Quantcast

Milwaukee North News

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Rep. Andraca of Wisconsin Assembly authors bill on tax exemption for search and rescue dogs

Webp gsh94xn2kkakaxwk2ohivmynbrhl

Deborah Andraca, Wisconsin State Representative of 23rd District | Official Website

Deborah Andraca, Wisconsin State Representative of 23rd District | Official Website

The new bill authored by State Rep. Deb Andraca in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to exempt certain property used in training and managing search and rescue dogs from sales and use tax, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "a sales and use tax exemption for equipment associated with the use of a search and rescue dog. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes a sales and use tax exemption for tangible personal property used in training, managing, or controlling a search and rescue dog. To benefit from the exemption, purchasers must provide an exemption certificate to sellers. This exemption is intended to support the activities of search and rescue dogs, which are trained by state or nationally recognized agencies to locate lost or missing individuals or disaster victims. The bill is scheduled to take effect on the first day of the third month following its publication.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Paul Melotik (Republican-22nd District), Representative Jeffrey Mursau (Republican-36th District), Representative Todd Novak (Republican-51st District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District) and Senator Van H. Wanggaard (Republican-21st District), along two other co-sponsors.

Deb Andraca has co-authored or authored another 25 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Andraca graduated from Syracuse University in 1992 with a BA.

Andraca, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2021 to represent the state's 23rd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Jim Ott.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bills Introduced by Deb Andraca in Wisconsin Assembly During 2025 Regular Session

Bill NumberDate IntroducedShort Description
AB24005/02/2025A sales and use tax exemption for equipment associated with the use of a search and rescue dog. (FE)
AB23905/02/2025Harassment of search and rescue dogs and providing a penalty
AB23805/02/2025Prohibiting hotels, inns, and motels from discriminating against dog handlers who are accompanied by search and rescue dogs
AB22404/23/2025The form of referendum questions
AB7202/24/2025Ratification of the Driver License Compact. (FE)

ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY

!RECEIVE ALERTS

The next time we write about any of these orgs, we’ll email you a link to the story. You may edit your settings or unsubscribe at any time.
Sign-up

DONATE

Help support the Metric Media Foundation's mission to restore community based news.
Donate

MORE NEWS