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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 21

Creating an employee ownership conversion costs tax credit, a deduction for capital gains from the transfer of a business to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program. (FE)

Topics: Business, Capital gains tax, Income tax: Credit, Legislature: Tax Exemptions, Joint Survey Committee on, Revenue, Department of

Stopped in committee

It had a but no committee vote, 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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 5, 2025

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  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 ⁠”

It sat with the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 17. 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.

This bill creates tax incentives related to businesses in this state converting to an employee ownership business structure and requires the Department of Revenue to establish an outreach and education program to promote employee ownership business structures.

Employee ownership conversion costs tax credit Under the bill, DOR may certify a business to claim a nonrefundable income tax credit for an amount equal to 70 percent of costs related to converting the business to a worker-owned cooperative or 50 percent of the costs related to converting the business to an employee stock ownership plan. The credit is limited to a maximum amount of $100,000. A business is qualified to receive the credit if the business is subject to income and franchise taxes in this state and, at the time the business receives the credit, does not have an employee stock ownership plan and is not, in whole or in part, a worker-owned cooperative.

Read the full summary

Capital gain deduction The bill also creates an individual income tax subtraction and a corporate income and franchise tax deduction for the amount of the capital gain realized from the transfer of ownership of a business in this state to an employee stock ownership plan or worker-owned cooperative.

Employee ownership outreach and education Finally, the bill directs DOR to establish an economic development program for the purpose of promoting employee ownership business structures, including the business structures of employee stock ownership plans and worker-owned cooperatives, through education, outreach, technical assistance, and training related to converting existing businesses to an employee ownership business structure or starting new businesses with an employee ownership business structure. The bill directs DOR to submit an application to the U.S. secretary of labor for a grant under 29 USC 3228 for use in administering the program created in the bill.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

Who's behind it

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

27 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 30 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (27)

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.

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jan 8, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  3. Apr 14, 2025 to Jun 24, 2025

    5 more representatives signed on in support.

  4. Feb 19, 2025

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Feb 5, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue.

  6. Feb 5, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 5, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators James, Larson and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Sortwell, Franklin, Kaufert, Madison, Anderson, Clancy, Cruz, DeSmidt, Goeben, Goodwin, Gundrum, Hong, Hysell, Kreibich, Maxey, Miresse, Novak, Piwowarczyk, Prado, Stroud, Tusler, Udell and Wichgers

  2. Feb 5, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Revenue

  3. Feb 19, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Apr 14, 2025 · Senate

    Representatives Fitzgerald and Roe added as cosponsors

  5. Apr 23, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Joers added as a cosponsor

  6. May 13, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  7. Jun 10, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Bare added as a cosponsor

  8. Jun 24, 2025 · Senate

    Representative O'Connor added as a cosponsor

  9. Jun 27, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  10. Dec 10, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 to Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  11. Jan 8, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  12. 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

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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

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