The new bill authored by State Rep. Nate L. Gustafson aims to increase oversight of economic impacts from administrative rules by applying cost requirements to any level of projected expenses, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “requirements for proposed administrative rules that impose any costs”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill revises the requirements for agencies proposing administrative rules in Wisconsin that impose implementation and compliance costs. Previously, if these costs were expected to reach $10 million or more over two years, the agency had to either reduce the costs, receive legislative approval, or halt the rule-making process. This bill modifies the threshold to apply to any level of cost, making the same requirements applicable for rules predicted to pass along any amount of cost. Additionally, the bill mandates a comprehensive estimate of cost savings in the economic impact analysis of proposed rules and allows agencies to offset proposed rule costs with savings from other rules promulgated within the same calendar year. The changes aim to enhance scrutiny and accountability of potential economic impacts of administrative rules.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District), Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), and Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), along 25 other co-sponsors.
Nate L. Gustafson has co-authored or authored another 40 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Gustafson graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in 2018 with an AS.
Gustafson, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2023 to represent the state’s 55th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB277 | 05/30/2025 | Requirements for proposed administrative rules that impose any costs |
| AB245 | 05/02/2025 | Modifying the sales and use tax exemption for qualified data centers. (FE) |
| AB212 | 04/23/2025 | Registration of out-of-state health care providers to provide telehealth services. (FE) |
| AB211 | 04/23/2025 | Exempting tobacco bars from the public smoking ban |
| AB197 | 04/15/2025 | A levy limit exemption for regional emergency medical systems and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE) |
| AB160 | 04/02/2025 | Eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin |
| AB56 | 02/24/2025 | Requiring the display of the national motto in public schools and on public buildings. (FE) |
