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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 186

Training completion awards for volunteer firefighters. (FE)

Topics: Administration, Department of: Budget and fiscal issues, Fire department

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate 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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 14, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 187. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the Department of Administration administers a service award program to provide length-of-service awards to volunteer firefighters, volunteer emergency medical responders, and volunteer emergency medical services practitioners.

This bill expands the program to provide grants to volunteer fire departments and volunteer fire companies to make training completion awards to volunteer firefighters. Under the bill, in order to receive a grant, the municipality in which a department or company is organized must have a municipal ordinance that provides a 100 percent match. The completion award for a volunteer firefighter who completes 60 hours of training is $500. The bill also requires that any money a volunteer fire department or fire company receives beyond what it expends on awards each calendar year must be returned to DOA for deposit in the general fund. Finally, under the bill, DOA is required to provide a report to the legislature in the sixth, seventh, and eighth years after the start of the program that includes the number of people who received the grant through the preceding year and the number of those people who are still firefighters in Wisconsin.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. 2 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

18 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 21 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (18)

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.

Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Jun 5, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Jun 5, 2025

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 and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jun 23, 2025 to Jun 24, 2025

    5 more representatives signed on in support.

  3. Jun 5, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  4. Jun 5, 2025

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  5. May 27, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  6. May 22, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  7. May 16, 2025

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. May 8, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Apr 14, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

  10. Apr 14, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 14, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque, Tomczyk and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Sortwell, Behnke, Brill, Donovan, Goodwin, Goeben, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Mursau, Penterman, Wichgers and Kaufert

  2. Apr 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government

  3. May 8, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Moses added as a cosponsor

  4. May 16, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. May 22, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor

  6. May 27, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. May 28, 2025 · Senate

    LRB correction

  8. May 29, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  9. Jun 4, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  10. Jun 5, 2025 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  11. Jun 5, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  12. Jun 5, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  13. Jun 23, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Fitzgerald added as a cosponsor

  14. Jun 24, 2025 · Senate

    Representatives Miresse, Emerson, Stroud and O'Connor added as cosponsors

  15. Mar 23, 2026 · 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.

More in the glossary

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

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