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Bills from the January 2018 Special Session

Senate Bill 2

Statewide FoodShare employment and training program requirement for able-bodied adults. (FE)

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 26, 2018

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Feb 27, 2018: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

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.

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to require all able-bodied adults to participate in the FoodShare employment and training program, known as FSET, except for able-bodied adults who are caretakers of a child under the age of six and able-bodied adults who are at least half-time students. FoodShare is also known as the food stamp program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and is administered by DHS. An able-bodied adult is 18 years of age or older but younger than 50 years of age, not pregnant, not exempt from a work requirement under federal regulations, and not determined to be medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment. Currently, able-bodied adults without dependents are required to comply with certain work requirements as a condition of FoodShare eligibility, though the FSET program is voluntary. The 2017 Biennial Budget Act, 2017 Wisconsin Act 59 , specified that DHS may require able-bodied adults to participate in FSET and allowed DHS to require a subset of, instead of all, able individuals who are 18 to 60 years of age and who are not Wisconsin Works participants to participate in FSET, to the extent allowed by the federal government.

Who's behind it

The Committee on Senate Organization introduced it at the governor's request.

26 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 26 names

Signed on in support (26)

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 4 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Public Benefits vote on an amendment

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 15, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Public Benefits vote on an amendment

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 15, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 3 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Public Benefits vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 15, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 4 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Public Benefits vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Feb 15, 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 Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Feb 27, 2018

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 15, 2018

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  3. Feb 15, 2018

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 4 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  4. Feb 15, 2018

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 3 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  5. Feb 15, 2018

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 13, 2018

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  7. Feb 1, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. Jan 31, 2018

    The committee held a public hearing.

  9. Jan 26, 2018

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations.

  10. Jan 26, 2018

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 26, 2018 · Senate

    Introduced by Committee on Senate Organization, Senators Kapenga, Craig, Cowles, Darling, Feyen, LeMahieu, Nass, Stroebel, Vukmir and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Vos, Felzkowski, Thiesfeldt, Jagler, Sanfelippo, Tusler, Petersen, Duchow, Petryk, Kuglitsch, Tittl, Knodl, Brandtjen, Murphy, Neylon, Spiros, Wichgers, Bernier, Krug, Kleefisch, Rohrkaste, Katsma, Born, Kremer and Swearingen, by request of Governor Scott Walker

  2. Jan 26, 2018 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations

  3. Jan 31, 2018 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Feb 1, 2018 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Feb 1, 2018 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Feb 5, 2018 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Kapenga

  7. Feb 13, 2018 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Olsen

  8. Feb 13, 2018 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 3 offered by Senator Kapenga

  9. Feb 13, 2018 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 4 offered by Senator Olsen

  10. Feb 13, 2018 · Senate

    Representative Edming added as a cosponsor

  11. Feb 14, 2018 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  12. Feb 15, 2018 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  13. Feb 15, 2018 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 3 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  14. Feb 15, 2018 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 4 recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  15. Feb 15, 2018 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Feb 15, 2018 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  17. Feb 27, 2018 · Senate

    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

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

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.

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

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