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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 659

Opioid treatment programs. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 17, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 7, 2016

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 16, 2016

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 15, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 263

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 17, 2016: “Published 3-18-2016”

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.

This bill imposes certain specific requirement on the regulation of opioid treatment systems. The bill requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to issue a certification for an eligible opioid treatment system that is in effect for three years and that coincides with the federal government certification period. DHS is required to extend a two-year certification for purposes of coinciding with the date of the federal government certification. The bill requires DHS to allow a narcotic treatment service for opiate addiction to contract for substance abuse counselors, clinical substance abuse counselors, or an agency to provide counseling services in lieu of directly hiring those individuals. DHS is prohibited under the bill from limiting the length of treatment received from a narcotic treatment service for opiate addiction. The bill also prohibits DHS from requiring an individual who seeks admission to a narcotic treatment service for opiate addiction to reside within a certain radius of that treatment service. Currently, DHS regulates opioid treatment systems by administrative rule.

Who's behind it

30 lawmakers are its ⁠. 26 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 36 names

Authors (30)

Signed on in support (6)

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.

Assembly Committee on Health vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 0 · Feb 11, 2016

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 Health, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 98 to 0 · Feb 16, 2016 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (98)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 98, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 14, 2016

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 17, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 17, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 263.

  3. Mar 16, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 15, 2016

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 15, 2016

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  6. Mar 14, 2016

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  7. Feb 17, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  8. Feb 17, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  9. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly passed it, 98 to 0.

  10. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Feb 11, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 11, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 0.

  13. Feb 3, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Jan 28, 2016

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Jan 7, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Health.

  16. Jan 7, 2016

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 7, 2016 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Nygren, Novak, Quinn, Krug, Schraa, Kleefisch, Ballweg, Horlacher, Petryk, Steffen, Loudenbeck, Swearingen, Spiros, T. Larson, Duchow, A. Ott, Knudson, Skowronski, Tittl, Czaja, Sanfelippo, Rohrkaste, Jagler, Ripp, Kulp, Gannon, Jorgensen, Ohnstad, Subeck and Sinicki; cosponsored by Senators Harsdorf, Darling, Olsen, Moulton and Hansen

  2. Jan 7, 2016 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health

  3. Jan 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 10, 2016 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Health, Ayes 11, Noes 0

  7. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-16-2016 by Committee on Rules

  9. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  10. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Nygren

  12. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 98, Noes 0

  16. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  18. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  19. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  20. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  21. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-15-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  22. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a cosponsor

  23. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-16-2016

  30. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-16-2016

  31. Mar 17, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-17-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 263

  32. Mar 17, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-18-2016

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