Senate Bill 216 proposes significant changes to the competitive bidding thresholds for local government public works projects in Wisconsin. The bill raises the notice threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 and the bidding threshold from $25,000 to $50,000, with adjustments for inflation every five years based on the U.S. consumer price index. Additionally, the bill introduces exceptions to the bidding requirements for public works related to housing for individuals on supervised release and for improvements constructed by private individuals and donated to local governments.

The bill also includes various amendments and new provisions across multiple sections of the statutes. Notably, it renumbers and amends existing statutes to reflect the new thresholds and creates new definitions for public contracts and public highway contracts. It clarifies that contracts must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder and outlines the conditions under which certain contracts may be exempt from the standard bidding process, including emergencies and donations of materials or labor. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the bidding process while ensuring transparency and accountability in local government contracting.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 60.47(2)(a), 60.47, 60.47(2)(b), 60.47(3), 60.47(4), 60.47(5)(title)