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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Senate Bill 595

An online early learning pilot program and making an appropriation. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Nov 27, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 19, 2020

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 20, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 170

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 Department of Public Instruction to award a three-year contract to a service provider to administer an online early learning program to low-income children who reside in three urban school districts selected by DPI and three rural school districts selected by DPI. Under the bill, the service provider must administer the online early learning program during the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 school years.

Under the bill, a service provider is a nonprofit organization that has successfully conducted an online early learning program in the past and can demonstrate its past success using independent evaluations. To qualify as an online early learning program, a program must satisfy the following criteria:

Read the full summary

1. The program provides computer-based instruction to children on a home computer and includes content in reading, math, and science.

2. The program is designed to improve a child's transition to five-year-old kindergarten and aligned with nationally recognized early learning standards.

3. The program requires parental engagement and involvement that includes interaction with a learning coach.

4. The program evaluates a child's growth over the course of the program.

5. The program provides a participating low-income family with access to a computer and Internet service in the family's home at no cost.

Under the bill, during the term of the contract, the service provider must provide an annual report to DPI that includes specific information about who is participating in the program, the number of families requesting and being provided access to a computer or the Internet at home, and how children participating in the program performed on prekindergarten and kindergarten readiness assessments.

By October 15, 2023, DPI must compile the information it received for each year of the contract and submit it to the legislature. Finally, the bill requires the service provider selected to administer the online early learning program to provide $500,000 in matching funds during the three-year term of the contract.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

13 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (2)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Education vote on an amendment

Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 7, 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 Education, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 1 · Feb 7, 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 Education, Ayes 7, Noes 1”. 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, 31 to 2 · Feb 19, 2020

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. 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 170.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 20, 2020

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Feb 20, 2020

    “Read” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 20, 2020

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it, 31 to 2.

  8. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate adopted it.

  9. Feb 12, 2020

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

  10. Feb 12, 2020

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

  11. Feb 10, 2020

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  12. Feb 7, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.

  13. Feb 7, 2020

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  14. Jan 28, 2020

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Dec 20, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Nov 27, 2019

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  17. Nov 27, 2019

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Nov 27, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Darling and Bernier; cosponsored by Representatives Thiesfeldt, Fields, Nygren, Allen, Krug, Macco, Novak, Ramthun, Rodriguez, Steffen, Tusler, VanderMeer and Wittke

  2. Nov 27, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Dec 20, 2019 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 23, 2020 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Darling

  5. Jan 28, 2020 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Feb 7, 2020 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 7, 2020 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  8. Feb 7, 2020 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 1

  9. Feb 7, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Feb 10, 2020 · Senate

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

  11. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  12. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

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

  13. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

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

  14. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  15. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  16. Feb 18, 2020 · Senate

    LRB correction

  17. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  18. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  19. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 31, Noes 2

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  24. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read

  25. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  26. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  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 170

  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