Assembly Bill 591
Authorizing certain optometrists to dispense contact lenses that deliver a therapeutic pharmaceutical agent
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 16, 2010. It's .
-
Introduced, passed
Nov 20, 2009
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jan 19, 2010
-
Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 16, 2010
-
Governor, passed
Signed
-
Law, here now
2009 Wisconsin Act 168
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2010: “Published 3-29-2010”
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
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a person licensed to practice the profession of optometry by the Optometry Examining Board (board) in the Department of Regulation and Licensing may, among other practices, prescribe contact lenses. If the person was first licensed on or after August 1, 2006, or holds a certificate issued by the board, the person may also prescribe or administer drugs for ocular therapeutic purposes.
However, the person may not dispense drugs.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill permits a person licensed to practice the profession of optometry who is authorized to prescribe or administer a therapeutic pharmaceutical agent to dispense contact lenses that deliver the therapeutic pharmaceutical agent.
Who's behind it
30 lawmakers are its . 16 are Republicans and 13 are Democrats. 1 has no party on record.
12 more lawmakers .
See all 42 names Hide the names
Authors (30)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Chuck Benedict · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Phil Garthwaite · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Gordon Hintz · Democrat, Assembly
- Kim Hixson · Democrat, Assembly
- Mary Hubler · Democrat, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Samantha Kerkman · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Kestell · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Louis Molepske Jr. · Democrat, Assembly
- Phil Montgomery · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Sandy Pasch · Democrat, Assembly
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Don Pridemore · Republican, Assembly
- Donna Seidel · Democrat, Assembly
- Shilling
- Scott Suder · Republican, Assembly
- John Townsend · Republican, Assembly
- Robert Turner · Democrat, Assembly
- Robin Vos · Republican, Assembly
- Amy Sue Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
- Leah Vukmir · Republican, Senate
- Ted Zigmunt · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (12)
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Russell Decker · Democrat, Senate
- Michael Ellis · Republican, Senate
- Steve Hilgenberg · Democrat, Assembly
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Robert Jauch · Democrat, Senate
- John Lehman · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Kathleen Vinehout · Democrat, Senate
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform vote on an amendment
Passed, 13 to 0 · Jan 12, 2010
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Health vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 0 · Jan 27, 2010
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Mar 19, 2010
The new law was published.
-
Mar 16, 2010
The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 168.
-
Mar 11, 2010
Sent to the governor.
-
Feb 16, 2010
The Senate passed it too.
-
Jan 27, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
-
Jan 22, 2010
Sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
-
Jan 21, 2010
1 more representative signed on in support.
-
Jan 19, 2010
The Senate received it.
-
Jan 19, 2010
The Assembly passed it.
-
Jan 19, 2010
The Assembly adopted it.
-
Jan 12, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Jan 12, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.
-
Dec 2, 2009
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Nov 24, 2009
1 more representative and 1 senator signed on in support.
-
Nov 20, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform.
-
Nov 20, 2009
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 20, 2009 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Seidel, Zigmunt, Ballweg, Benedict, Berceau, Bies, Brooks, Garthwaite, Hebl, Hintz, Hixson, Hubler, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kestell, Knodl, Molepske Jr., Montgomery, Nass, A. Ott, Pasch, Petrowski, Pridemore, Shilling, Suder, Townsend, Turner, Vruwink, Vukmir and Vos;Cosponsored by Senators Vinehout, Cowles, Darling, Ellis, Jauch, Lehman, Schultz, Taylor and Decker
- Nov 20, 2009 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Health and Healthcare Reform
- Nov 24, 2009 · Assembly
Senator Holperin added as a cosponsor
- Nov 24, 2009 · Assembly
Representative Hilgenberg added as a coauthor
- Dec 2, 2009 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Dec 17, 2009 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Dec 17, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform
- Jan 12, 2010 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 13, Noes 0
- Jan 12, 2010 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 13, Noes 0
- Jan 12, 2010 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 13, 2010 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 1-19-2010 by committee on Rules
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 adopted
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Jan 21, 2010 · Senate
Representative Barca added as a coauthor
- Jan 22, 2010 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue
- Jan 27, 2010 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 27, 2010 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Jan 27, 2010 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 10, 2010 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-16-2010 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 16, 2010 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Feb 18, 2010 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-11-2010
- Mar 16, 2010 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-15-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 168
- Mar 19, 2010 · Assembly
Published 3-29-2010
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote