Skip to content
Bills from the 2017–18 session

Assembly Bill 804

Merit scholarships for certain University of Wisconsin System students and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 17, 2018. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 28, 2017

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 15, 2018

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 22 to 10

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2017 Wisconsin Act 314

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 17, 2018: “Published 4-17-2018”

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

The bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to award merit-based annual $5,000 scholarships to students enrolled in two-year or four-year UW schools who have graduated from an in-state high school or been granted a high school diploma by the administrator of an in-state home-based private educational program. The scholarships are called “Wisconsin Merit scholarships.” The bill requires the Board of Regents to determine student merit based on performance on standardized college entrance examinations and, if applicable, cumulative high school grade point averages. Under current law, income and interest from the normal school fund is appropriated to the Board of Regents to do the following annually: 1) make need-based grants totaling $100,000 to students at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies who are members of underrepresented groups; 2) provide scholarships totaling $100,000 to students enrolled in the sustainable management degree program through the UW-Extension; and 3) award the balance to the UW-Stevens Point for environmental programs. Under the bill, the Board of Regents must provide $300,000 annually to the UW-Stevens Point for environmental programs and award the balance in the scholarships required under the bill.

Who's behind it

19 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 19 are Republicans.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 24 names

Authors (19)

Signed on in support (5)

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 Government Accountability and Oversight vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 3 · Feb 13, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 3 · Feb 13, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight, Ayes 6, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 65 to 32 · Feb 15, 2018 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (65)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 15, 2018

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

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 15, 2018

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

Official motion: “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”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 15, 2018

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 to pass it

Passed, 22 to 10 · Mar 20, 2018

See how each of the 32 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 17, 2018

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 17, 2018

    The governor signed it. It became 2017 Wisconsin Act 314.

  3. Apr 12, 2018

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 20, 2018

    The Senate passed it too, 22 to 10.

  5. Mar 15, 2018

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

  6. Mar 15, 2018

    “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)

  7. Mar 15, 2018

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  8. Feb 16, 2018

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  9. Feb 16, 2018

    The Senate received it.

  10. Feb 15, 2018

    The Assembly passed it, 65 to 32.

  11. Feb 15, 2018

    The Assembly adopted it.

  12. Feb 13, 2018

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  13. Feb 13, 2018

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 3.

  14. Jan 23, 2018

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  15. Jan 23, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Jan 17, 2018

    The committee held a public hearing.

  17. Jan 17, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. Dec 28, 2017

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight.

  19. Dec 28, 2017

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 28, 2017 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives August, Sanfelippo, Anderson, E. Brooks, Petryk, Edming, Felzkowski, Steffen, Rodriguez, Duchow, Tranel, Summerfield, Tauchen, R. Brooks, Quinn, Horlacher, Murphy, Jacque, Hutton and Thiesfeldt; cosponsored by Senators Nass, Craig, Feyen and LeMahieu

  2. Dec 28, 2017 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight

  3. Jan 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Representative Tusler added as a coauthor

  7. Jan 29, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative August

  8. Jan 31, 2018 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Feb 1, 2018 · Assembly

    Representative Anderson withdrawn as a coauthor

  10. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  11. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  12. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  13. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-15-2018 by Committee on Rules

  14. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative August

  17. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  18. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 65, Noes 32

  21. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  24. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  25. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

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

  26. Mar 15, 2018 · 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

  27. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

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

  28. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-20-2018 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  29. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a second time

  30. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  31. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  32. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 22, Noes 10

  33. Mar 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Mar 21, 2018 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  35. Mar 29, 2018 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-29-2018

  36. Apr 12, 2018 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-12-2018

  37. Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-16-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 314

  38. Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly

    Published 4-17-2018

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