Senate Bill 20
Allowing certain married persons to claim the earned income tax credit when filing a separate return. (FE)
Topics: Income tax: Credit, Marriage
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. 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
Feb 5, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly 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 ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue. The committee's chair at the time was Patrick Testin. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 20. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the Wisconsin earned income tax credit is equal to a percentage of the federal earned income tax credit, and subject to certain exceptions, a married claimant must file a joint return to claim both the Wisconsin EITC and the federal EITC. This bill allows a married claimant to file a separate return to claim the Wisconsin EITC if the claimant lives apart from the claimant’s spouse when filing the return and is unable to file a joint return because of domestic abuse. The bill defines “domestic abuse” as 1) intentional infliction of physical pain, injury, or illness; 2) intentional impairment of physical condition; 3) first-, second-, or third-degree sexual assault; or 4) a physical act that may cause reasonable fear of imminent engagement in any of the conduct listed above. Under the bill, the amount of the Wisconsin EITC is equal to the amount that the claimant would be eligible to claim if the claimant were considered unmarried.
Who's behind it
2 senators are its . 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Republican.
19 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (2)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (19)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Clint Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Sequanna Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Robyn Vining · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 14, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 6, 2025 to Feb 7, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Feb 5, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.
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Feb 5, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 5, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Jacque and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Tittl, Allen, Anderson, Armstrong, Dittrich, Goodwin, Gundrum, Kreibich, Mursau, Piwowarczyk, Snodgrass, Stubbs, Subeck, Taylor, Vining, Wichgers and Sinicki
- Feb 5, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Revenue
- Feb 6, 2025 · Senate
Representative Maxey added as a cosponsor
- Feb 7, 2025 · Senate
Representative Palmeri added as a cosponsor
- Feb 14, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- 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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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