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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 30

Creating a procedure for granting certificates of qualification for employment for persons convicted of a crime and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 4, 2020. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 22, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 11, 2020

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 33 to 0

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 123

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 4, 2020: “Published 3-4-2020”

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.

Under current law, a person who has been convicted of a crime may be ineligible for, or at a disadvantage related to, certain types of employment, occupational licensing, or occupational certification. This bill creates the Council on Offender Employment, which may issue a certificate of qualification for employment (CQE) that grants relief to the person from ineligibility for or disadvantage related to employment, occupational licensing, or occupational certification.

Under the bill, a person who has been convicted of a nonviolent crime and released from confinement may apply to the council for a CQE after he or she has served a term of incarceration of at least 24 consecutive months or after he or she has served a term of incarceration of at least 12 consecutive months and a term of extended supervision of at least 12 consecutive months. Under the bill, the Department of Corrections must supply the council with information gathered during the person's period of incarceration and supervision that the council may use to determine whether to grant a CQE.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, the council must grant a person's application for a CQE if the council finds that the person is not likely to pose a risk to public safety, that the CQE will substantially assist the person in obtaining employment or occupational licensing or certification, and that the person is less likely to commit an additional criminal offense if he or she obtains a CQE. The council may not issue a CQE that provides relief from ineligibility for certain occupations, licenses, or certifications that are related to certain offenses, that are designed to protect public health and safety, or that have a close connection to the crime for which the person was convicted. Under the bill, generally, if a person who received a CQE is convicted of a felony or of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or has his or her probation or extended supervision revoked for committing a criminal offense, the CQE is permanently revoked.

The bill also provides limited immunity from civil liability for employers who hire a person who is issued a CQE. Under the bill, the employer is immune from liability for the acts or omissions of the employee unless the employer acted maliciously, with gross negligence, or with intent to cause harm when he or she hired the employee.

Who's behind it

16 lawmakers are its ⁠. 12 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.

13 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 29 names

Authors (16)

Signed on in support (13)

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 Corrections vote on an amendment

Passed, 9 to 0 · Jan 28, 2020

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 Corrections, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Corrections vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 0 · Jan 28, 2020

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 Corrections, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 99 to 0 · Feb 11, 2020

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (99)

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

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 14, 2020

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 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 14, 2020

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 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 14, 2020

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 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 33 to 0 · Feb 19, 2020

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

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

What happened

  1. Mar 4, 2020

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 4, 2020

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 123.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it too, 33 to 0.

  5. Feb 19, 2020

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  6. Feb 14, 2020

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  7. Feb 14, 2020

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  8. Feb 14, 2020

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  9. Feb 13, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  10. Feb 12, 2020

    The Senate received it.

  11. Feb 11, 2020

    The Assembly passed it, 99 to 0.

  12. Feb 11, 2020

    The Assembly adopted it.

  13. Feb 10, 2020

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  14. Jan 28, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  15. Jan 28, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 0.

  16. Jan 22, 2020

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  17. Oct 1, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  18. Apr 16, 2019

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  19. Mar 15, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  20. Mar 5, 2019

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  21. Feb 22, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Corrections.

  22. Feb 22, 2019

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 22, 2019 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Hutton, Snyder, Fields, Ballweg, Bowen, Brooks, Goyke, Horlacher, Krug, Kurtz, Mursau, Myers, Ramthun, Sortwell, Tittl and Thiesfeldt; cosponsored by Senators Darling, L. Taylor, Carpenter, Cowles, Feyen, Olsen, Stroebel and Wanggaard

  2. Feb 22, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Corrections

  3. Mar 5, 2019 · Assembly

    Representative Zimmerman added as a coauthor

  4. Mar 15, 2019 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Apr 16, 2019 · Assembly

    Representative Spreitzer added as a coauthor

  6. Sep 30, 2019 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Hutton

  7. Oct 1, 2019 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  8. Jan 22, 2020 · Assembly

    Representative Stubbs added as a coauthor

  9. Jan 22, 2020 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  10. Jan 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Corrections, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  11. Jan 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Corrections, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  12. Jan 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  13. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2020 by Committee on Rules

  14. Feb 10, 2020 · Assembly

    Representative Vining added as a coauthor

  15. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  16. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 withdrawn and returned to author

  17. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Hutton

  18. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  19. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 99, Noes 0

  22. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  24. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  25. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by Committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  27. Feb 14, 2020 · 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 5, Noes 0

  28. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  29. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-19-2020 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  30. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senator Larson added as a cosponsor

  31. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  32. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  33. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  34. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 33, Noes 0

  35. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  36. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  37. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  38. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020 by directive of the Speaker

  39. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 123

  40. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Published 3-4-2020

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