Wisconsin’s hemp industry is heading into yet another round of legislative wrangling, as a fourth hemp bill is now being circulated for co-sponsorship in the Capitol. This time, the authors are Senators Patrick Testin and Tony Kurtz—two Republicans who once earned Hemp Hero Awards and were previously credited with helping secure the hemp vape exemption in the 2026–27 state budget. That exemption act­ed as a temporary shield, delaying a looming ban on hemp-derived vapes for one year—much like how “pork” inserted at the federal level both pushed harmful restrictions and bought the hemp industry precious time.

Now, Testin and Kurtz have returned with another proposal. The details are still emerging, but the political context is unmistakable: this is Bill #4 in what has become a chaotic, whiplash-inducing sequence of hemp legislation introduced in 2025–26.

Read the full write up and bill text on the blog article by Jay Selthofner entitled Wisconsin’s Fourth Hemp Bill: A New Chapter in a Turbulent Legislative Session.

On December 1, 2025 LRB-4974/LRB-5563 received a bill number! Senate Bill 682 and was referred to the committee that lead author Senator Patrick Testin is the chair of. The public hearing has been scheduled for January 8th, 2026 at 10am.

The legislation received the Assembly Bill number of 747 and was assigned to the committee chaired by the 3 Tier Bill main author Rep. Rob Swearingen in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. It is unknown yet if Swearingen will be a team player and advance this bill or only pitch his bill as the solution.