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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

SB 281

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: exempting from taxation the pension benefits of certain federal employees. (FE)

Income tax — Deduction Legislature — Tax exemptions joint survey committee on Public employee Retirement — Public

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill exempts from taxation up to $8,000 in payments received in 2023 by

an individual from the U.S. Civil Service Retirement System and the full amount of

such payments received in 2024 and beyond. Under the bill, the exemption applies

without regard to when the individual became a member of or retired under CSRS,

which was the retirement system used by the federal government until 1984. In

1984, the federal government established a new retirement system, but federal

employees covered by CSRS were allowed to choose to stay in CSRS.

Under current law, payments received from CSRS are exempt from Wisconsin

income taxes but generally only if the individual was a member of or retired under

CSRS as of December 31, 1963. Similarly, payments received from other retirement

systems, such as payments received from Milwaukee city and county retirement

systems, are exempt from taxation for individuals who were members of or retired

from the systems as of December 31, 1963. Current law also provides a tax

exemption for payments received from the U.S. Military Employee Retirement

System and retirement payments that relate to service with the U.S. Coast Guard,

the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

and the commissioned corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Also under current

law, an individual may subtract up to $5,000 of payments or distributions received

from a qualified retirement plan or individual retirement account if the individual

is at least 65 years old and has federal adjusted gross income of less than $15,000,

or $30,000 if married.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be

referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed

as an appendix to the bill.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Ballweg (R) , Hesselbein (D) , Nass (R) , Spreitzer (D) , Taylor (D) , Wanggaard (R) , Wirch (D)

30 cosponsors

Andraca (D) , Armstrong (R) , Billings (D) , Brooks (R) , C. Anderson (D) , Cabrera (D) , Conley (D) , Dittrich (R) , Doyle (D) , Edming (R) , Green (R) , Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Kitchens (R) , Kurtz (R) , Magnafici (R) , Mursau (R) , Neubauer (D) , O'Connor (R) , Ohnstad (D) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Palmeri (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Shankland (D) , Sinicki (D) , Snodgrass (D) , Spiros (R) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , VanderMeer (R)

Votes

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Universities and Revenue, Ayes 8, Noes 0

Passed 8–0 Feb 5, 2024 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. May 15, 2023 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Wirch, Hesselbein, Nass, Spreitzer, Taylor and Ballweg; cosponsored by Representatives Armstrong, Ohnstad, Brooks, Cabrera, Dittrich, Doyle, Green, Joers, Kitchens, Mursau, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Shankland, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spiros, Stubbs, Subeck and VanderMeer

  2. May 15, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Universities and Revenue

  3. May 31, 2023 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jun 20, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Billings added as a cosponsor

  5. Aug 15, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  6. Aug 24, 2023 · Senate

    Representative C. Anderson added as a cosponsor

  7. Aug 29, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Ratcliff added as a cosponsor

  8. Sep 6, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Conley added as a cosponsor

  9. Oct 23, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Kurtz added as a cosponsor

  10. Nov 27, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Magnafici added as a cosponsor

  11. Dec 21, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Edming added as a cosponsor

  12. Jan 16, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Andraca added as a cosponsor

  13. Jan 17, 2024 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  14. Jan 29, 2024 · Senate

    Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions requested

  15. Feb 5, 2024 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  16. Feb 5, 2024 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Universities and Revenue, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  17. Feb 5, 2024 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  18. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received

  19. Mar 7, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Neubauer added as a cosponsor

  20. Apr 15, 2024 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1