Assembly Bill 208
An income and franchise tax exemption for broadband expansion grants and for federal high-cost program funding for broadband expansion. (FE)
Topics: Data processing, Federal aid, Franchise: Taxation, Income tax: Deduction, Legislature: Tax Exemptions, Joint Survey Committee on
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Apr 23, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 176. That version was vetoed.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill exempts from state income and franchise taxes income received in the form of a grant issued by this state; a city, village, town, or county of this state; a tribal government in this state; or the federal government for broadband expansion in this state. The bill also exempts from income and franchise taxes income received in the form of funding from the federal government for any high-cost universal service funding for broadband expansion. Current law provides an income and franchise tax exemption for income received in the form of allocations issued by this state with moneys received from the federal coronavirus relief fund to be used for broadband expansion. The bill prohibits claiming the exemptions under the bill and the exemption under current law for the same grant.
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.
Who's behind it
24 representatives are its . 19 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats.
14 more lawmakers .
See all 38 names Hide the names
Authors (24)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Gus Gustafson · Republican, Assembly
- Jenna Jacobson · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Tara Johnson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Clint Moses · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Rob Summerfield · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Swearingen · Republican, Assembly
- Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
- Nancy VanderMeer · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Wittke · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (14)
- Mike Bare · Democrat, Assembly
- Julian Bradley · Republican, Senate
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Rob Stafsholt · Republican, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Eric Wimberger · Republican, Senate
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.
Assembly Committee on Ways and Means vote to recommend it
Passed, 10 to 0 · May 8, 2025
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 Ways and Means, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Joint Committee on Finance vote to recommend it
Passed, 11 to 4 · Feb 4, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 4, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 4, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 4.
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Jan 30, 2026
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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Nov 11, 2025
“Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received” (the official wording)
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Nov 7, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions.
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May 13, 2025 to Jun 10, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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May 8, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 8, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 0.
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Apr 30, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 25, 2025 to Apr 30, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Apr 24, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 23, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means.
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Apr 23, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Summerfield, Steffen, Gustafson, Armstrong, Callahan, Dittrich, Green, B. Jacobson, J. Jacobson, Johnson, Kaufert, Kitchens, Kreibich, Moses, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Subeck, Swearingen, Tucker, Udell, VanderMeer, Wittke and Joers; cosponsored by Senators Quinn, Bradley, Feyen, James, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Stafsholt, Testin, Tomczyk and Wimberger
- Apr 23, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Ways and Means
- Apr 24, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Apr 25, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Miresse added as a coauthor
- Apr 30, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Stubbs added as a coauthor
- Apr 30, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- May 8, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Ways and Means, Ayes 10, Noes 0
- May 8, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- May 13, 2025 · Assembly
Representative McCarville added as a coauthor
- Jun 10, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Bare added as a coauthor
- Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (4)
- Nov 11, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken by joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions
- Nov 11, 2025 · Assembly
Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received
- Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly
Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Assembly Rule 24 (3)(a)
- Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken by joint committee on Finance
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 11, Noes 4
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 11:10 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Stubbs withdrawn as a coauthor
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Summerfield
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
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.
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
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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote