Why WGF Opposes 4 Bills on Administrative Rules
Wisconsin's Green Fire, November 19, 2025
by Paul Heinen, WGF Policy Director; edited by Carolyn Pralle, WGF Communications and Outreach Coordinator
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the Assembly Committee on Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency passed four bills out of committee on a partisan vote of six (6) Republican votes to three (3) Democratic votes.
Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) opposes all four bills.
The four bills are:
- Assembly Bill 274: Expiration of Administrative Rules,
- Assembly Bill 275: Challenges to the Validity of Administrative Rules,
- Assembly Bill 276: Scope Statements for Administrative Rules,
- Assembly Bill 277: Requirements for Proposed Administrative Rules.
You can find links to the bills in WGF’s State Legislation Tracker for 2025-26.
Why does WGF oppose the bills?
The bills put expiration dates on environmental protections. They pay for legal challenges to current environmental standards. They place new limits on the DNR’s ability to add new environmental standards. Furthermore, the bills allow private businesses to stop new environmental standards by only allowing the costs of a new standard to be looked at while ignoring any health and environmental benefits to be gained from having protective practices in place.
“The DNR is already juggling complex laws and judicial decisions that make it more challenging to protect our air and water and human health,” said WGF Executive Director Meleesa Johnson. “These bills risk further hamstringing the DNR’s ability to do their work long-term.”
What happens next?
The Legislature is in Session until March of 2026. Before these bills could take effect, they would have to pass both the Assembly and the Senate, and have Governor Evers sign them. WGF will be continuing to track these bills throughout the remainder of the legislative session.
All Wisconsinites have the power and opportunity to share their views on these bills with their legislators.
Not sure how to contact your elected officials in the Legislature? Visit https://legis.wisconsin.gov to find contact information for all Wisconsin legislators in the Senate and Assembly.
Contact us at WGF with any questions or concerns.