TUE AM News: Dem bill would create new regulations for cryptocurrency kiosks; Circulating bill would allow people to sue if harmed by gender transition procedure, treatment as a minor

July 22, 2025

— Legislation from Dem lawmakers would create new regulations and licensing requirements for cryptocurrency kiosks, which bill authors say have led to “a shocking amount” of fraud.

These self-service machines are used to buy and sell digital currencies, and have become much more widespread in recent years.

A cosponsorship memo for the bill notes the number of these kiosks in the United States has risen from 4,000 at the start of 2020 to nearly 30,000 today. Wisconsin likely has more than 500 such kiosks, according to an article posted by the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, and Rep. Ryan Spaude, D-Ashwaubenon, recently began circulating the memo to seek support for the legislation.

They note consumers using these kiosks are often targeted with fraudulent practices such as “misleading” fees and pricing, and can lose thousands of dollars from scams that rely on these machines.

“While they provide convenient access to cryptocurrency, they have also created a bonanza for fraudsters and scammers, due to their lack of regulation,” the lawmakers wrote.

Under the bill, an operator of virtual currency kiosks would need to be licensed as a money transmitter and would be subject to new regulatory requirements in addition to those that already apply to money transmitters. The licensing process would fall under the Department of Financial Institutions’ Division of Banking, according to an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Along with defining the concept of a virtual currency kiosk, the legislation would also require the operator to attach a printed fraud warning on the front of the machine and also display it electronically on its screen. Users would have to acknowledge the warning to proceed.

In addition to these safeguards, the bill would cap cryptocurrency kiosk transactions to $1,000 per customer per day. And it would limit user fees to either $5 or 3% of the transaction amount, whichever is greater.

Kiosk operators would also be required to issue refunds to customers if it was that customer’s first transaction or if it occurred within 72 hours of the customer’s first transaction, if the customer was “fraudulently induced” into the transaction, and if the customer notifies the operator and law enforcement or government entity within 30 days of the fraudulent transaction.

“Republican and Democratic legislators around the country are acting quickly to stop the victimization of their residents,” bill authors wrote. “Wisconsinites deserve the freedom to benefit from emerging technologies like cryptocurrencies and crypto kiosks, without the rampant risk of being defrauded or scammed.”

The cosponsorship deadline is Wednesday.

See the memo.

See an earlier story on cryptocurrency legislation in the state.

— Lawmakers last week circulated legislation that would allow people to sue if they were harmed by a gender transition procedure or treatment performed on them as a minor.

Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, and Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, recently sent a cosponsorship memo to other lawmakers seeking support for the proposal. They warn that long-term consequences of medical interventions covered by the bill are still unknown.

“Research has shown that puberty blockers can cause reduced bone density, and hormone therapy can lead to blood clots, stroke, cardiovascular disease and impaired fertility,” they wrote in the memo. “Concerns about cognitive development, insulin sensitivity, liver function and other sexual functions are also still being studied.”

They argue gender transition procedures and treatments are being used to treat “potentially transient mental health conditions,” noting the bill allows those affected to sue until they’re age 33.

The memo also references the American Medical Association’s guidance on needing comprehensive evaluations by medical professionals before moving ahead with “irreversible gender-affirming decisions” for minors.

It notes the legislation provides a “legal safe harbor” if providers can show they did their due diligence before recommending such interventions. The bill also has exceptions for situations where interventions are medically necessary, per the memo.

“This bill ensures that children who are administered gender transition drugs or surgeries and suffer harm as a result can also seek compensation,” bill authors wrote.

The cosponsorship deadline is 5 p.m. Aug. 4.

See the memo.

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— The USDA has announced $600,000 in grant funding for two forestry companies in Wisconsin.

The agency’s U.S. Forest Service recently rolled out details for an $80 million round of funding under the Wood Innovation Grants program, which supports projects across wood products manufacturing, forest management and other sectors.

Grants being provided to Wisconsin recipients under the program this year include a $300,000 award for Hack-Away Forest Products Inc. in Sauk County. The company plans to use the grant to expand its firewood production capacity and “support active forest management” in the state by increasing markets for low-value timber.

The other $300,000 is going to Snowbelt Hardwoods Inc., based in Iron County. The business will expand its lumber-drying capacity, supporting greater production levels. The project overview also notes the company’s efforts to drive forest management practices in both Wisconsin and Michigan.

See the release and get details on more funded projects.

— Brad Toll, the president and CEO of Discover Green Bay, says the city will likely bid to host another NFL draft after the successful event in April.

“I would say we probably will,” Toll said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics. “There’s a long line of communities waiting for the draft to come to their city, so it may be a while, but I think the NFL would welcome the opportunity to return.”

New reports released by tourism officials show the 2025 draft generated nearly $73 million in economic impact in Brown County and nearly $105 million statewide.

“The projection for total economic impact was about $94 million or so,” Toll said. “It ended up being about $10 million more, but more of those dollars were spent further north, so we were a little surprised by how much was spent in Brown County, but as you think about it, that’s where the event was.”

Toll says the city and region are capitalizing on the event and the sheer amount of attention the city received.

“The viewership was so huge — in fact, the second-most-watched draft in NFL history,” Toll said. “Some of the media coverage just using our logo, Discover Green Bay, 746 stories were written, mostly with a tourism twist. That would have cost us $50 million in advertising.”

“I was just visiting with destination leaders from throughout Wisconsin,” Toll added. “A lot of them were saying, you know, ‘It’s a little bit stagnant this summer, not the numbers that are typical, a little bit slower.’ They sure aren’t in Green Bay. We are having a fantastic year.”

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