Senate Bill 2
Expanding veterans benefits to individuals who served in Laos in support of the United States during the Vietnam War
Topics: Minority groups, Veteran
Passed the Senate, then stopped
The Senate passed it on May 15, 2025, but the Assembly never voted on it. A bill has to . 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
Jan 24, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed May 15, 2025
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The Assembly never voted on it.
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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 concur in pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 27. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence. 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
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 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.
Who's behind it
10 senators are its . 7 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans.
42 more lawmakers .
See all 52 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Jamie Wall · Democrat, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
- Bob Wirch · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (42)
- Clint Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Bare · Democrat, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Julian Bradley · Republican, Senate
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Dassler-Alfheim and Smith
- Ben DeSmidt · Democrat, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Dora Drake · Democrat, Senate
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Habush Sinykin and Larson
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Andrew Hysell · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Amaad Rivera-Wagner · Democrat, Assembly
- Ann Roe · Democrat, Assembly
- Joe Sheehan · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Ryan Spaude · Democrat, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Angelito Tenorio · Democrat, Assembly
- Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
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 was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Natural Resources vote to recommend it
Passed, 4 to 1 · Mar 11, 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 Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 4, Noes 1”. 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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Jun 16, 2025 to Jan 29, 2026
1 more representative and 1 senator signed on in support.
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May 27, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 20, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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May 15, 2025
The Assembly received it.
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May 15, 2025
2 more senators signed on in support.
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May 15, 2025
The Senate passed it.
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May 15, 2025
The Senate adopted it.
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Mar 11, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 1.
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Jan 29, 2025 to Feb 6, 2025
2 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
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Jan 28, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 27, 2025 to Jan 28, 2025
1 more representative and 2 senators signed on in support.
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Jan 24, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.
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Jan 24, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- 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
- Jan 24, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs
- Jan 27, 2025 · Senate
Senators Habush Sinykin and Larson added as coauthors
- Jan 28, 2025 · Senate
Representative Udell added as a cosponsor
- Jan 28, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 29, 2025 · Senate
Representative Joers added as a cosponsor
- Feb 3, 2025 · Senate
Representative Roe added as a cosponsor
- Feb 6, 2025 · Senate
Senator Bradley added as a coauthor
- Mar 11, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 11, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 4, Noes 1
- Mar 11, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 12, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque
- May 13, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 5-15-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Senators Dassler-Alfheim and Smith added as coauthors
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- May 15, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- May 20, 2025 · Assembly
Senator Drake added as a coauthor
- May 27, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 16, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Steffen added as a cosponsor
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Senator Hesselbein added as a coauthor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence. 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
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
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote