Senate Bill 571
Authority of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents regarding agricultural land. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 2, 2016. It's .
-
Introduced, passed
Jan 14, 2016
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 9, 2016
-
Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 16, 2016
-
Governor, passed
Signed
-
Law, here now
2015 Wisconsin Act 230
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 2, 2016: “Published 3-2-2016”
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill expands the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System regarding agricultural land. Subject to the approval of the Building Commission, current law allows the Board of Regents to sell or lease specified tracts of agricultural land and improvements thereon. The Board of Regents must use the net proceeds from selling the specified tracts for the purpose of purchasing agricultural land outside the urban area of the city of Madison and constructing improvements thereon. However, the Board of Regents must obtain the approvals of the Building Commission and governor for those purchases. If the net proceeds exceed the amount required for those purchases, current law provides that the excess constitutes a nonlapsible fund of no more than $7,200,000 for erecting facilities for research and instruction in animal husbandry, agricultural engineering, and agricultural and life sciences at the UW-Madison. Current law requires the Building Commission to authorize expenditures from the fund. Current law also includes legislative findings regarding why it is in the public interest to allow the Board of Regents to purchase, sell, and lease agricultural land. One of the findings concerns the problems resulting from development of the city of Madison around agricultural lands of the UW-Madison.
The bill allows the Board of Regents to sell or lease agricultural land without the approval of the Building Commission. The bill eliminates the references to the specified tracts of land and allows the Board of Regents to sell or lease agricultural land used by the UW-Madison regardless of the land's location for the purpose of agricultural instruction and research. The bill also allows the Board of Regents, for the same purpose, to purchase or otherwise acquire land without the approval of the Building Commission or governor. The bill modifies the legislative finding regarding the problems of development to refer to the problems of development of any city, village, town, or county around agricultural land of the UW-Madison.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also allows the Board of Regents, without Building Commission approval, to exchange part or all of any parcel of agricultural land used by the UW-Madison for any other land of approximately equal value if the exchange is for the purpose described above. Also, the lands exchanged must be of a like kind. In addition, before making an exchange, the bill requires the Board of Regents to determine that the exchange contributes to the consolidation or completion of a block of land, enhances the conservation of agricultural lands, or is otherwise in the public interest.
The bill eliminates the requirements under current law regarding the net proceeds of the Board of Regent's sale of agricultural lands. Instead, the bill requires that the net proceeds of sales, leases, exchanges, purchases, or other acquisitions of agricultural land must deposited into a nonlapsible fund, which must be used to purchase additional land as allowed under the bill or to erect facilities for research and instruction in animal husbandry, agricultural engineering, and agricultural and life sciences at the UW-Madison. However, the fund may be used only upon the consent and recommendation of the Board of Regents. In addition, authorization of the Building Commission is required for the fund to be used to erect facilities.
Building Commission authorization is not required to use the fund for the purchase of land.
Finally, current law authorizes the Building Commission and the Department of Administration to sell or lease state-owed real property. The bill exempts from that authority agricultural land of the Board of Regents that is used for the purposes described above. Current law also requires the Building Commission to approve the UW System's acceptance of gifts, grants, or bequests of real property with a value of more than $150,000. Under the bill, Building Commission approval is not required if the real property is agricultural land that is acquired by the Board of Regents for the purposes described above.
Who's behind it
Jerry Petrowski, a Republican, is its .
5 more lawmakers .
See all 6 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (5)
- Mary Czaja · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Amy Loudenbeck · Republican, Assembly
- Keith Ripp · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
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.
Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · 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 Universities and Technical Colleges, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Mar 2, 2016
The new law was published.
-
Mar 2, 2016
The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 230.
-
Feb 25, 2016
Sent to the governor.
-
Feb 16, 2016
The Assembly passed it too.
-
Feb 11, 2016
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Feb 9, 2016
The Assembly received it.
-
Feb 9, 2016
The Senate passed it.
-
Feb 1, 2016
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
-
Jan 28, 2016
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Jan 19, 2016
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Jan 14, 2016
Sent to the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.
-
Jan 14, 2016
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 14, 2016 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Petrowski; cosponsored by Representatives Ripp, Czaja, Krug, Loudenbeck and Tauchen
- Jan 14, 2016 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges
- Jan 19, 2016 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 28, 2016 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 28, 2016 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 1, 2016 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 1, 2016 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 8, 2016 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-9-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 9, 2016 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 9, 2016 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 9, 2016 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 9, 2016 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 9, 2016 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 2-16-2016 by Committee on Rules
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 17, 2016 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Feb 25, 2016 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Feb 25, 2016 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 2-25-2016
- Feb 26, 2016 · Senate
LRB correction
- Mar 2, 2016 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 3-1-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 230
- Mar 2, 2016 · Senate
Published 3-2-2016
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote