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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Senate Bill 174

Closing the parental choice program for eligible school districts to additional school districts

Topics: Parochial and private educational institutions, School: Attendance

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 6, 2012. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Aug 30, 2011

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Oct 18, 2011

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Mar 13, 2012

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2011 Wisconsin Act 215

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 10, 2012: “Published 4-19-2012”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

The Biennial Budget Act, 2011 Wisconsin Act 32 (the act), created a parental choice program for eligible school districts (program). Under the program, a pupil who resides in an eligible school district may attend a participating private school if, among other requirements, the pupil is a member of a family that has a total family income that does not exceed 300 percent of the poverty level. The act defined an eligible school district as a school district located in whole or in part in a city of the second class that is eligible to receive state aid as a high poverty school district and satisfies certain requirements related to equalized value per member and shared cost per member.

This bill provides that no school district that has not already qualified as an eligible school district may qualify as an eligible school district after the effective date of this bill.

Who's behind it

10 senators are its ⁠. 5 are Democrats and 5 are Republicans.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 16 names

Authors (10)

Signed on in support (6)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill. Taking a bill up right away needs two-thirds of the members, a higher bar than passing it, so that vote can draw more yeses than the final one.

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 1 · Oct 6, 2011

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 Education, Ayes 6, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to take it up right away

Failed, 37 to 58 · Feb 16, 2012

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

Official motion: “Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs and take up, Ayes 37, Noes 58”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 10, 2012

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 6, 2012

    The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 215.

  3. Mar 29, 2012

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 13, 2012

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Mar 6, 2012

    “Placed at the foot of the calendar of 3-6-2012” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 16, 2012

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.

  7. Dec 1, 2011

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  8. Oct 25, 2011

    The Assembly received it.

  9. Oct 18, 2011

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  10. Oct 18, 2011

    The Senate passed it.

  11. Oct 6, 2011

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 1.

  12. Oct 5, 2011

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Aug 30, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  14. Aug 30, 2011

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Aug 30, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Ellis, Cowles, S. Fitzgerald, Olsen, Jauch, T. Cullen, Taylor, Schultz, Lassa and Hansen;Cosponsored by Representatives Vos, Kestell, Brooks, Krug and Endsley

  2. Aug 30, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  3. Oct 5, 2011 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 5, 2011 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  5. Oct 6, 2011 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Education, Ayes 6, Noes 1

  6. Oct 6, 2011 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  7. Oct 17, 2011 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-18-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  8. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Read a second time

  9. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  11. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  12. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Senator Wirch added as a coauthor

  13. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Oct 25, 2011 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Dec 1, 2011 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  16. Feb 16, 2012 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs pursuant to Assembly Rule 42 (3)(c)

  17. Feb 16, 2012 · Assembly

    Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs and take up, Ayes 37, Noes 58

  18. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs and take up

  19. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  20. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  21. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  22. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Placed at the foot of the calendar of 3-6-2012

  23. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:52 A.M. on 3-13-2012 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 22

  24. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  25. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Mar 13, 2012 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  27. Mar 23, 2012 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2012

  28. Mar 29, 2012 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-29-2012

  29. Apr 6, 2012 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-5-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 215

  30. Apr 10, 2012 · Senate

    Published 4-19-2012

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

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