State park stickers, EV tax, affordable housing: New Wisconsin laws taking effect Jan. 1

The start of a new year means the start of some new laws in the state of Wisconsin.

In some states, Jan. 1 or July 1 are the standard dates for new laws to go into effect, Wisconsin’s Legislative Reference Bureau told the Journal Sentinel.

But in Wisconsin, most laws go into effect almost immediately. The day after the governor signs a bill, the Legislative Reference Bureau publishes the new act online. The law takes effect the day after that.

Lawmakers can specify in their bill if they want it to take effect on a certain date, like Jan. 1, but it’s not very common. They may delay implementation of a bill to give affected agencies or industries more time to prepare.

Twenty-one states have minimum wage increases going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, for example. But Wisconsin isn’t one of the states that automatically increases its minimum wage at the start of a new year.

More: What is Wisconsin’s minimum wage, and why hasn’t it changed when other states’ minimum wages have?

Lots of major policies signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the last two years took effect right away, or at least many parts of them did. That includes the state’s new legislative maps and a plan to keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin.

Some of the laws going into effect on Jan. 1 in Wisconsin are slightly more obscure or flew under the radar in the last legislative session. Many of them had strong bipartisan support, too. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting ones.

More: Wisconsin legislators lay out priorities. Here’s what to know from leaders of both parties.

Annual state park stickers now valid 12 months from purchase

Under current law, an annual state park admission sticker is valid for the calendar year that it’s purchased in. The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, says the sticker will be valid for 12 months from the purchase date.

If someone bought a sticker at the beginning of June, for example, it would have expired at the end of December. Under the new law, the sticker would be valid until the end of the next June.

The bill received broad support and was authored by both Republicans and Democrats. Lawmakers proposed the changes after learning that people were disincentivized from buying passes in the later months of the year, because they would have less time to use it.

More: Wisconsin’s state park passes will change in January. Here’s what you need to know

Making it harder to delay or block affordable housing developments

Parts of a larger bill addressing Wisconsin’s affordable housing shortage and preventing opposition from “NIMBYs” — a shorthand for “not in my backyard” residents who oppose developments near their homes — take effect at the start of the year.

One of the new policies requires local governments to approve residential housing developments if they meet all requirements. There also will now be a quicker way for a developer to go to court and ask a judge to order approval of the project.

“Put simply, the bill would help prevent a proposed development that complies with a local government’s regulations from being unnecessarily delayed or stopped altogether on obstructionist grounds,” Sen. Duey Stroebel, a Republican from Saukville, testified in a hearing for the measure.

Also, only a simple majority vote will now be required to make changes to a zoning ordinance, with some exceptions. Zoning changes could include allowing residential uses in downtown and Main Street districts, for example. Previously, if 50% of affected landowners protested the change, a three-fourths supermajority vote was required.

The bill was primarily authored by Republicans but received wide support from Democrats. Lawmakers worked with the Wisconsin Builders Association, Wisconsin Realtors Association and groups representing counties, towns, cities and villages to develop the bill.

More: State lawmakers proposed solutions to the state’s housing crisis. Here’s what to know

A new tax when charging electric vehicles in Wisconsin

Electric vehicle owners will see a new excise tax of 3 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity, beginning Jan. 1. The tax doesn’t apply to charging stations at someone’s home.

Lawmakers explained that the tax creates the equivalent of the gas tax for electric vehicles. The state Department of Transportation said the tax is a “crucial source of revenue” and creates “a more equitable system in which all drivers contribute to road maintenance costs.”

Owners and operators of electric charging stations must register with the state, using the Wisconsin Online Business Tax Registration portal.

The tax is part of a larger new law regulating EVs, which was authored by Republicans but received near unanimous support in both the Assembly and Senate. Stakeholders like Kwik Trip, Madison Gas & Electric, Tesla and the Wisconsin Fuel & Retailers Association worked with lawmakers on the bill.

More: Electric vehicle owners in Wisconsin will have to pay a new tax at the charging station. What to know

Physical therapists can now provide certification for disabled parking

Getting a special license plate or card to park in reserved, accessible spots requires a health care professional to certify to the state Department of Transportation that the person has a disability that limits their ability to walk.

This law adds physical therapists to the list of health care professionals who can provide that certification, which already included licensed physicians, advanced practice nurses, podiatrists, chiropractors and more.

The bill was written by members of both parties and passed with wide support in February. The Department of Transportation asked for the effective date of the law to be delayed several months so it could make necessary IT updates.

More: A more evenly split state Legislature will convene next year. Will it lead to compromise?

Creating ABLE account program in Wisconsin for people with disabilities

The state Department of Financial Services will begin implementing an ABLE program in Wisconsin at the start of the year.

ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts allow people with disabilities to save and invest money for expenses like housing and transportation, without losing their federal benefits.

Wisconsin was the only state in the country that hadn’t implemented an ABLE program, and only about 0.2% of those eligible in Wisconsin have set up accounts in other states. Members of both parties worked to establish ABLE in Wisconsin.

More: Wisconsin is an outlier on savings accounts for people with disabilities. That could soon change.

More: What are ABLE accounts, who is eligible and more to know about tax-free savings plans

ABLE accounts were added as an amendment to a broader bill that updates regulations for the money transmission industry — like collection agencies and currency exchanges — bringing Wisconsin in line with other states. The law takes effect Jan. 1.

The department previously testified that accounts would be available in Wisconsin “within months” of the law going into effect. Wisconsin will likely join a multistate collaboration that offers ABLE accounts, rather than creating an independent program.

Provisional licenses for internationally trained physicians to ease shortage

This law creates a provisional license for physicians who have completed their residency abroad to practice medicine and surgery in Wisconsin.

Applicants must meet certain requirements, including receiving an offer of employment in Wisconsin. The Medical Examining Board still has the authority to issue, suspend or revoke the licenses.

Lawmakers who introduced the bill cited the physician shortage in Wisconsin and across the country. Current state law requires physicians who’ve been trained in a different country to redo their residency in the U.S., which the bill authors called redundant.

The change will allow physicians and physician assistants to begin practicing in Wisconsin without years-long delays, lawmakers said. The bill was led primarily by Republicans but received support from Democrats, too.

More: Wisconsin is aging, and a ‘silver tsunami’ of baby boomers is coming. Are hospitals ready?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here are Wisconsin laws taking effect Jan. 1; state park stickers, EVs

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