Wisconsin Senate Bill SB876

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/23/26
• Refer: 1/23/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to amend 20.445 (1) (bm), 106.27 (2g) (a) 1., 106.27 (2g) (a) 2. and 106.27 (3); to create 20.445 (1) (bp) and 106.27 (1p) of the statutes; Relating to: green jobs training program grants, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and making an appropriation.

Summary

SB876 would create a new green jobs training program within the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The bill directs DWD to award grants to public or private organizations to develop and implement training programs for “green jobs,” defined broadly to include work that produces environmentally beneficial goods or services, conserves natural resources, or supports renewable energy resources such as hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, wood, refuse, and agricultural energy. The bill also allows DWD to require grant recipients to provide matching funds at a percentage set by the department. The bill appropriates $1.5 million in general purpose revenue in each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years for the program and creates a continuing appropriation for the grants. It also adds one full-time equivalent position at DWD to administer the program. In addition, SB876 authorizes DWD to adopt emergency rules to implement the new program and exempts those rules from the usual emergency-rule findings and duration limits, while also requiring annual reporting on program spending, participation, and employment outcomes.

Impact

SB876 would amend Wisconsin’s workforce development statutes by adding a new grant program under s. 106.27 and updating related administrative, application, and reporting provisions to include the new green jobs grants. It would expand DWD’s authority to administer workforce training funding, create a dedicated appropriation, and require annual reporting on the number of participants, employment outcomes, wages, and other program metrics. The bill would affect public and private training providers, DWD administration, and potentially workers and employers involved in environmentally focused training programs.

Sentiment

Based on the available record, the bill appears to have been introduced with support from a sizable group of Senate and Assembly Democrats and no recorded committee transcript or vote history showing opposition or support beyond sponsorship. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance through the legislative process. With no committee discussion or recorded votes provided, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as formally supportive among the authors and cosponsors, but not successful in securing enactment.

Contention

The main policy questions likely concern the use of state general purpose revenue for a new training initiative, whether the state should prioritize green jobs over other workforce programs, and whether DWD should be allowed to require matching funds from grant recipients. The emergency-rule provision may also be a point of concern because it relaxes the usual procedural requirements for rulemaking. Because no committee transcripts or votes are available, the specific objections or supporters are not documented in the provided record.