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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 589

The Foundations of Reading test licensure requirement

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 31, 2022. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 29, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 30 to 2

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 22, 2022

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 214

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 31, 2022: “Published 4-1-2022”

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.

Under current law, applicants for an initial license to teach grades kindergarten to five, an initial license to teach special education, an initial license as a reading teacher, an initial license as a reading specialist, or an initial license to teach at a school that uses the Montessori method generally must pass an examination identical to the Foundations of Reading test (FORT) administered in 2012. This bill changes the requirement to allow an applicant to instead pass an examination identical to the most recent edition of the FORT.

Who's behind it

4 senators are its ⁠. All 4 are Republicans.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 9 names

Authors (4)

Signed on in support (5)

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 3 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 1 · Oct 21, 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 Education, Ayes 6, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 30 to 2 · Oct 25, 2021 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (2)

Didn't vote (1)

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

Assembly Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 0 · Feb 17, 2022

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 31, 2022

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 31, 2022

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 214.

  3. Mar 28, 2022

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 22, 2022

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Feb 17, 2022

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Feb 17, 2022

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  7. Dec 14, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  8. Dec 6, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  9. Oct 25, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  10. Oct 25, 2021

    The Senate passed it, 30 to 2.

  11. Oct 21, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 1.

  12. Oct 14, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Sep 29, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  14. Sep 29, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 29, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Darling, Bernier, Ballweg and Bradley; cosponsored by Representatives Mursau, Ramthun, Knodl, Krug and Dittrich

  2. Sep 29, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Oct 13, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Larson, Johnson and Smith

  4. Oct 14, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Oct 21, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Oct 21, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 6, Noes 1

  7. Oct 21, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Oct 22, 2021 · Senate

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

  9. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  10. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  12. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 30, Noes 2

  13. Oct 25, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Oct 25, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Dec 6, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  16. Dec 14, 2021 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  17. Jan 18, 2022 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  18. Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  19. Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  20. Feb 17, 2022 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-22-2022 by Committee on Rules

  21. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  22. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  23. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  24. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  25. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  26. Feb 22, 2022 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  27. Feb 22, 2022 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  28. Feb 25, 2022 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  29. Mar 28, 2022 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-28-2022 by directive of the Majority Leader

  30. Mar 31, 2022 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-31-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 214

  31. Mar 31, 2022 · Senate

    Published 4-1-2022

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

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary