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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 491

Subsidized guardianship payments. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Feb 7, 2022. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Aug 5, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Oct 25, 2021

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 20, 2022

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 132

Latest entry in the official record, Feb 7, 2022: “Published 2-5-2022”

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 requires the Department of Children and Families alone to provide subsidized guardianship payments.

Under current law, a county department of human services or social services (county department) or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the Department of Children and Families must provide monthly subsidized guardianship payments to the guardian of a child who has been adjudged to be in need of protection or services if certain conditions have been met, including the conditions that: 1) the child, if 14 years of age or over, has been consulted with regarding the guardianship arrangement; 2) the guardian has a strong commitment to caring for the child permanently; 3) the guardian is licensed as the child's foster parent, which licensing includes an inspection of the guardian's home under rules promulgated by DCF; 4) the guardian and all adult residents of the guardian's home have passed a criminal background investigation; and 5) prior to being named as guardian of the child, the guardian entered into a subsidized guardianship agreement with the county department or DCF. Current law also requires a county department or DCF to provide monthly subsidized guardianship payments to an interim caretaker or successor guardian upon the death or incapacity of the guardian.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, county departments and DCF in a county having a population of 750,000 or more enter into subsidized guardianship agreements with guardians, but only DCF provides the payments. The bill requires a county department to notify DCF when it enters into or amends such an agreement or when an interim caretaker is appointed. The bill requires DCF to promulgate rules governing the method by which county departments must provide that notification, and to consult with counties in determining that method.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its ⁠. All 8 are Republicans.

28 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 36 names

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (28)

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 4 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Human Services vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 19, 2021

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Human Services, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Human Services vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 19, 2021

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 Human Services, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 32 to 0 · Oct 25, 2021 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 96 to 0 · Jan 20, 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: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Feb 7, 2022

    The new law was published.

  2. Feb 7, 2022

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 132.

  3. Feb 3, 2022

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Jan 25, 2022

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Jan 20, 2022

    The Senate adopted it.

  6. Jan 20, 2022

    The Assembly passed it too, 96 to 0.

  7. Jan 20, 2022

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Jan 18, 2022

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Dec 7, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Oct 29, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  11. Oct 25, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  12. Oct 25, 2021

    The Senate passed it, 32 to 0.

  13. Oct 25, 2021

    The Senate adopted it.

  14. Oct 19, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  15. Oct 19, 2021

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Human Services, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  16. Oct 18, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  17. Oct 14, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  18. Aug 31, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  19. Aug 5, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Human Services, Children and Families.

  20. Aug 5, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Aug 5, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Bernier, Ballweg, Cowles, Darling, Felzkowski, Kooyenga, Marklein and Roth; cosponsored by Representatives Loudenbeck, Rozar, Armstrong, Billings, Born, Dittrich, Doyle, Gundrum, Kitchens, Knodl, Kurtz, Milroy, Moses, L. Myers, Novak, Pronschinske, J. Rodriguez, Schraa, Snyder, Spiros, Subeck, Tauchen, Tittl, Tusler and Penterman

  2. Aug 5, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Human Services, Children and Families

  3. Aug 31, 2021 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Oct 5, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Bernier

  5. Oct 14, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Oct 18, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Bowen added as a cosponsor

  7. Oct 19, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  8. Oct 19, 2021 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Human Services, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  9. Oct 19, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Human Services, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  10. Oct 19, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  11. Oct 22, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-25-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  12. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  14. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  16. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 32, Noes 0

  17. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Oct 25, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  19. Oct 29, 2021 · Assembly

    Representative Spreitzer added as a cosponsor

  20. Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Loudenbeck

  21. Dec 7, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  22. Jan 18, 2022 · Assembly

    Representative Cabrera added as a cosponsor

  23. Jan 18, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-20-2022 by Committee on Rules

  24. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  25. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  26. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  27. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  29. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 96, Noes 0

  30. Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Jan 20, 2022 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  32. Jan 21, 2022 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 1-25-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  33. Jan 25, 2022 · Senate

    Assembly Amendment 1 concurred in

  34. Jan 25, 2022 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  35. Jan 28, 2022 · Senate

    LRB correction

  36. Jan 28, 2022 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  37. Feb 3, 2022 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 2-3-2022

  38. Feb 7, 2022 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 2-4-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 132

  39. Feb 7, 2022 · Senate

    Published 2-5-2022

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