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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 759

Qualified new business venture eligibility

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 8, 2022. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 7, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 96 to 0

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 8, 2022

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 224

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2022: “Published 4-9-2022”

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.

Under current law, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation may certify certain businesses as “qualified new business ventures" for purposes of receiving investments that qualify the investors for tax credits under the angel and early stage seed investment tax credit program. WEDC may certify a business as a qualified new business venture if, among other requirements, at least 51 percent of the employees employed by the business are employed in Wisconsin.

Under this bill, a business remains eligible for certification as a qualified new business venture if it fails to satisfy that 51 percent in-state employment requirement due to a business merger or acquisition, provided that all of the following apply:

Read the full summary

1. The business maintains its headquarters in Wisconsin.

2. After the merger or acquisition, the business increases the number of employees the business employs in Wisconsin.

3. WEDC determines that the merger or acquisition was not for the purpose of relocating the business's operations or employees outside Wisconsin or for the purpose of ceasing the business's efforts to further grow and expand in Wisconsin.

4. The business satisfies the 51 percent in-state employment requirement within approximately 12 months after the merger or acquisition occurs.

Who's behind it

22 lawmakers are its ⁠. 19 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 30 names

Authors (22)

Signed on in support (8)

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 0 · Feb 1, 2022

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 Jobs and the Economy, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 96 to 0 · Feb 23, 2022 · 3 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (96)

Didn't vote (3)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. 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. Apr 8, 2022

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 8, 2022

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 224.

  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. Feb 24, 2022

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 23, 2022

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 23, 2022

    The Assembly passed it, 96 to 0.

  9. Feb 23, 2022

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up” (the official wording)

  10. Feb 23, 2022

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  11. Feb 1, 2022

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 1, 2022

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  13. Jan 19, 2022

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Dec 7, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy.

  15. Dec 7, 2021

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Zimmerman, McGuire, Armstrong, Cabral-Guevara, Dallman, Drake, Horlacher, Kuglitsch, Loudenbeck, Macco, Moses, Neylon, Novak, Penterman, Plumer, Rozar, Schraa, Skowronski, Snyder, Tusler, Vruwink and Wittke; cosponsored by Senators Feyen, Ballweg, Cowles, Darling, Pfaff, Ringhand, Wanggaard and Marklein

  2. Dec 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Jobs and the Economy

  3. Jan 19, 2022 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Feb 1, 2022 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Jobs and the Economy, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  6. Feb 1, 2022 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 8:50 AM on 2-23-2022 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 29

  8. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Referred to joint committee on Finance

  10. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up

  11. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  13. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 96, Noes 0

  14. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Feb 23, 2022 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  16. Feb 24, 2022 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  17. Feb 24, 2022 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  18. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

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

  19. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

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

  20. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a second time

  21. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  22. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  23. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  24. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Mar 9, 2022 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  26. Mar 11, 2022 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-11-2022

  27. Apr 4, 2022 · Assembly

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

  28. Apr 8, 2022 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 224

  29. Apr 8, 2022 · Assembly

    Published 4-9-2022

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

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary