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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 238

Allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds for local highways and bridges

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Apr 22, 2021. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 2, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 57 to 37

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 18 to 13

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Apr 22, 2021.

  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.

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to administer a local highways and bridges supplement program. Under the program, DOT awards grants to municipalities and counties to fund qualifying improvement projects on highways or bridges under the jurisdiction of the municipality or county. A qualifying improvement project under the program is a highway or bridge construction project for which no federal funds, except funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are expended and that is any of the following:

1. Eligible for funding under the local bridge improvement assistance program.

Read the full summary

2. Eligible for funding under the local roads improvement discretionary grant program.

3. A project to increase the load-bearing capacity of a bridge.

The bill requires the governor to allocate $308,519,800 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for this program. The bill provides $144,000,000 for grants to counties. Not more than $2,000,000 of this amount may be paid to each county. The bill also provides $164,519,800 for grants to municipalities. Each municipality may be paid no more than the amount calculated by multiplying the number of miles of highways under the jurisdiction of the municipality for calendar year 2020 by $2,000. Under the bill, DOT may not provide grants under the program after December 31, 2024.

Who's behind it

27 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 27 are Republicans.

10 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 37 names

Authors (27)

Signed on in support (10)

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 Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 4 · Apr 7, 2021

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 Transportation, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 57 to 35 · Apr 13, 2021 · 6 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (57)

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

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 57 to 37 · Apr 13, 2021 · 4 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (57)

No (37)

Didn't vote (4)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Apr 14, 2021

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

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 18 to 13 · Apr 14, 2021 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 32 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 17, 2022

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Apr 22, 2021

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Apr 21, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 14, 2021

    The Senate passed it too, 18 to 13.

  5. Apr 14, 2021

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

  6. Apr 14, 2021

    The Senate received it.

  7. Apr 13, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  8. Apr 13, 2021

    The Assembly passed it, 57 to 37.

  9. Apr 13, 2021

    “Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  10. Apr 9, 2021 to Apr 12, 2021

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  11. Apr 7, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Apr 7, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 4.

  13. Apr 6, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Apr 2, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  15. Apr 2, 2021

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 2, 2021 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Callahan, Novak, Zimmerman, Armstrong, Born, Cabral-Guevara, Edming, Dittrich, Duchow, Gundrum, Jagler, James, Katsma, Krug, Knodl, Kurtz, Moses, Mursau, Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Snyder, Swearingen, Tranel, Vorpagel and Wittke; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Bernier, Stroebel, Felzkowski, Feyen, Jacque and Stafsholt

  2. Apr 2, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Apr 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Apr 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Apr 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 8, Noes 4

  6. Apr 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 4-13-2021 by Committee on Rules

  8. Apr 9, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  9. Apr 12, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor

  10. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Anderson, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, McGuire, B. Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, L. Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Vruwink

  12. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  13. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  14. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 57, Noes 35

  15. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  17. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 57, Noes 37

  18. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Schraa added as a coauthor

  19. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  21. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

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

  22. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-14-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  23. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 13

  27. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Apr 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 4-14-2021

  30. Apr 21, 2021 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-21-2021 by directive of the Speaker

  31. Apr 22, 2021 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-22-2021

  32. May 17, 2022 · Assembly

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

  33. 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

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary