Senate Bill 38
Personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates. (FE)
Topics: Family, Motor vehicle: Taxation or registration, Veteran
Became law
The governor signed it on Dec 10, 2025. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Feb 12, 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, passed
Passed Oct 7, 2025
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 50
Latest entry in the official record, Dec 10, 2025: “Published 12-10-2025”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 37. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill exempts special group plates for gold star families from personalized registration plate fees.
Current law enumerates special groups whose members may obtain from the Department of Transportation special motor vehicle registration plates. Among the special groups is a group for persons who qualify under federal law for a gold star lapel button (commonly known as gold star family), which signifies that the recipient is the immediate family member of a member of the U.S. armed forces who died while serving during a time of conflict. Special group plates may be personalized by the person to whom the plates are issued.
Read the full summary Show less
Under current law, DOT collects a registration fee for initial and renewal registrations of most motor vehicles. In addition to the regular registration fee, DOT charges an annual fee of $15 for the issuance or reissuance of most special registration plates and an additional annual fee of $15 for the issuance, maintenance, or reissuance of most personalized plates.
Under current law, gold star special registration plate holders must pay the general registration fee, but are not assessed the special registration fee. If the plate holder personalizes the plate, he or she is assessed the $15 personalization fee. The bill exempts special group plates for gold star families from the personalization fee.
Who's behind it
5 senators are its . 3 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.
18 more lawmakers .
See all 23 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Julian Bradley · Republican, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Rob Hutton · Republican, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (18)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · May 8, 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 Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Dec 10, 2025
The new law was published.
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Dec 10, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 50.
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Dec 4, 2025
Sent to the governor.
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Oct 7, 2025
The Assembly passed it too.
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Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 7, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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May 27, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 15, 2025
The Assembly received it.
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May 15, 2025
The Senate passed it.
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May 15, 2025
“Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up” (the official wording)
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May 15, 2025
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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May 15, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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May 8, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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May 6, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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May 5, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 15, 2025 to Apr 30, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Feb 12, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
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Feb 12, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 12, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Hutton, Carpenter, Bradley, Spreitzer and Ratcliff; cosponsored by Representatives Wichgers, Allen, Behnke, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Melotik, Mursau, Sinicki, Snyder, Tusler and Udell
- Feb 12, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government
- Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Representative Miresse added as a cosponsor
- Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
Representative McCarville added as a cosponsor
- May 5, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- May 6, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- May 13, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 5-15-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Senator Keyeski added as a coauthor
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Referred to joint committee on Finance
- May 15, 2025 · Senate
Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up
- 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
Ordered immediately messaged
- May 15, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- May 27, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor
- Oct 3, 2025 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 10-7-2025
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Stubbs added as a cosponsor
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Oct 7, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 7, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Oct 9, 2025 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Dec 4, 2025 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 12-4-2025
- Dec 10, 2025 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 12-9-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 50
- Dec 10, 2025 · Senate
Published 12-10-2025
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote