Press Release: Gov. Evers Signs Two Bills Advancing Nuclear Energy Innovation in Wisconsin

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 07/02/2025 10:00 AM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2025
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Signs Two Bills Advancing Nuclear Energy Innovation in Wisconsin
Governor signs four additional bills filling gaps to ensure kids in crisis can get the close-to-home care they need, strengthening support for statewide child advocacy centers, and supporting workplace safety for local police and fire 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today took action on six bills, including two bills to advance the state’s nuclear energy innovation by requiring a study of nuclear energy opportunities and potential nuclear power and fusion sites in Wisconsin and creating a Nuclear Power Summit Board designed to help advance nuclear power and fusion technology and development and showcase Wisconsin’s leadership in the nuclear industry.

Additionally, the governor today also signed an additional four bills, including establishing systems to allow youth experiencing mental health crises to receive treatment closer to home and to their community support networks, supporting the development of a statewide portal to facilitate the sharing of safety plans for minors, providing resources to support the work of child advocacy centers statewide, and improving  workplace safety for state and local police and fire departments.

Two of the bills signed by Gov. Evers today advancing nuclear energy innovation in Wisconsin will also help meet our state’s growing need for carbon-free energy.

“We can’t afford to choose between mitigating climate change and protecting our environment or creating good-paying jobs and building a strong economy, and by working toward clean energy options Wisconsinites can depend on in the future, we’re doing both. We must continue our efforts to help lower energy costs and improve energy independence by reducing our reliance out-of-state energy sources, and these bills are an important step in the right direction,” said Gov. Evers. “With new advanced nuclear technology and the increasing need for energy in Wisconsin, I’m excited to sign these bipartisan bills today to propel us into an innovative, clean energy future and bring more clean jobs to our state.”

Today, the governor signed six bills, including:

Senate Bill 124, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 11:  
  • Uplifts the state’s nuclear energy innovation by creating a Nuclear Power Summit Board to organize, promote, and host a Wisconsin nuclear power summit in the city of Madison to advance nuclear power and fusion energy technology and development and to showcase Wisconsin’s leadership and innovation in the nuclear industry; and

Senate Bill 125, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 12:  

  • Enhances state knowledge of nuclear energy potential by requiring the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to conduct a nuclear power siting study to meet the state’s growing need for carbon-free energy, including but not limited to:
    • Evaluating existing nuclear energy opportunities as part of the state’s energy portfolio; and 
    • Identifying sites for the development and demonstration of nuclear power and fusion.
  • $2,000,000 GPR has been included in the 2025-27 budget to fund the study.

Additionally, Gov. Evers also signed four other bills today, including:

Senate Bill 106, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 9:  

  • Defines psychiatric residential treatment facilities, establishes a certification process and operation requirements, and creates an unfunded biennial appropriation for grants to psychiatric residential treatment facilities, allowing youths to receive treatment closer to their home, their family, and their community support network; and
  • $1,790,000 GPR has been included in the 2025-27 budget to fund the grants.

Senate Bill 108, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 10:  

  • Directs the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to develop and maintain a statewide portal to facilitate the sharing of safety plans for minors among safety plan partners; 
  • Requires DHS to develop a standard safety plan template to be used by individuals developing such a plan;
  • Provides one full-time equivalent unfunded position for the purpose of developing and maintaining the portal; and
  • $819,200 GPR has been included in the 2025-27 to fund the program.

Senate Bill 232, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 13: 

  • Modifies the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s child advocacy grant program by: 
    • Removing the program’s statutory award amount;  
    • Modifying the use of grant funds; and 
    • Modifying the program’s statutory list of awardees and adding two awardees, the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center in Sheboygan County and Child Advocacy Centers of Wisconsin. 
  • Increases the number of child advocacy centers that are eligible for a grant; and 
  • $2,000,000 GPR has been included in the 2025-27 budget to fund the grants.

Senate Bill 283, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 14:  

  • Requires the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to enter into a contract with a manufacturer to distribute hearing protection devices to state law enforcement agencies, local law enforcement agencies, and fire protection agencies; 
  • Assists local units of government with hearing protection costs for police officers and firefighters; and
  • $2,600,000 GPR has been included in the 2025-27 budget to fund the program.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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