2025 to 2026 Legislature · State Assembly bill

AB 659

Relating to: tuition and fee remission or grants for certain veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System, a technical college, or a private nonprofit institution of higher education; and the University of Wisconsin System nonresident tuition exemption for certain veterans. (FE)

Enacted Last action April 2, 2026: Published 4-3-2026

Official bill page and text: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov

Sponsors 21

Prime sponsors

Behnke, Billings, Brooks, Dittrich, Donovan, Franklin, Joers, Kitchens, Knodl, Kreibich, Kurtz, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Palmeri, Piwowarczyk, Steffen, Udell, Wichgers

Status

Enacted as of April 2, 2026. The 2025 to 2026 Legislature serves until the 2027 Legislature convenes on January 4, 2027.

Referred to: Assembly Colleges and Universities, Assembly Rules, Joint Finance, Senate Organization (from the official referral record)

Roll-call votes 0

No roll-call votes recorded for this measure.

Timeline 42

Date	Chamber	Action
April 2, 2026	Assembly	Published 4-3-2026
April 2, 2026	Assembly	Report approved by the Governor on 4-2-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 155
April 1, 2026	Assembly	Presented to the Governor on 4-1-2026
March 24, 2026	Assembly	Report correctly enrolled on 3-24-2026
March 18, 2026	Assembly	Received from Senate concurred in
March 17, 2026	Senate	Ordered immediately messaged
March 17, 2026	Senate	Read a third time and concurred in
March 17, 2026	Senate	Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
March 17, 2026	Senate	Ordered to a third reading
March 17, 2026	Senate	Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15
March 17, 2026	Senate	Read a second time
March 17, 2026	Senate	Senators Hesselbein and Smith added as cosponsors
March 17, 2026	Senate	Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Dassler-Alfheim, Larson, Carpenter, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch
March 16, 2026	Senate	Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
March 16, 2026	Senate	Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
March 3, 2026	Senate	Available for scheduling
March 3, 2026	Senate	Report concurrence recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0
March 3, 2026	Senate	Executive action taken
February 27, 2026	Senate	Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)
February 25, 2026	Senate	Available for scheduling
February 25, 2026	Senate	Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
February 23, 2026	Senate	Received from Assembly
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Ordered immediately messaged
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Read a third time and passed, Ayes 94, Noes 2
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Rules suspended
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Ordered to a third reading
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Assembly Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 55, Noes 41
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Emerson
February 19, 2026	Assembly	Read a second time
February 18, 2026	Assembly	Made a special order of business at 11:27 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
February 9, 2026	Assembly	Representative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor
January 22, 2026	Assembly	Report passage recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 11, Noes 0
January 22, 2026	Assembly	Executive action taken
January 22, 2026	Assembly	Referred to committee on Rules
January 8, 2026	Assembly	Public hearing held
November 24, 2025	Assembly	Fiscal estimate received
November 24, 2025	Assembly	Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor
November 21, 2025	Assembly	Fiscal estimate received
November 21, 2025	Assembly	Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
November 21, 2025	Assembly	Fiscal estimate received
November 19, 2025	Assembly	Read first time and referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities
November 19, 2025	Assembly	Introduced by Representatives Kitchens, Franklin, Kurtz, Steffen, Behnke, Billings, Brooks, Dittrich, Donovan, Joers, Knodl, Kreibich, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Udell, Wichgers and Palmeri; cosponsored by Senator Wimberger

Data: Open States (bulk data, October 1, 2026 monthly extract, which has no roll-call tallies; public data, attribution appreciated). Official record: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov. Bill pages link to the official text, not copied.