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Bill

SB 1001

Relating to: the establishment of a family and medical leave insurance program; family leave to care for a family member and for the active duty of a family member; the employers that must allow an employee to take family or medical leave; allowing a local government to adopt ordinances requiring employers to provide leave benefits; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; providing an exemption from rule-making procedures; granting rule-making authority; making an appropriation; and providing a penalty. (FE)

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tim Carpenter and 12 co-sponsors

Wisconsin would create a state family and medical leave insurance program to provide paid leave for family care, medical needs, and military family leave, funded and administered b

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Bill Summary · SB 1001

Summary of SB 1001 (Session 2025, Wisconsin)

Purpose and intent

SB 1001 proposes the establishment of a state family and medical leave insurance program. The core goal is to provide paid leave benefits to eligible workers for family care, medical needs, and related circumstances, funded through the program and governed by state rules. The bill also contemplates enabling local governments to require employers to provide such leave benefits and to streamline certain rulemaking and procedural processes related to implementing the program.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment of a family and medical leave insurance program

    • Creates a state program designed to provide paid leave benefits to employees for specified family and medical reasons.
    • Likely includes program funding, administration, eligibility, benefit amounts, and duration, though exact benefit design details are not provided in the summary.

  • Leave eligibility and purposes (family and medical leave)

    • Provides for leave to care for a family member (family leave) and for the active duty of a family member (military family leave).
    • Aligns with broader family and medical leave objectives, expanding coverage beyond traditional medical leave to include caregiving and military-related reasons.

  • Employer obligations

    • Specifies which employers must permit employees to take family or medical leave under the act.
    • Could set minimum standards for job protection, duration, notice, and certification requirements, though detailed provisions are not enumerated in the summary.

  • Local government authority

    • Allows (and potentially directs) local governments to adopt ordinances requiring employers within their jurisdictions to provide leave benefits consistent with the program.
    • Enables local-level enhancement or expansion of state leave requirements.

  • Rulemaking and exemptions

    • Provides exemptions from certain emergency rule procedures and general rulemaking procedures, indicating the bill includes provisions to expedite or simplify implementation in some contexts.
    • Grants specific rule-making authority to relevant agencies to implement and administer the program.

  • Appropriation and penalties

    • Includes an appropriation to fund the program (i.e., state budgetary provision for start-up and ongoing operations).
    • Establishes penalties for noncompliance or violations of the program’s requirements, though the nature and scale of penalties are not detailed in the summary.

Affected parties

  • Employees and workers

    • Eligible employees seeking paid leave for family care, medical needs, or active-duty family members.
    • Potentially benefits from job protection and wage replacement under the new program.

  • Employers

    • Employers subject to the state leave requirements, and those in jurisdictions adopting local ordinances mirroring or enhancing the program.
    • May face administrative duties to administer or coordinate with the leave program and policy.

  • Local governments

    • Authorized to implement ordinances that require employers within their boundaries to provide paid leave benefits, potentially broadening access and coverage.

  • State agencies

    • Responsible for administering the family and medical leave insurance program, collecting contributions, processing claims, and enforcing compliance.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status and actions

    • Introduced and referred to the Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
    • Cosponsors include multiple state senators and representatives, indicating broad support across parties and chambers.
    • As of the latest available actions, the bill failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 (dated 2026-03-23), which suggests it did not advance to enactment in that session.

  • Key dates

    • Introduced: February 12, 2026.
    • Read first time and referred to committee: February 12, 2026.
    • Subsequent actions include cosponsor additions through March 2026.
    • Most recent action: March 23, 2026 — failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Economic and labor market impact

    • If enacted, could shift some wage and benefit costs onto employers or be funded through employee and/or employer contributions, depending on the program’s design.
    • May improve worker retention, reduce caregiver hardship, and enhance social safety nets.

  • Workplace dynamics

    • Clearer expectations for leave usage, documentation, and job protection.
    • Local government opt-in/mandate mechanism could lead to variability in coverage across municipalities.

  • Administrative considerations

    • Requires robust administration, including eligibility determination, benefit calculation, and employer compliance tracking.
    • Rulemaking flexibility may speed implementation but could raise concerns about standardization and consistency.

This summary reflects the bill’s stated framework and actions up to the latest legislative records. If you need a deeper dive into specific sections (e.g., benefit design, funding mechanics, or enforcement provisions), I can extract or summarize those details if the bill’s text becomes available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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