Assembly Bill 539
Authorizing the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to establish an optional retirement system for its employees
Topics: Legislature: Retirement Systems, Joint Survey Committee on, Retirement System, Wisconsin, Retirement: Public, University of Wisconsin: Employee, University of Wisconsin: Regents
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.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 7, 2012
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the joint survey committee on Retirement Systems. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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 authorizes the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System (board) to establish an optional retirement system for UW employees initially hired on or after January 1, 2012, who elect to participate in the optional retirement system. The optional retirement system must be established as a governmental plan and as a qualified plan for federal income tax purposes and must be so maintained and administered. The bill specifically provides that any employer contributions paid by the board during any year on behalf of a UW employee may not exceed the employer contributions paid by a participating employer under the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) in that year for a similarly situated employee.
Under the bill, the board must establish a process for employees to elect to participate in the optional retirement system and must determine all benefits for employees who elect to participate in the optional retirement system. The bill also provides that the board may delegate any powers and duties that the board considers necessary or desirable for the purpose of administering the optional retirement system.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill further provides that UW employees who elect to participate in the optional retirement system may not, at the same time, also be participating employees in the WRS. Moreover, an employee who participates in the optional retirement system may not subsequently become a participating employee in the WRS during the period of his or her employment with the UW System. Finally, it should be noted, the bill does not affect any current law insurance benefit or coverage for employees in either the WRS or the optional retirement system.
Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.
Who's behind it
5 representatives are its . All 5 are Republicans.
See all 5 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Pat Strachota · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 19, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 5, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 14, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 7, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on joint survey committee on Retirement Systems.
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Feb 7, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.
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Feb 7, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 7, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Strachota, Spanbauer, A. Ott, Brooks and Thiesfeldt
- Feb 7, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Colleges and Universities
- Feb 7, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to joint survey committee on Retirement Systems
- Feb 14, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 28, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Roys
- Mar 5, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Strachota
- Mar 19, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 23, 2012 · 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate