Northwoods Reporter

A new bill authored by State Sen. Quinn in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to establish consumer data protection standards and grant consumers specific rights regarding their personal data, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "consumer data protection and providing a penalty. (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 consumer data protection requirements for controllers and processors who manage personal data of at least 100,000 consumers or 25,000 consumers with over 50% revenue from data sales. It grants consumers rights such as data access, correction, deletion, and opting out of data sales or targeted advertising, with exceptions specified. Controllers must ensure non-discrimination for rights exercise, provide privacy notices, and secure communication methods for consumer requests. They must conduct data protection assessments, especially if involved in targeted advertising, and adhere to strict processing rules. The bill is enforceable by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Justice with penalties up to $10,000 per violation, effective July 1, 2027, until formal legal actions start on July 1, 2031, unless violations remain uncured. Local governments can't regulate data collection, processing, or sale.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Shannon Zimmerman (Republican-30th District), Senator Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District), Senator Kelda Roys (Democrat-26th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), and Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), along 22 other co-sponsors.

Romaine Robert Quinn has authored or co-authored another 18 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Quinn graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay in 2014 with a BA.

Quinn, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2023 to represent the state's 25th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Janet Bewley.

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.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB166	03/27/2025	Consumer data protection and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB158	03/27/2025	County forest administration grant eligibility
SB119	03/07/2025	Positions for the Office of School Safety. (FE)
SB56	02/21/2025	The use of federal capitalization grant funds for lead service line replacement. (FE)
SB41	02/12/2025	School safety grants and making an appropriation. (FE)
SB18	02/05/2025	Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE)