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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 741

Grants to students enrolled in technical colleges and University of Wisconsin college campuses to meet emergency financial need and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 28, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 19, 2016

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 61 to 36

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 19 to 13

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 282

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 28, 2016: “Published 3-29-2016”

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 creates a program to award grants to students enrolled in technical colleges and the two-year University of Wisconsin college campuses (UW colleges) to meet emergency financial need. A student is eligible for a grant to pay the student's expense resulting from a financial emergency if the student's expected family contribution, as determined by the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is less than $5,000. "Financial emergency" is defined as an unplanned event causing an unanticipated expense that would cause a student to not complete that term if a grant were not available to cover the expense, and includes such expenses as those for medical treatment or vehicle repair but not for textbooks, student fees, or groceries. The amount of the grants awarded to a student may not exceed a total of $500 per academic year, with a limit of two grants per student per academic year. A student's grant application must include written proof identifying the nature and amount of the expense and the third party to whom this amount is owed. Grant funding is distributed by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board to the technical colleges, and by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents (Board of Regents) to the UW colleges, based on the anticipated need and demand for grants at each technical college or UW college. Each technical college and UW college must collect certain information relating to the grant program and, at the end of each academic year, report this information to, respectively, the WTCS Board and Board of Regents, and the WTCS Board and Board of Regents must then report this information to the legislature.

Who's behind it

23 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 23 are Republicans.

4 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 27 names

Authors (23)

Signed on in support (4)

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 7 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 5 · Feb 1, 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 Colleges and Universities, Ayes 9, Noes 5”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 63 to 35 · Feb 16, 2016

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

Official motion: “Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 63 to 35 · Feb 16, 2016

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

Official motion: “Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 61 to 36 · Feb 16, 2016

See how each of the 97 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (61)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 61, Noes 36, Paired 2”. 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

Senate vote on an amendment

Passed, 19 to 13 · Mar 15, 2016

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

Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 19, Noes 13”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 19 to 13 · Mar 15, 2016 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 13”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 28, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 28, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 282.

  3. Mar 24, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 15, 2016

    The Senate passed it too, 19 to 13.

  5. 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)

  6. Mar 10, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 17, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.

  8. Feb 17, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  9. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly passed it, 61 to 36.

  10. Feb 5, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Feb 3, 2016

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  12. Feb 1, 2016

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  13. Feb 1, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 5.

  14. Jan 28, 2016

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Jan 21, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  16. Jan 20, 2016

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Jan 19, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.

  18. Jan 19, 2016

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Murphy, Heaton, Novak, Macco, Kulp, Mursau, Krug, Kremer, Petryk, Rohrkaste, Quinn, Bernier, Ballweg, Kleefisch, Rodriguez, A. Ott, Born, Tranel, Edming, Sanfelippo, VanderMeer, Nerison and Kitchens; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Gudex, Lasee and Moulton

  2. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities

  3. Jan 20, 2016 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 21, 2016 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 26, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Wachs, Berceau, Billings, Hesselbein and Jorgensen

  6. Jan 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Jan 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Executive session held

  8. Feb 1, 2016 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 9, Noes 5

  9. Feb 1, 2016 · Assembly

    Referred to joint committee on Finance

  10. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  11. Feb 5, 2016 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and referred to committee on Rules

  12. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

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

  13. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representatives Barca, Wachs and Jorgensen

  15. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35

  16. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Hesselbein, Wachs and Barca

  17. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35

  18. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 61, Noes 36, Paired 2

  21. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Universities and Technical Colleges

  24. Mar 10, 2016 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Universities and Technical Colleges and rereferred to committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  25. Mar 10, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

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

  27. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

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

  28. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Hansen, Wirch, C. Larson, Ringhand, Harris Dodd, Vinehout, Miller and Bewley

  29. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  30. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 19, Noes 13

  31. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  32. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  33. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 13

  34. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  35. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  36. Mar 23, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2016

  37. Mar 24, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-24-2016

  38. Mar 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-28-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 282

  39. Mar 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-29-2016

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