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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Assembly Bill 994

Certification requirements for building contractors. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 15, 2022

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 23, 2022

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 8, 2022

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 237

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.

This bill makes the following changes related to certificates of financial responsibility issued by the Department of Safety and Professional Services that current law generally requires a person to hold in order to obtain a building permit:

1. Requires that a person complete an educational course that consists of in-person or live virtual instruction to obtain a certificate of financial responsibility.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, the course must include instruction on accounting, lien law, ethics, and best business practices, and the applicant must show photo identification to register attendance for the course. Current rules promulgated by DSPS require a person to complete 12 hours in an approved educational course to obtain a certificate of financial responsibility.

2. Requires a person to complete a total of at least four hours of continuing education on construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management every two years to maintain a certificate of financial responsibility.

Under the bill, these hours count towards the 12 hours of continuing education that current law requires a certificate holder to complete every two years.

3. Requires providers of continuing education courses for financial responsibility certificates to submit to DSPS test questions related to their courses and verification that attendees completed their courses.

Who's behind it

5 representatives are its ⁠. All 5 are Republicans.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 10 names

Authors (5)

Signed on in support (5)

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 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate vote on an amendment

Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 22, 2022

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 22, 2022

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 Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. 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 237.

  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

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Feb 23, 2022

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Feb 23, 2022

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Feb 22, 2022

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 22, 2022

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  13. Feb 22, 2022

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Feb 17, 2022

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Feb 15, 2022

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

  16. Feb 15, 2022

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 15, 2022 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Spiros, Brooks, Sortwell, Thiesfeldt and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators Petrowski, Cowles, Feyen and Jagler

  2. Feb 15, 2022 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Housing and Real Estate

  3. Feb 16, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Spiros

  4. Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  8. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  9. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 9:20 AM on 2-23-2022 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 29

  11. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  16. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Representative Skowronski added as a coauthor

  17. Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Feb 23, 2022 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Feb 24, 2022 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  20. Feb 24, 2022 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  21. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

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

  22. Mar 4, 2022 · Senate

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

  23. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Mar 8, 2022 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Mar 9, 2022 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Mar 10, 2022 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-10-2022

  30. Apr 4, 2022 · Assembly

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

  31. Apr 8, 2022 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 237

  32. 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

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