An Act to repeal 255.056 (7); to renumber and amend 255.056 (3) (c) and 255.056 (3) (d); to amend 255.056 (1) (bg), 255.056 (1) (br), 255.056 (1) (e), 255.056 (2), 255.056 (2m) (intro.), 255.056 (2m) (b), 255.056 (3) (intro.), (a) and (b), 255.056 (4), 255.056 (5), 255.056 (6) (b) and 255.056 (6) (c); to repeal and recreate 255.056 (1) (d) and 255.056 (1) (f); to create 255.056 (1) (bd), 255.056 (1) (bm), 255.056 (1) (br), 255.056 (1) (gc) and (gm), 255.056 (1) (m), 255.056 (2g) (b), 255.056 (2h) (b) and (c), 255.056 (3) (bm), 255.056 (3m) and 255.056 (8) to (20) of the statutes; Relating to: the drug repository program.
Sponsored By: David Armstrong (Republican), Elijah Behnke (Republican), Ben DeSmidt (Democratic), Steve Doyle (Democratic), Joan Fitzgerald (Democratic), Rick Gundrum (Republican), Alex Joers (Democratic), Maureen McCarville (Democratic), Paul Melotik (Republican), David Murphy (Republican), Jeffrey Mursau (Republican), Greta Neubauer (Democratic), Todd Novak (Republican), Jerry O'Connor (Republican), Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (Democratic), Christine Sinicki (Democratic), Patrick Snyder (Republican), Lisa Subeck (Democratic), Sequanna Taylor (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
More patients can receive donated medicines
Wisconsin’s program serves patients who are low-income, uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in a public health benefits program. If no need is identified among those patients, any patient may receive the donated item. Authorized donors can donate prescription, nonprescription, and investigational drugs, and licensed recipients can transfer donations across state lines. Qualifying out-of-state participants can serve Wisconsin residents; Wisconsin requirements apply unless they differ from or conflict with home-state rules. Participation is voluntary, and recipients mainly operating for this program need not keep a full or minimum medicine stock.
Patients can receive equivalent donated medicines
Recipients can repackage donated items for storage, dispensing, administration, or transfer, and replenish previously used items with the same drug name and strength. Repackaged drugs need name, strength, and expiration labels; the earliest expiration applies when items with different dates are combined. Recipients can use an in-stock equivalent drug or interchangeable biological product, including appropriate changes in combination or dosage form. They must tell the patient and prescriber about substitutions unless their substitution policy is readily available on their website.
Donated medicines can still carry fees
Donated medicines and supplies cannot be resold, but patients can still face handling, dispensing, or usual and customary charges. A for-profit recipient’s handling fee cannot exceed its actual cost of providing the item. That cost can include education, technical support, shipping, labor, storage, licensing, utilities, advertising, technology, supplies, and equipment. The law sets no fixed fee amount and allows no other handling-fee limit under this provision.
Safety checks limit donated medicine use
Donated drugs must be unexpired when accepted and meet unopened, tamper-evident packaging standards or the program’s repackaging standards. Temperature-sensitive drugs need a recognized method to detect improper temperatures during transit. A health professional must check for contamination, other defects, and incorrect labeling before dispensing. Prescription drugs require a prescription for an eligible patient, pharmacist or practitioner dispensing, patient records, privacy protection, and proper labels. Prescription expiration or beyond-use dates must cover intended use; nonprescription dates must be visible, and FDA safety plans barring inventory transfers exclude affected drugs.
Donation providers face storage and tracking rules
Recipients must verify first-time donors and record required contact details, licenses where applicable, compliance confirmations, and privacy commitments. Unaccepted donations need a separate holding area; accepted items need separate, secure, temperature-controlled storage meeting manufacturer and recognized pharmacy standards. Acceptance and transfer inventories identify the item, strength, quantity, and donor contact information, except under common ownership or control. Unacceptable items must be returned, lawfully destroyed, or sent to a returns processor, with disposal method, date, and item details recorded. Required records must be kept for six years; the law limits extra donor, inventory, and disposal record demands. Program donations and transfers need no wholesale distributor license, but covered participants must follow federal supply-chain rules and returns-processing record rules. Most changes take effect the day after publication; one definition amendment takes effect September 1, 2026.
Legal shields cover medicine donation participants
Most participants receive protection from civil and criminal liability and findings of unprofessional conduct for covered program acts or omissions. Covered activities include prescribing, administering, replenishing, repackaging, donating, accepting, distributing, dispensing, and helping with those actions. Drug and supply manufacturers are excluded. The protection does not cover reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
David Armstrong
Republican • House
Elijah Behnke
Republican • House
Ben DeSmidt
Democratic • House
Steve Doyle
Democratic • House
Joan Fitzgerald
Democratic • House
Rick Gundrum
Republican • House
Alex Joers
Democratic • House
Maureen McCarville
Democratic • House
Paul Melotik
Republican • House
David Murphy
Republican • House
Jeffrey Mursau
Republican • House
Greta Neubauer
Democratic • House
Todd Novak
Republican • House
Jerry O'Connor
Republican • House
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez
Democratic • House
Christine Sinicki
Democratic • House
Patrick Snyder
Republican • House
Lisa Subeck
Democratic • House
Sequanna Taylor
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
Rachael Cabral-Guevara
Republican • Senate
Tara Johnson
Democratic • House
Darrin Madison
Democratic • House
Lori Palmeri
Democratic • House
Ann Roe
Democratic • House
Kelda Roys
Democratic • Senate
Mark Spreitzer
Democratic • Senate
Shelia Stubbs
Democratic • House
Randy Udell
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Published 4-9-2026
4/9/2026HouseReport approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 231
4/9/2026HousePresented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
4/2/2026HouseReport correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026
3/20/2026HouseReceived from Senate concurred in
3/18/2026HouseOrdered immediately messaged
3/17/2026SenateRead a third time and concurred in
3/17/2026SenateRules suspended to give bill its third reading
3/17/2026SenateOrdered to a third reading
3/17/2026SenateRead a second time
3/17/2026SenateSenators Ratcliff, Smith and Drake added as cosponsors
3/17/2026SenatePlaced on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
3/16/2026SenatePublic hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
3/16/2026SenateRepresentative Roe added as a coauthor
3/12/2026SenateAvailable for scheduling
2/20/2026SenateRead first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
2/20/2026SenateReceived from Assembly
2/19/2026SenateOrdered immediately messaged
2/18/2026HouseRead a third time and passed
2/18/2026HouseRules suspended
2/18/2026HouseOrdered to a third reading
2/18/2026HouseAssembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted
2/18/2026HouseAssembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Snyder
2/18/2026HouseRead a second time
2/18/2026HouseAssembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Neubauer
2/18/2026House
Bill Text
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2
2/18/2026
Bill Text
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