Senate Bill 81
School district operating referenda
Topics: Referendum, School: Finance
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.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 26, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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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 sat with the Senate Committee on Education.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 71. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill eliminates recurring operating referenda and limits a nonrecurring operating referendum to no more than four years.
Current law generally limits the total amount of revenue a school district may receive from general school aids and property taxes in a school year. However, there are several exceptions to the revenue limit. One exception is for excess revenue approved by referendum for recurring and nonrecurring purposes. This type of referendum is often referred to as an operating referendum. If the operating referendum is for a nonrecurring purpose, a school district’s authority to raise excess revenue is approved only for specific school years. If the operating referendum is for a recurring purpose, the school district’s authority to raise excess revenue is permanent. Under the bill, an operating referendum to exceed a school district’s revenue limit may be only for nonrecurring purposes and the referendum may not apply to more than four years.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . All 3 are Republicans.
18 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (18)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Adam Neylon · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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May 6, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 26, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.
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Feb 26, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 26, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kapenga, Nass and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Duchow, Dittrich, Allen, Behnke, Brill, Donovan, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Murphy, Neylon, O'Connor, Wichgers, Zimmerman and Melotik
- Feb 26, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- May 6, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- 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
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