Assembly Bill 46
An official state language, encouragement of cultural diversity, use of English for governmental written expression, acquiring language proficiency, and use of languages for nongovernmental purposes
Topics: English language, Minority groups, Municipality, Public document, State agencies
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
-
Introduced, passed
Feb 17, 2009
-
Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
-
Assembly vote, not reached
-
Senate vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Homeland Security. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill provides that the official language of this state is English. Currently, this state has no official language.
The bill provides that the legislature encourages the preservation of Wisconsin's ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage, through the teaching, learning, and practice of languages other than English, to facilitate a multilingual exchange of ideas and to foster mutual understanding and trust among all peoples.
Read the full summary Show less
However, this policy does not apply to any action that is specifically required to comply with any law. No specific legislative policy concerning cultural diversity exists currently.
The bill also provides that, unless otherwise specifically required by law, all written expression by all units of state and local government in this state shall be in the English language, except that such expression may be in another language when appropriate to the circumstances of an individual case, the implementation of a program in a specific instance, or the discharge of a responsibility in a particular situation.
In addition, the bill precludes any unit of state or local government in this state from prohibiting any person from becoming proficient in any language or restricting the oral or written use of any language for a nongovernmental purpose. Currently, such action is prohibited under the federal and state constitutions, except that a governmental employer may regulate the conduct of employees while the employees are engaged in official responsibilities.
Who's behind it
16 lawmakers are its . 14 are Republicans, 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Independent.
5 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (16)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Gunderson · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Huebsch · Republican, Assembly
- Samantha Kerkman · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kleefisch · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Lothian · Republican, Assembly
- Mary Williams · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- John Nygren · Republican, Assembly
- Roger Roth · Republican, Senate
- Marlin Schneider · Democrat, Assembly
- Pat Strachota · Republican, Assembly
- John Townsend · Republican, Assembly
- Robin Vos · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Ziegelbauer · Independent, Assembly
Signed on in support (5)
- Alan Lasee · Republican, Senate
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Joe Leibham · Republican, Senate
- Scott L. Fitzgerald · Republican, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
What happened
-
Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Feb 17, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Homeland Security.
-
Feb 17, 2009
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 17, 2009 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Schneider, Ziegelbauer, Nygren, Kerkman, Roth, Huebsch, Townsend, Vos, Mursau, Bies, M. Williams, A. Ott, Lothian, Gunderson, Strachota and Kleefisch;Cosponsored by Senators A. Lasee, S. Fitzgerald, Darling, Schultz and Leibham
- Feb 17, 2009 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on State Affairs and Homeland Security
- Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor