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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Senate Bill 205

Transferring academic credits from military transcripts to University of Wisconsin System schools and technical colleges. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 8, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Nov 5, 2019

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 20, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 147

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.

This bill allows a student enrolled in a University of Wisconsin System school or technical college who served in the military to object to the transfer of academic credit from the student's military transcript to the UW System school or technical college.

Current law requires the Board of Regents of the UW System to establish policies for transferring credits between UW System schools and to enter into an agreement for the transfer of certain credits between UW System schools and technical colleges. Current law also allows the Board of Regents to establish policies for credit transfers with other educational institutions.

Read the full summary

Also under current law, each UW System school and technical college must, upon receiving from the federal Department of Defense a student's official joint services transcript or Community College of the Air Force transcript, do the following: 1) accept all American Council on Education credit recommendations included in the official joint services transcript and award academic credit to the student in accordance with these recommendations; and 2) accept all credits included in the CCAF transcript and award academic credit to the student accordingly.

Under this bill, if a student objects to the awarding of credit for any course included in the official joint services transcript or CCAF transcript, the UW System school or technical college may not award credit for that course.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its ⁠. 5 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

17 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 24 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (17)

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 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Universities vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 0 · Oct 16, 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 Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 62 to 35 · Feb 20, 2020 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (62)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. 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 147.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 20, 2020

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Feb 20, 2020

    “Point of order that Assembly Amendment 2 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 18, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  7. Jan 30, 2020

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  8. Nov 6, 2019

    The Assembly received it.

  9. Nov 5, 2019

    The Senate passed it.

  10. Nov 5, 2019

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  11. Oct 16, 2019

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.

  12. Sep 25, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. May 23, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  14. May 8, 2019

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families.

  15. May 8, 2019

    Introduced in the Senate.

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

    Introduced by Senators Kooyenga, Marklein, Testin, Wanggaard, Bewley, Smith and Bernier; cosponsored by Representatives Kurtz, Sanfelippo, Kulp, Spiros, Skowronski, Kuglitsch, Ballweg, Thiesfeldt, Tusler, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Sinicki, Horlacher, Wichgers and VanderMeer

  2. May 8, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families

  3. May 23, 2019 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. May 23, 2019 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Sep 25, 2019 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Oct 15, 2019 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Oct 16, 2019 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  8. Oct 16, 2019 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Nov 1, 2019 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-5-2019 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor

  11. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Read a second time

  12. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  13. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  14. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  15. Nov 5, 2019 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  16. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  17. Jan 30, 2020 · Assembly

    Representative Wittke added as a cosponsor

  18. Feb 18, 2020 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  19. Feb 18, 2020 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:31 AM on 2-20-2020 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 21

  20. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  21. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Swearingen

  22. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 withdrawn and returned to author

  23. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Shankland

  24. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Amendment 2 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  25. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  26. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 62, Noes 35

  27. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  29. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 21, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  32. Feb 25, 2020 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  33. Feb 28, 2020 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020

  34. Mar 4, 2020 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 147

  35. Mar 4, 2020 · Senate

    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