufactured homes to repair, renovate, and improve their homes. In effect, the bill combines enforcement against noncompliant community owners with a grant program intended to support compliance and housing improvements.

Impact

SB1144 would add new enforcement authority and financial penalties to the statutes governing mobile and manufactured home communities, while also creating a dedicated appropriation for grant funding. It would affect community owners by exposing them to annual forfeitures for violations and by allowing unpaid obligations to become liens on community property. It would also affect mobile and manufactured home owners by making grant assistance available for repairs and improvements, and it would give WHEDA a new role in administering these funds.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been introduced as a policy response to compliance and housing-quality concerns in the mobile and manufactured home sector, pairing penalties with assistance. Because there were no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, there is no documented debate to indicate broad support or opposition. The available context suggests a generally remedial and regulatory purpose rather than a partisan or highly controversial one, but the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the bill’s use of a $5,000 annual forfeiture and lien authority against community owners, which could be viewed as a strong enforcement mechanism. Community owners may object to the size of the penalty, the lien provision, or the scope of violations covered, including reporting requirements. On the other hand, supporters would likely emphasize that the forfeiture revenue is recycled into grants for compliance and home improvements, making the bill both punitive and supportive. No specific stakeholder positions are documented in the provided record.