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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Senate Bill 19

Terminology changes for those with an intellectual disability in administrative rules

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 30, 2019. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 8, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Apr 9, 2019

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Apr 9, 2019

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 1

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 30, 2019: “Published 5-1-2019”

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.

This bill substitutes the phrase “intellectual disability" and similar phrases for “mental retardation," “mentally retarded," and similar phrases in rules promulgated by the Department of Health Services, the Department of Children and Families, the Public Service Commission, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the Department of Workforce Development. The bill also changes the definition of “intellectual disability" in rules promulgated by DHS.

Who's behind it

17 senators are its ⁠. 11 are Republicans and 6 are Democrats.

40 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 57 names

Authors (17)

Signed on in support (40)

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Government Operations vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 26, 2019

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 Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 30, 2019

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 30, 2019

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 1.

  3. Apr 25, 2019

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 9, 2019

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Apr 9, 2019

    “Read” (the official wording)

  6. Apr 9, 2019

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Apr 9, 2019

    The Senate passed it.

  8. Apr 9, 2019

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  9. Feb 26, 2019

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  10. Feb 25, 2019

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  11. Feb 19, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Feb 12, 2019 to Feb 15, 2019

    4 more representatives signed on in support.

  13. Feb 8, 2019

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection.

  14. Feb 8, 2019

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 8, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Fitzgerald, Cowles, Darling, Feyen, Jacque, Johnson, Kooyenga, Marklein, Olsen, Petrowski, Risser, Schachtner, Shilling, Smith, Tiffany, Wanggaard and Ringhand; cosponsored by Representatives Jagler, Born, Ballweg, Brooks, Dittrich, Anderson, Edming, Gundrum, Hintz, Kitchens, Kolste, Kuglitsch, Kulp, Krug, Loudenbeck, Murphy, Mursau, Neubauer, Petersen, Petryk, Quinn, Ramthun, Schraa, Sinicki, Skowronski, Spiros, Spreitzer, Steffen, Subeck, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tranel, VanderMeer, Vorpagel and Wittke

  2. Feb 8, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection

  3. Feb 12, 2019 · Senate

    Representative Ohnstad added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 13, 2019 · Senate

    Representatives Shankland and Macco added as cosponsors

  5. Feb 15, 2019 · Senate

    Representative Rohrkaste added as a cosponsor

  6. Feb 19, 2019 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Feb 25, 2019 · Senate

    Representative Felzkowski added as a cosponsor

  8. Feb 26, 2019 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Feb 26, 2019 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  10. Feb 26, 2019 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  11. Apr 5, 2019 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-9-2019 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  12. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Senator Hansen added as a coauthor

  13. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Read a second time

  14. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  16. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  17. Apr 9, 2019 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  19. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Read

  20. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Rules suspended and taken up

  21. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  22. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  24. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  25. Apr 9, 2019 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Apr 10, 2019 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  27. Apr 11, 2019 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  28. Apr 25, 2019 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-25-2019

  29. Apr 30, 2019 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-30-2019. 2019 Wisconsin Act 1

  30. Apr 30, 2019 · Senate

    Published 5-1-2019

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

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary