WisconsinProposal would bar sprinkler mandates for some farm chemical warehouses
AB 956 proposed barring state and local officials from requiring sprinklers in certain new bulk fertilizer and pesticide warehouses, if owners met fire safety conditions.
What it does
AB 956 proposed blocking state and local sprinkler requirements for some warehouses storing bulk fertilizer or pesticides. Owners would have to meet safety conditions, and other fire safety rules could still apply.
Argument forWarehouse owners could avoid sprinkler installation costs when their bulk fertilizer or pesticide storage meets the proposal’s conditions.
Argument againstFire crews might have fewer ways to control a fire because owners must warn chiefs not to use water and officials could not require sprinklers.
More detail
The proposal would bar state and local governments from requiring automatic sprinklers in some agricultural warehouses. It would cover buildings designed mainly to store fertilizers and crop protection products for distribution to agricultural producers, when they store the listed liquid or dry bulk products. For liquid bulk fertilizer or pesticide, the agriculture department must require the storage container to be in a compliant secondary containment structure. Owners must tell the local fire chief not to use water to suppress a fire and identify the stored chemicals; they must report changes. A warehouse with an office qualifies only if the office has a fire exit that does not pass through the chemical storage area. Office or store areas inside or attached to the warehouse are not covered by the exemption. The exemption does not apply to warehouses storing ammonium nitrate or anhydrous ammonia, and it ends if a change in use or occupancy means the warehouse no longer stores the listed products. Other authorized fire safety rules may still apply. The proposal would apply to construction started after the paragraph's effective date, which is left for insertion in the enrolled text.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 13Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82Latest
- May 12Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- Apr 8Report vetoed by the Governor Tony Evers on 4-8-2026Major
- Apr 2Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026To Governor
- Mar 20Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026Minor
- Mar 18Received from Senate concurred inMinor
- Mar 17Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 17Read a third time and concurred inPassed Senate
- Mar 17Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 17Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Mar 17Read a second timeMinor
- Mar 16Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Vote recorded Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 16Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 11Available for scheduling
- Vote recorded Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 1. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 11Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 1Minor
- Mar 11Executive action taken
- Feb 27Read first time and referred to committee on Agriculture and RevenueMinor
- Feb 23Received from AssemblyMinor
- Feb 19Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 19Read a third time and passedPassed Assembly
- Feb 19Rules suspended
- Feb 19Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Feb 19Assembly Amendment 1 adoptedMajor
- Feb 19Read a second timeMinor
- Feb 18Made a special order of business at 11:50 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
- Feb 16Representative Penterman added as a coauthor
- Feb 12Referred to committee on RulesMinor
- Vote recorded Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 12Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 3Minor
- Feb 11Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative HurdMinor
- Feb 11Executive action taken
- Feb 6Representative Doyle added as a coauthor
- Feb 4Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor
- Feb 3Public hearing held
- Jan 29Read first time and referred to Committee on State AffairsMinor
- Jan 29Introduced by Representatives Hurd, Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kreibich, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Spiros, Summerfield and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators James, Marklein and QuinnIntroduced
AgriculturePublic Safety