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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 122

Microschools. (FE)

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Apr 8, 2022. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Mar 1, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 22, 2022

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 8, 2022

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Apr 8, 2022.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 17, 2022: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, in general, a person having charge of a child who is 6 to 18 years old must ensure that the child attends school regularly. This requirement is known as compulsory school attendance, which is satisfied if a child attends a public, private, or tribal school or participates in a home-based private educational program, commonly known as homeschooling. This bill creates another educational option, microschools, that may be used to satisfy the compulsory school attendance requirement.

Under the bill, a “microschool” is an instruction program provided to a child by the child's parent, or a person designated by the parent, that is provided to 1) two to five family units; 2) no more than 20 children; and 3) participating children at a physical location. Under current law, an instruction program provided to a child by the child's parent, or a person designated by the child's parent, that is provided to more than one family unit does not qualify as a home-based private educational program.

Read the full summary

Under current law, for purposes of the compulsory school attendance requirement, a home-based private educational program must satisfy the same criteria that an educational institution must satisfy in order to be a private school, including that the program must provide at least 875 hours of instruction each year;

must provide a curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health; and may not be operated for the purpose of avoiding the compulsory school attendance requirement. A microschool must also satisfy this criteria in order for instruction at the microschool to satisfy the compulsory school attendance requirement.

Finally, the bill treats microschools in the same manner that home-based private educational programs are treated under current law. For example, under current law, a school board must allow a resident pupil who is enrolled in a home-based private educational program to participate in interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities in the school district. The bill extends these provisions to resident pupils who are enrolled in a microschool.

Who's behind it

14 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 14 are Republicans.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 16 names

Authors (14)

Signed on in support (2)

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.

Assembly Committee on Education vote on an amendment

Passed, 7 to 6 · Nov 15, 2021

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 Education, Ayes 7, Noes 6”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 6 · Nov 15, 2021

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 6”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 60 to 34 · Feb 22, 2022 · 5 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (60)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 4 to 3 · Mar 4, 2022

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 4, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 4, 2022

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 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 17, 2022

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Apr 8, 2022

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Apr 4, 2022

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 8, 2022

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 4, 2022

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  6. Mar 4, 2022

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 3.

  7. Feb 24, 2022

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  8. Feb 22, 2022

    The Senate received it.

  9. Feb 22, 2022

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Feb 22, 2022

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Feb 22, 2022

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

  12. Nov 15, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  13. Nov 15, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 6.

  14. Apr 28, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  15. Mar 30, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Mar 18, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  17. Mar 17, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. Mar 15, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  19. Mar 1, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  20. Mar 1, 2021

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 1, 2021 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Sortwell, Thiesfeldt, Allen, Brandtjen, Cabral-Guevara, Edming, Gundrum, Magnafici, Murphy, Ramthun, Rozar, Tittl, Tusler and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senator Nass

  2. Mar 1, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Mar 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Mar 18, 2021 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Mar 30, 2021 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Apr 9, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Sortwell

  8. Apr 16, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Sortwell

  9. Apr 22, 2021 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  10. Apr 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  11. Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 6

  12. Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 6

  13. Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  14. Feb 16, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Sortwell

  15. Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-22-2022 by Committee on Rules

  16. Feb 21, 2022 · Assembly

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

  17. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  18. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representatives Neubauer, Pope, Hebl, Considine, Vruwink, Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Brostoff, Conley, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Hesselbein, Hong, B. Meyers, Ohnstad, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Haywood

  19. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

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

  20. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  21. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 60, Noes 34

  22. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 withdrawn and returned to author

  23. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  24. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  25. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  27. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  28. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Feb 22, 2022 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  30. Feb 24, 2022 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  31. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  32. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 4, Noes 3

  33. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  34. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  35. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-8-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  36. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a second time

  37. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  38. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  39. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  40. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  41. Mar 9, 2022 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  42. Mar 10, 2022 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 1)

  43. Mar 10, 2022 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-10-2022

  44. Apr 4, 2022 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-4-2022 by directive of the Speaker

  45. Apr 8, 2022 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-8-2022

  46. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-17-2022 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  47. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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