Senate Bill 44, introduced by Senator Cabral-Guevara and co-sponsored by several representatives, aims to regulate the keeping of fowl, specifically chickens and quail, in residential areas across Wisconsin. The bill prohibits local governmental units and sewerage districts from banning the keeping of up to four fowl by property owners or certain lessors on properties zoned for residential use. However, it allows these entities to implement specific regulations, such as requiring permits for fowl keepers, notifying adjoining landowners, imposing reasonable location regulations for fowl housing, prohibiting roosters, and enforcing cleanliness standards.

The bill establishes a new section in the statutes, 66.0443, which defines "fowl" and "local governmental unit." It clarifies that while local units cannot outright prohibit the keeping of a limited number of fowl, they retain the authority to regulate various aspects of fowl keeping to ensure compliance with local standards and community concerns. This legislation seeks to balance the rights of property owners to keep fowl with the need for reasonable local regulations.