Assembly Bill 726 aims to establish a minimum wage for all inmates and residents working in state correctional institutions and county jails in Wisconsin. The bill mandates that these individuals must be paid at least the current tipped worker rate of $2.33 per hour. It removes the existing provision that wages cannot be set at a rate that would cause a deficit on operations, thereby allowing for more flexibility in wage determination. Additionally, the bill increases the wages for inmates employed by the Bureau of Correctional Enterprises (BCE) by $2.33 on the effective date of the bill.

To support these wage increases, the bill allocates significant funding to the Department of Corrections, providing $58,933,600 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $88,400,400 for fiscal year 2026-27 to cover the wages of inmates in state correctional institutions. It also includes $873,300 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1,310,000 for fiscal year 2026-27 for inmates engaged in labor under BCE. The bill reflects a commitment to improving the compensation of incarcerated individuals for their labor, aligning their wages with established minimum standards.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 301.30, 303.01(4), 303.01, 303.08(3), 303.08, 303.10(10), 303.10