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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Senate Bill 321

Limiting the number of individual income tax checkoffs and combining the breast cancer and prostate cancer checkoffs into a checkoff for cancer research

Topics: Disease, Income tax: Return, Revenue, Department of

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 6, 2011

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 24 to 9

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Mar 13, 2012

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2011 Wisconsin Act 222

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.

Under current law, an individual income tax check-off procedure exists that allows an individual who files a return to designate any amount of additional payment or any amount of a refund due for the endangered resources program.

Similar checkoffs exist to provide payments to several other programs, including a veterans trust fund, prostate cancer research, multiple sclerosis programs, a fire fighters memorial, which is temporary and expires after $400,000 is designated, and a breast cancer research program, and to provide a donation to a professional football stadium district.

Read the full summary

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2011, taxpayers may not have the opportunity to make such a designation to more than ten checkoffs, not including temporary checkoffs, and no temporary checkoffs may be created after December 31, 2011. The bill also prohibits the Department of Revenue (DOR) from placing more than ten checkoffs on the income tax form, and repeals the current law provision that requires DOR to highlight certain checkoffs with a symbol. Other than a checkoff created in a bill that is introduced in both houses of the legislature before June 1, 2011, if any checkoff is created after December 31, 2011, and before January 1, 2015, it may not appear on the tax form, and no designations may be made to the checkoff, before January 1, 2015.

Beginning in September 2014, and every two years thereafter, the bill requires the secretary of revenue to rank the checkoffs in order of the amount of designations received during the previous two-year period.

If more than 11 checkoffs exist, not including temporary checkoffs, only the top eight checkoffs, in terms of designations received, may appear on the tax form for the next two years, and the ninth and tenth places on the tax form will be taken by checkoffs that haven't received any designations during the previous two-year period. The new checkoffs that appear on the form will be the oldest checkoffs, based on the date on which such a checkoff was added to a list of eligible checkoffs by DOR and by the date on which a checkoff took effect.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Republican.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 5 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (3)

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.

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Public Health vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Jan 25, 2012

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 Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 13, 2012

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

Official motion: “Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 24 to 9 · Feb 14, 2012

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 24, Noes 9”. 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 222.

  3. Apr 5, 2012

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 14, 2012

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Mar 13, 2012

    The Senate adopted it.

  6. Mar 13, 2012

    The Assembly passed it too.

  7. Mar 13, 2012

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Feb 29, 2012

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  9. Feb 16, 2012

    The Assembly received it.

  10. Feb 14, 2012

    The Senate passed it, 24 to 9.

  11. Feb 13, 2012

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  12. Feb 13, 2012

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  13. Jan 25, 2012

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

  14. Jan 19, 2012

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Dec 27, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Dec 6, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue.

  17. Dec 6, 2011

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 6, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Grothman and Holperin;Cosponsored by Representatives Strachota, Thiesfeldt, Marklein and Craig

  2. Dec 6, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue

  3. Dec 27, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 19, 2012 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 25, 2012 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 25, 2012 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  7. Jan 25, 2012 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 10, 2012 · Senate

    Representative Craig withdrawn as a cosponsor

  9. Feb 13, 2012 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  10. Feb 13, 2012 · Senate

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  11. Feb 13, 2012 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-14-2012 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  12. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 24, Noes 9

  16. Feb 14, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Feb 16, 2012 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  18. Feb 21, 2012 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Strachota

  19. Feb 29, 2012 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  20. Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 3-6-2012 by committee on Rules

  21. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:03 A.M. on 3-13-2012 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 22

  22. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  23. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 adopted

  24. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  26. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Mar 13, 2012 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly amendment 1 adopted

  29. Mar 13, 2012 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  30. Mar 14, 2012 · Senate

    Rules suspended and taken up

  31. Mar 14, 2012 · Senate

    Assembly amendment 1 concurred in

  32. Mar 14, 2012 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  33. Mar 21, 2012 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-21-2012

  34. Apr 5, 2012 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-5-2012

  35. Apr 6, 2012 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-6-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 222

  36. 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

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

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

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