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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 2

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: expanding veterans benefits to individuals who served in Laos in support of the United States during the Vietnam War.

Minority groups Veteran

  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 expands the definition of “veteran” to include individuals who were naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000. The bill extends most veterans benefits to anyone who meets this newly expanded definition of veteran, however, admission to a state veterans home and burial in a veterans cemetery are not included benefits as they are subject to federal regulation.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Carpenter (D) , Jacque (R) , Keyeski (D) , Pfaff (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Tomczyk (R) , Wall (D) , Wanggaard (R) , Wirch (D)

42 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Bare (D) , Behnke (R) , Billings (D) , Bradley (R) , Brill (R) , Brown (D) , Dassler-Alfheim and Smith , DeSmidt (D) , Donovan (R) , Drake (D) , Franklin (R) , Habush Sinykin and Larson , Hesselbein (D) , Hysell (D) , Joers (D) , Kitchens (R) , Kreibich (R) , Maxey (R) , McCarville (D) , Melotik (R) , Miresse (D) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Palmeri (D) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Rivera-Wagner (D) , Roe (D) , Sheehan (D) , Sinicki (D) , Snyder (R) , Spaude (D) , Steffen (R) , Subeck (D) , Tenorio (D) , Tucker (R) , Tusler (R) , Udell (D) , Wichgers (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 2

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 4, Noes 1

Passed 4–1 Mar 11, 2025 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. Jan 24, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque, Tomczyk, Carpenter, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Spreitzer, Wall, Wanggaard and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Murphy, Snyder, Anderson, Armstrong, Bare, Behnke, Billings, Brill, Brown, DeSmidt, Donovan, Franklin, Hysell, B. Jacobson, Kitchens, Kreibich, Maxey, McCarville, Melotik, Miresse, Mursau, O'Connor, Palmeri, Piwowarczyk, Rivera-Wagner, Sheehan, Sinicki, Spaude, Subeck, Tenorio, Tucker, Tusler and Wichgers

  2. Jan 24, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs

  3. Jan 27, 2025 · Senate

    Senators Habush Sinykin and Larson added as coauthors

  4. Jan 28, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Udell added as a cosponsor

  5. Jan 28, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Jan 29, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Joers added as a cosponsor

  7. Feb 3, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Roe added as a cosponsor

  8. Feb 6, 2025 · Senate

    Senator Bradley added as a coauthor

  9. Mar 11, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Mar 11, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  11. Mar 11, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  12. Mar 12, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  13. May 13, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-15-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  14. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  15. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  16. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  18. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  19. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Senators Dassler-Alfheim and Smith added as coauthors

  20. May 15, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. May 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  22. May 20, 2025 · Assembly

    Senator Drake added as a coauthor

  23. May 27, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  24. Jun 16, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a cosponsor

  25. Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly

    Senator Hesselbein added as a coauthor

  26. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1