Skip to content
Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 23

Expanding veterans benefits to individuals who served in Laos in support of the United States during the Vietnam War

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 28, 2021

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 15, 2022: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it would have done

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

This bill expands the definition of “veteran” to include either 1) individuals who were naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000; or 2) individuals who the secretary of Veterans Affairs has determined served honorably with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the armed forces of the United States at any time during the period from February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975, and who are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States who reside in Wisconsin. The bill extends most veterans benefits to anyone who meets this newly expanded definition of veteran, however, admission to a state veterans home and burial in a veterans cemetery are not included benefits as they are subject to federal regulation.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its ⁠. 4 are Democrats and 4 are Republicans.

25 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 33 names

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (25)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

What happened

  1. Mar 15, 2022

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jan 29, 2021 to Apr 29, 2021

    3 more representatives signed on in support.

  3. Jan 28, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism.

  4. Jan 28, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 28, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque, Wimberger, Carpenter, Pfaff, Marklein, Ringhand, Smith and Testin; cosponsored by Representatives Murphy, Emerson, Baldeh, Billings, Cabrera, Doyle, Drake, Hintz, Hong, Milroy, Moses, Neubauer, Rozar, Shankland, Snodgrass, Steffen, Subeck, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tusler, Anderson and Brostoff

  2. Jan 28, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism

  3. Jan 29, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Wichgers added as a cosponsor

  4. Mar 29, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  5. Apr 27, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Sinicki added as a cosponsor

  6. Apr 29, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Brandtjen added as a cosponsor

  7. Mar 15, 2022 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor