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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Senate Bill 537

Veteran-related tuition grants for certain veterans and dependents enrolled in private nonprofit institutions of higher education and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 31, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 19, 2020

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 99 to 0

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 149

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 requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to make veteran-related grants for students enrolled in bachelor's or graduate degree programs at private nonprofit institutions that are members of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. The grants are made for students who would have qualified for veteran-related tuition remissions if they had enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System or a technical college. Subject to certain residency requirements, those students consist of veterans, as well as spouses, unremarried surviving spouses, and, subject to age limits, children of veterans with service-related disabilities or veterans who died in the line of duty or as the result of service-related disabilities. Like the UW System and technical college remissions, the Department of Veteran Affairs is required to verify veteran status.

Before making a grant for a student for a semester or session, HEAB must require the student to apply to the payment of tuition all the educational assistance to which the student is entitled under specified federal veteran educational assistance programs. The same requirement applies under current law for the UW System and technical college remissions. The bill limits the grants for an individual student for a period of no more than 128 credits or eight semesters or sessions, whichever is longer. However, if a student previously received veteran-related tuition remissions from the UW System or a technical college, that limit is reduced by the number of credits, semesters, or sessions for which the student received the tuition remissions. The bill also requires a student to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in order to qualify for the grants.

Read the full summary

The amount of a grant for a student for a semester or session must equal the lesser of $2,000 or 50 percent of the difference between the amount of tuition charged by the private nonprofit institution and the amount of tuition paid for the student under specified federal veteran educational assistance programs. The bill requires HEAB to make the grants to a student's private nonprofit institution to offset the tuition charged by the institution. If HEAB makes a grant under the bill, the student's institution must match the amount of the grant to offset the tuition charged to the student.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its ⁠. 7 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

15 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 23 names

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (15)

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 6 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Universities vote on an amendment

Passed, 7 to 0 · Jan 10, 2020

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

Senate Committee on Universities vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 0 · Jan 10, 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 Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Joint Committee on Finance vote on an amendment

Passed, 16 to 0 · Feb 12, 2020

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 Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Joint Committee on Finance vote to recommend it

Passed, 16 to 0 · Feb 12, 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 Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, 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: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 99 to 0 · Feb 20, 2020

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (99)

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 149.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 20, 2020

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  5. Feb 20, 2020

    The Assembly passed it too, 99 to 0.

  6. Feb 20, 2020

    “Read” (the official wording)

  7. Feb 20, 2020

    The Assembly received it.

  8. Feb 19, 2020

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  9. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it, 33 to 0.

  10. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate adopted it.

  11. Feb 19, 2020

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  12. Feb 12, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 16 to 0.

  13. Feb 12, 2020

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  14. Feb 10, 2020

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  15. Feb 5, 2020

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  16. Jan 10, 2020

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

  17. Jan 10, 2020

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, Ayes 7, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  18. Dec 4, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  19. Nov 15, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  20. Oct 31, 2019

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

  21. Oct 31, 2019

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 31, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Darling, Kooyenga, Tiffany, Roth, Bewley, Feyen, Olsen and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Kurtz, Dittrich, Horlacher, Krug, Kulp, Murphy, Mursau, Tusler, VanderMeer, Zimmerman and Thiesfeldt

  2. Oct 31, 2019 · Senate

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

  3. Nov 15, 2019 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Nov 25, 2019 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Darling

  5. Dec 4, 2019 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Jan 9, 2020 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Jan 10, 2020 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  8. Jan 10, 2020 · Senate

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

  9. Jan 10, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Feb 5, 2020 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  11. Feb 10, 2020 · Senate

    Representative Wittke added as a cosponsor

  12. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  13. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0

  14. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0

  15. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  16. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  17. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor

  18. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  19. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  20. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  21. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 33, Noes 0

  23. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senator Nass added as a coauthor

  24. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  26. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read

  27. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  28. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  29. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  31. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 99, Noes 0

  32. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Representatives Skowronski and Spreitzer added as cosponsors

  33. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Feb 21, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  35. Feb 27, 2020 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  36. Feb 27, 2020 · Senate

    LRB correction

  37. Feb 28, 2020 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020

  38. Mar 4, 2020 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 149

  39. 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