Senate Bill 609
Requirements for an initial license to teach grades kindergarten to five, an initial license as a reading teacher, and an initial license as a reading specialist
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.
-
Introduced, passed
Oct 30, 2023
-
Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
-
Senate vote, not reached
-
Assembly vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 15, 2024: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Education. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
Embed this on your site
Paste this code into your page. The card shows the latest record each time it loads. Preview the card
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, an applicant for certain initial teaching licenses, as a condition for receiving the license, must pass an examination identical to the Foundations of Reading test, commonly called the FORT, in addition to all other requirements for licensure by the Department of Public Instruction. The FORT requirement applies to the following licenses:
1. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in grades kindergarten to five.
Read the full summary Show less
2. An initial teaching license that authorizes the holder to teach in special education.
3. An initial license as a reading teacher.
4. An initial license as a reading specialist.
Current law also provides an exception to the FORT requirement for an applicant for a special education initial teaching license, under which the applicant may demonstrate to DPI that the applicant completed a course of study in the teaching of reading and reading comprehension, rather than passing the FORT. This bill extends the exception currently available only to applicants for a special education initial teaching license to applicants for all licenses to which the FORT requirement applies. Specifically, the bill expands the exception to applicants for a license to teach in grades kindergarten to five, an initial license as a reading teacher, and an initial license as a reading specialist. Under current law and the bill, a teacher who passes the FORT exam must notify DPI and DPI must add a notation to the teacher's license indicating that the teacher passed the FORT.
Who's behind it
4 senators are its . 2 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.
20 more lawmakers .
See all 24 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Mary Felzkowski · Republican, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (20)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara · Republican, Senate
- Sue Conley · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- LaKeshia Myers · Democrat, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Nik Rettinger · Republican, Assembly
- Jessie Rodriguez · Republican, Assembly
- Donna Rozar · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
What happened
-
Apr 15, 2024
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Oct 30, 2023 to Nov 13, 2023
5 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
-
Oct 30, 2023
Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.
-
Oct 30, 2023
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 30, 2023 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Felzkowski, Larson, Taylor and Marklein; cosponsored by Representatives Mursau, Edming, Myers, Armstrong, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Goeben, Murphy, O'Connor, Rettinger, Rozar, Schraa, Snyder and Joers
- Oct 30, 2023 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- Oct 30, 2023 · Senate
Representative Novak added as a cosponsor
- Nov 1, 2023 · Senate
Representative Conley added as a cosponsor
- Nov 2, 2023 · Senate
Senator Cabral-Guevara added as a coauthor
- Nov 2, 2023 · Senate
Representative Rodriguez added as a cosponsor
- Nov 10, 2023 · Senate
Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor
- Nov 13, 2023 · Senate
Representative Billings added as a cosponsor
- Apr 15, 2024 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor