Assembly Bill 389
Indication of veteran status of certain service members on operators’ licenses or identification cards. (FE)
Topics: Identification cards, Military personnel, Motor vehicle: Driver's license, National Guard, Veteran
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.
-
Introduced, passed
Aug 29, 2025
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
-
Senate vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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
The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 387. That version became law.
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.
Under current law, a veteran of the U.S. armed forces may elect to indicate his or her veteran status on his or her Wisconsin operator’s license or identification card. “Veteran” is a defined term that includes individuals who have served a specified period of active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces. With limited exceptions, neither national guard duty nor service in a reserve unit qualifies as active duty.
This bill creates a definition of “veteran” that includes any person who is a former member of the U.S. armed forces, a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces, or the national guard and who meets the eligibility requirements for a veterans home loan established by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This definition applies only for the purpose of enabling such a person to indicate on his or her operator’s license or identification card that he or she is a veteran and does not apply to any other veteran benefit.
Who's behind it
23 representatives are its . 13 are Republicans and 10 are Democrats.
18 more lawmakers .
See all 41 names Hide the names
Authors (23)
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Joan Fitzgerald · Democrat, Assembly
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Gus Gustafson · Republican, Assembly
- Andrew Hysell · Democrat, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Darrin Madison · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Ann Roe · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- Angela Stroud · Democrat, Assembly
- Angelito Tenorio · Democrat, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (18)
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Jodi Habush Sinykin · Democrat, Senate
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Jenna Jacobson · Democrat, Assembly
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Joers and Stubbs
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- O'Connor and Arney
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Wirch · Democrat, 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 Transportation vote on an amendment
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 14, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 14, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Jan 16, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026
6 more representatives signed on in support.
-
Jan 14, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Jan 14, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
-
Jan 7, 2026 to Jan 8, 2026
2 more representatives signed on in support.
-
Dec 3, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Nov 5, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
-
Oct 31, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Sep 8, 2025 to Sep 26, 2025
3 more representatives signed on in support.
-
Sep 3, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Aug 29, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
-
Aug 29, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Aug 29, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Franklin, Sortwell, Sinicki, Doyle, Behnke, Dittrich, Fitzgerald, Goeben, Goodwin, Hysell, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Madison, Maxey, Mursau, Roe, Udell, Wichgers, Murphy, Stroud, Tenorio and Gustafson; cosponsored by Senators Jacque, Pfaff, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, Ratcliff, Spreitzer, Wirch and Feyen
- Aug 29, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation
- Sep 3, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Sep 8, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor
- Sep 23, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
- Sep 26, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Tittl added as a coauthor
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Nov 5, 2025 · Assembly
Representative McCarville added as a coauthor
- Nov 6, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Franklin
- Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 7, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 7, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Tucker added as a coauthor
- Jan 8, 2026 · Assembly
Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 1-20-2026 by Committee on Rules
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
- Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 6, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Brown added as a coauthor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Emerson added as a coauthor
- 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