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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 50

Counting of tips for tipped employees and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 26, 2021. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 28, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 16, 2021

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Apr 13, 2021

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 26

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 26, 2021: “Published 4-24-2021”

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.

Under current law, minimum wage is generally $7.25 per hour. However, if the employer of a tipped employee can demonstrate through payroll records that the employee has earned at least the applicable minimum wage in a week, based on the employee's tips and wages paid to the employee in that week, the employer may pay a minimum wage of $2.13 for opportunity employees, and $2.33 for general tipped employees.

This bill requires the Department of Workforce Development to promulgate rules allowing an employer to require tipped employees to use an electronic signature or other electronic means that uniquely identifies the employee when the employee is acknowledging the counting of tips toward fulfillment of the employer's obligation to pay the minimum wage.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

15 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 17 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (15)

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 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 11, 2021

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

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote

Passed, 54 to 37 · Apr 13, 2021 · 7 didn't vote

See how each of the 98 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (54)

No (37)

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 26, 2021

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 26, 2021

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 26.

  3. Apr 22, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 13, 2021

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Apr 13, 2021

    “Point of order that Assembly Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken” (the official wording)

  6. Apr 8, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  7. Feb 16, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  8. Feb 16, 2021

    The Senate passed it.

  9. Feb 11, 2021

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

  10. Feb 10, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  11. Feb 8, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Jan 28, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform.

  13. Jan 28, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

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

    Introduced by Senators Bernier and Felzkowski; cosponsored by Representatives Schraa, Brooks, Callahan, Haywood, Kitchens, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Moses, Rozar, Skowronski, Tauchen, Thiesfeldt, Wichgers, Zimmerman and Swearingen

  2. Jan 28, 2021 · Senate

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

  3. Feb 8, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Feb 10, 2021 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Feb 11, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 11, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Feb 11, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 12, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-16-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  9. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  10. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  12. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  13. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Feb 16, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  16. Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 4-13-2021 by Committee on Rules

  17. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  18. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  19. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Anderson, S. Rodriguez, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Hong, McGuire, B. Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, L. Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Vruwink

  20. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  21. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  22. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 54, Noes 37

  23. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  24. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  25. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  26. Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  27. Apr 14, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  28. Apr 19, 2021 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  29. Apr 22, 2021 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-22-2021

  30. Apr 26, 2021 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-23-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 26

  31. Apr 26, 2021 · Senate

    Published 4-24-2021

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