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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Senate Bill 534

Employer-assisted housing

Topics: Commerce, Department of, Corporation: Taxation, Employment, Housing, Housing and Economic Development Authority, Wisconsin, Income tax: Credit

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 11, 2010

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill directs the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) to establish and administer a program to award tax benefits to an employer that implements a qualifying employer-assisted housing program. The bill defines an "employer-assisted housing program" as a plan established in writing by an employer to pay qualified housing expenses of eligible employees. The bill defines "qualified housing expenses" to include the closing costs, downpayments, payments made to refinance a mortgage loan, or rental assistance paid on the eligible property of an eligible employee, and costs to provide technical assistance to a participating employer. The bill defines an "eligible employee" as an employee of a participating employer whose annual gross household income, adjusted for household size, does not exceed 120 percent of the area median gross household income, adjusted for household size. The bill defines "eligible property" as residential real property in this state that an eligible employee owns or rents as a full-time residence, but does not use as a vacation home or for trade or business purposes.

The bill requires WHEDA to establish criteria, policies, and requirements for a qualifying employer-assisted housing program. An employer wishing to establish a qualifying employer-assisted housing program may seek technical assistance from WHEDA directly, or may work with a sponsor. The bill defines a "sponsor" as a nonprofit corporation, exempt from federal income tax, that has as one of its stated purposes home ownership education. An employer who has established a qualifying employer-assisted housing program must obtain certification from WHEDA and pay any administrative fee charged by WHEDA before the employer is eligible to obtain tax benefits. The bill requires WHEDA to establish criteria, policies, and requirements to be met by a participating employer seeking certification under the program, and for a certified participating employer to obtain tax benefits under the program.

Read the full summary

An employer may claim tax benefits in any year if, during that year, the employer incurs at least $10,000 in qualified housing expenses. The amount that the employer may claim is equal to either 50 percent of the employer's qualified housing expenses or 90 percent of the employer's qualified housing expenses, if the expenses are paid in connection with an employee purchase of an eligible property that is a foreclosure. However, for each eligible employee assisted under the employer-assisted housing program and on whose behalf the employer incurs $10,000 in qualified housing expenses, the employer may claim an amount that is no more than the lesser of $10,000 or 6 percent of the purchase price of eligible property purchased by the eligible employee. The participating employer may seek renewal of certification if the employer pays any annual administrative fee charged by WHEDA and maintains an employer-assisted housing program that satisfies the requirements for such a program established by WHEDA.

Because this bill directly or substantially affects the development, construction, cost or availability of housing in this state, the Department of Commerce, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this bill.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. All 2 are Democrats.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 7 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (5)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 19, 2010

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Apr 8, 2010

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  3. Mar 19, 2010

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  4. Mar 19, 2010

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Mar 4, 2010

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Mar 3, 2010

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Feb 26, 2010

    “Department of Commerce Housing report received pursuant to s. 13.099, Wisconsin Statutes” (the official wording)

  8. Feb 11, 2010

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.

  9. Feb 11, 2010

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 11, 2010 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Taylor and Robson;Cosponsored by Representatives Sinicki, Pasch, Fields, Turner and Grigsby

  2. Feb 11, 2010 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing

  3. Feb 26, 2010 · Senate

    Department of Commerce Housing report received pursuant to s. 13.099, Wisconsin Statutes

  4. Mar 3, 2010 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Mar 4, 2010 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Mar 4, 2010 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Mar 17, 2010 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  8. Mar 19, 2010 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  9. Mar 19, 2010 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  10. Mar 19, 2010 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  11. Apr 8, 2010 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e)

  12. Apr 28, 2010 · Senate

    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.

More in the glossary

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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote