The Weekly Update

State of the State Address

Governor Evers delivered his eighth and final State of the State address on Tuesday, February 17. You can view his full remarks in the linked press release.

Assembly Floor Sessions

The Assembly met twice last week and considered several bills related to the Universities of Wisconsin. Below is a summary of the floor action:

Assembly Bill 446. Relating to: consideration of a certain definition of antisemitism for purposes of laws, ordinances, policies, or criminal penalty enhancers concerning discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin.

• Passed as amended 66-33
• The substitute amendment explicitly states that the bill cannot create new civil or criminal penalties and cannot be used to punish First Amendment–protected activity, specifically speech and expression at the University of Wisconsin System and other public educational institutions.

Assembly Bill 1034. Relating to: name, image, and likeness rights for University of Wisconsin System student athletes; maintenance costs for University of Wisconsin–Madison intercollegiate athletic facilities; and making an appropriation. UW-Madison did testify in favor of this legislation during the Assembly committee hearing.

• Assembly Amendment 1 was adopted via voice vote.
• This bill passed the Assembly Floor as amended 95-1.

Assembly Bill 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. The Universities of Wisconsin submitted testimony for information only on this legislation during the public hearings.

• Passed the Assembly Floor 94-2.
• Still needs to be voted on in the Senate.

Senate Bill 501. Relating to: creating a veterinary loan repayment grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board and exempting from taxation amounts received from such a grant program. UW-Madison submitted testimony in favor of this legislation during the public hearings.

• Concurred in the Assembly 89-7.
• Passed the Senate 32-1.
• Ready for the Governor’s desk.

Assembly Bill 436, Relating to: requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer certain dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies and providing a penalty. UW-Madison submitted testimony for information only during the public hearings.

• Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted via voice vote.
• Passed the Assembly Floor as amended via voice vote.
• No action taken in the Senate yet

Assembly Bill 387. Relating to: correction bill for 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 and making an appropriation.

• Passed the Assembly as amended 89-4.
• Senate sent this bill back to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
• See substitute amendment that was adopted here.
  • Provisions impacting the Universities of Wisconsin in the substitute amendment are related to the state building program.

You can view all Assembly Floor actions here.

Senate Floor Session

The Senate met last week and considered many bills related to the Universities of Wisconsin. Below is a summary of the floor action:

Senate Bill 532. Relating to: course fees at University of Wisconsin System institutions. The Universities of Wisconsin testified in opposition to this bill during the public hearings.

• Concurred in via voice vote with the adoption of Assembly Amendment 1.
• Passed the Assembly as amended 53-45.
• Ready for the Governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 652. Relating to: race-based higher education programs and requirements.

• Concurred in Senate via voice vote with the adoption of Assembly Amendment 1.
• Passed the Assembly as amended 53-45.
• Ready for the Governor’s desk.

Assembly Bill 663. Relating to: imposing certain prohibitions on foreign influence at University of Wisconsin System institutions. The Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Madison submitted testimony for information only during the public hearings.

• Concurred in the Senate 19-14 with the adoption of Assembly Amendment 1 and Assembly Amendment 2.
• Passed the Assembly 53-44.
• Ready for the Governor’s desk.

Assembly Bill 673. Relating to: banning the use of genetic software from foreign adversaries in medical and research facilities, the storage of any human genome sequencing data within the borders of a foreign adversary, and providing a penalty. The Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Madison submitted testimony for information only during the public hearings.

• Concurred in the Senate 20-13 with the adoption of Assembly Amendment 1.
• Passed the Assembly 53-44.
• Ready for the Governor’s desk.

Assembly Bill 387. Relating to: correction bill for 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 and making an appropriation.

• Sent back to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
• Passed the Assembly as amended 89-4.
• See substitute amendment that was adopted here.
  • Provisions impacting the Universities of Wisconsin in the substitute amendment are related to the state building program.

You can view all Senate Floor actions here.

Please check back for future updates.

Department of Education on Best Practices to Reduce Default Rates

Last week, the Department of Education “issued additional guidance reminding institutions of higher education of their shared responsibility under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) to support borrowers throughout their federal student loan repayment journey and outlining best practices to strengthen institutional default management and prevention plans.” For more, you can review the Department’s press release.

At the time of the announcement, Under Secretary of Education Nicolas Kent, said “With nonpayment rates rising at hundreds of colleges and universities across the country, institutions must do more to support successful loan repayment outcomes. Student borrowers have an obligation to repay their loans, but institutions also share a responsibility to ensure their students are prepared to enter repayment and understand the consequences of nonpayment. Institutions cannot benefit from taxpayer dollars while ignoring the fact that a significant share of their students are not well-prepared to repay their loans. It’s time for institutions to step up or risk losing access to federal student aid.”   

Select Committee on the CCP

Last week, Chaiman Moolenaar and Chairman Grassley sent letters to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and FBI Director Kash Patel raising concerns about research linked to the CCP.

If interested, you can read the full letter to NASA here and the full letter to the FBI here. More information is also available in the committee’s press release.

State of the Union Address

On February 24^th, President Trump will deliver his State of the Union Address. Coverage will begin at 6:00PM Central Time on C-Span. 

House Education and the Workforce Committee Hearing

On February 24^th beginning at 1:00PM Central Time, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age.” Announced witnesses include:

• Ms. Michele Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education
• Mr. Aneesh Sohoni, CEO, Teach for America
• Dr. David Slykhuis, Dean, Dewar College of Education and Human Services, Valdosta State University
• Mrs. Allyson Knox, Senior Director of Education and Workforce Policy, Microsoft

If interested, you can watch live on the committee website. 

Senate HELP Committee Markup

On February 26^th beginning at 9:00AM Central Time, the Senate HELP Committee will markup several bills including:

• 1558,Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025

1558. 1558.pdf
1559. 1558 Section-by-Section.pdf

If interested, you can watch live on the committee website.

Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule

If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of the committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.  

House and Senate Floor Schedules

The House of Representatives and Senate are in a scheduled recess period. When the House of Representatives and Senate return to Washington, a full list of votes will be found on the respective websites for the House of Representatives and the Senate.