Skip to content
Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 344

Telephone company tax exemption for property used to provide broadband service. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jul 24, 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 128

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

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.

This bill exempts property used to provide broadband service to a rural or underserved area from the telephone company tax that is paid by telephone companies in lieu of the general property tax. To qualify for the exemption, property installed prior to January 1, 2020, must be used to provide Internet access service to a rural area at a download speed of at least 25 megabits per second and an upload speed of at least 3 megabits per second. Property installed after December 31, 2019, must be used to provide Internet access service to a rural or underserved area at those same speeds or, if higher, speeds designated by the Federal Communications Commission. Under the bill, an “underserved area” is any area in the state served by fewer than two wired service providers, and a “rural area” is any area in the state that is located outside a federal metropolitan statistical area or is located in a city, village, or town with a population of not more than 14,000.

For property installed prior to January 1, 2020, the determination of whether an area is a rural area is based on the 2010 federal decennial census.

Read the full summary

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

Who's behind it

29 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 29 are Republicans.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 35 names

Authors (29)

Signed on in support (6)

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 8 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Rural Development vote on an amendment

Passed, 11 to 0 · Oct 29, 2019

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Rural Development, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Rural Development vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 0 · Oct 29, 2019

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 Rural Development, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Joint Committee on Finance vote on an amendment

Passed, 8 to 4 · Nov 6, 2019

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Joint Committee on Finance vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 4 · Nov 6, 2019

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 Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 62 to 36 · Feb 11, 2020

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

Official motion: “Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 62, Noes 36”. 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 on an amendment

Passed, 19 to 14 · Feb 19, 2020

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

Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 19, Noes 14”. 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 128.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it too, 33 to 0.

  5. 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)

  6. Feb 13, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 12, 2020

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 11, 2020

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Feb 11, 2020

    The Assembly adopted it.

  10. Nov 6, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Nov 6, 2019

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 4.

  12. Oct 29, 2019

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  13. Oct 29, 2019

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 0.

  14. Aug 27, 2019

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  15. Aug 9, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Aug 8, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Jul 24, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rural Development.

  18. Jul 24, 2019

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jul 24, 2019 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Quinn, Ballweg, Edming, Kitchens, Krug, Kulp, Kurtz, Mursau, Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Pronschinske, Snyder, Spiros, Stafsholt, Summerfield, Swearingen, Tauchen, Tranel, Tusler, VanderMeer, Zimmerman, Dittrich, Horlacher, James, Katsma, Murphy, Novak and Sortwell; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Testin, Bernier, Feyen and Petrowski

  2. Jul 24, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Rural Development

  3. Aug 8, 2019 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Aug 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Aug 27, 2019 · Assembly

    Senator Cowles added as a cosponsor

  6. Sep 3, 2019 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Quinn

  7. Sep 19, 2019 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Oct 29, 2019 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Rural Development, Ayes 11, Noes 0

  9. Oct 29, 2019 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Rural Development, Ayes 11, Noes 0

  10. Oct 29, 2019 · Assembly

    Referred to joint committee on Finance

  11. Oct 31, 2019 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  12. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 8, Noes 4

  13. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 8, Noes 4

  14. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  15. Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-12-2019 by Committee on Rules

  16. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Spreitzer, Doyle, Hintz, Hesselbein, Considine, Gruszynski, Hebl, B. Meyers, Milroy, Pope, Shankland, Stuck and Vruwink

  17. Feb 5, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Quinn

  18. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  19. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 62, Noes 36

  20. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  21. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  22. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  24. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  25. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  27. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  28. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  29. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  30. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  31. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Smith, Johnson, L. Taylor, Hansen, Wirch, Shilling, Miller, Ringhand, Risser, Erpenbach, Carpenter, Larson and Schachtner

  32. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  33. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 19, Noes 14

  34. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  35. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  36. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

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

  37. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  38. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  39. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  40. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

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

  41. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 128

  42. 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