WI AB983

Requires the Department of Transportation to notify federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands when surplus property is located within or near their reservation or Bureau of Indian Affairs service area before conducting a public sale

Adds tribes and bands to the list of entities eligible to purchase DOT surplus land at appraised value for public use, alongside counties, municipalities, school districts, and the Department of Natural Resources

Allows tribes and bands to purchase surplus property below appraised value when the intended use is for transportation or infrastructure purposes, matching the existing option available to local governments

Requires interested tribes and bands to respond within 60 days and submit a plan identifying proposed public use and acreage to qualify for pre-sale purchase

Introduced January 30, 2026 by Representatives Vandermeer, Kreibich, Krug, Kurtz, and Steffen; referred to Committee on Local Government