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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 20

Preference in state and local government contracts and procurement for materials manufactured in the United States. (FE)

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 2, 2015

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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.

Current law generally authorizes the Department of Administration to purchase, or delegate the authority to purchase, all necessary materials and contractual services for all state agencies. With some exceptions, orders or contracts must be awarded to the lowest bidder. One such exception requires, if all other factors are substantially equal, the purchasing agent to purchase materials which are mined, produced, manufactured, fabricated, or assembled (manufactured) to the greatest extent in the United States. Under this bill, with limited exceptions, the state must purchase materials that are manufactured to the greatest extent in the United States, regardless of whether all other factors are substantially equal. This bill also requires, with limited exceptions, that a contract for a public works or public improvement project must contain a provision that the contractor will use materials that are manufactured in the United States.

Generally under current law, if a city, village, town, county, school district, sewer district, technical college district, or other local unit of government wishes to let a public contract involving the construction or repair of any public work or building, or the furnishing of supplies or materials, there are a number of bidding requirements that apply to such contracts. For example, if the value of the contract is above a certain amount, or between certain amounts, certain local units of government must publish a notice in the newspaper before it contracts for the work.

Read the full summary

This bill adds another requirement to public contracts entered into by local units of government. Under this bill, such a public contract must contain a provision that the contractor will use materials that are manufactured in the United States in the performance of the contract.

Who's behind it

34 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 34 are Democrats.

11 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 45 names

Authors (34)

Signed on in support (11)

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. 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.

Assembly vote to take it up right away

Failed, 36 to 61 · Nov 3, 2015

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 State Affairs and Government Operations and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 61”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 13, 2016

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 11, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Feb 20, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Feb 18, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Feb 2, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations.

  6. Feb 2, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 2, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Jorgensen, Kahl, Barca, Barnes, Berceau, Billings, Bowen, Considine, Danou, Doyle, Genrich, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Johnson, Kolste, Mason, Meyers, Milroy, Ohnstad, Pope, Riemer, Sargent, Shankland, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Wachs, Young, Zamarripa and Zepnick; cosponsored by Senators Hansen, Lassa, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Harris Dodd, C. Larson, Ringhand, Risser, Shilling, Wirch and L. Taylor

  2. Feb 2, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations

  3. Feb 18, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Feb 20, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Mar 11, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly

    Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on State Affairs and Government Operations and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 61

  7. Apr 13, 2016 · 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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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