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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 444

Preference in state and local government contracts and procurement for materials manufactured in the United States. (FE)

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

    Jul 7, 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, Jul 21, 2022: “Representative Vining added as a cosponsor”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection. 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.

Under this bill, with limited exceptions, the state must purchase materials that are manufactured to the greatest extent in the United States, regardless of whether all other factors are substantially equal. The bill also requires, with limited exceptions, that a contract for a public works or public improvement project must contain a provision requiring the contractor to use materials that are manufactured in the United States. The bill creates a similar provision for local governments.

Current law generally authorizes the Department of Administration to purchase, or delegate the authority to purchase, all necessary materials and contractual services for all state agencies. With some exceptions, orders or contracts must be awarded to the lowest bidder. One such exception requires, if all other factors are substantially equal, the purchasing agent to purchase materials that are mined, produced, manufactured, fabricated, or assembled to the greatest extent in the United States.

Read the full summary

Generally under current law, if a city, village, town, county, school district, sewer district, technical college district, or other local unit of government wishes to let a public contract involving the construction or repair of any public work or building, or the furnishing of supplies or materials, there are a number of bidding requirements that apply to such contracts. For example, if the value of the contract is above a certain amount, or between certain amounts, certain local units of government must publish a notice in the newspaper before it contracts for the work.

This bill adds another requirement to public contracts entered into by local units of government. Under the bill, these public contracts must contain a provision that the contractor will use materials that are manufactured in the United States in the performance of the contract.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its ⁠. All 8 are Democrats.

24 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 32 names

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (24)

What happened

  1. Jul 21, 2022

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  2. Mar 15, 2022

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  3. Jul 7, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection.

  4. Jul 7, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jul 7, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Pfaff, Wirch, Agard, Carpenter, Larson, Ringhand, Roys and Smith; cosponsored by Representatives McGuire, Doyle, Snodgrass, Andraca, Billings, Bowen, Considine, Emerson, Hebl, Hesselbein, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck and Vruwink

  2. Jul 7, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection

  3. Mar 15, 2022 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  4. Jul 21, 2022 · Senate

    Representative Vining added as a cosponsor

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