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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 251

Prohibiting discrimination based on traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles

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

    Mar 31, 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 Labor and Regulatory Reform. See every bill that never got a hearing 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 provides that prohibitions of race-based discrimination include discrimination related to traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles. “Protective hairstyle” is defined in the bill to include braids, locs, and twists.

Under current law, discrimination because of race is prohibited in employment, housing, education, service as a juror, adoption, and the equal enjoyment of a public place of accommodation or amusement. This bill prohibits discrimination based on traits historically associated with race in employment, housing, education, service as a juror, adoption, and the equal enjoyment of a public place of accommodation or amusement.

Read the full summary

Current law also prohibits motor carriers, automobile insurers, mortgage bankers, mortgage loan originators, mortgage brokers, and real estate brokers and salespersons from discriminating against a person on the basis of race; prohibits discrimination based on race in the provision of vocational rehabilitation or mental health services; and prohibits the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents from investing gifts, grants, and bequests in companies that practice discrimination on the basis of race. This bill prohibits discrimination based on traits historically associated with race in these areas.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its ⁠. All 7 are Democrats.

27 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 34 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (27)

What happened

  1. Mar 15, 2022

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Oct 4, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  3. Mar 31, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform.

  4. Mar 31, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 31, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators L. Taylor, Johnson, Roys, Agard, Larson, Wirch and Carpenter; cosponsored by Representatives L. Myers, Stubbs, Drake, Shankland, S. Rodriguez, Anderson, Hebl, Neubauer, Ortiz-Velez, Hong, Emerson, Snodgrass, Cabrera, Baldeh, Conley, Hesselbein, Spreitzer, Vining, Hintz, Subeck, Shelton, Billings, Brostoff, Bowen, Considine and Goyke

  2. Mar 31, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform

  3. Oct 4, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Andraca added as a cosponsor

  4. 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.

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