Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: Introduced 44 D cosponsors

AB 859 — Relating to: the reimbursement rate for special education costs and school age parents programs and making an appropriation. (FE)

Last action — Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

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  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

An Act to amend 20.255 (2) (b) and 115.882 of the statutes;

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

5 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill reduces the reimbursement rates for special education costs from potentially 100 percent to 42 percent for the 2025-26 school year and 45 percent for the 2026-27 school year and beyond.

  • Wis. Stat. § 20.255 (2) (b)

    The amounts in the schedule → A sum sufficient

    This change modifies the funding structure from specific amounts to a sum sufficient basis for special education and school age parents programs.

  • Wis. Stat. § 20.255 (2) (b)

    not to exceed 100 percent → 42 percent of eligible costs.

    This change establishes a specific reimbursement rate of 42 percent for the 2025-26 school year.

  • Wis. Stat. § 20.255 (2) (b)

    In the 2026-27 school year and in each school year thereafter, costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6), and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at 45 percent of eligible costs.

    This addition sets a reimbursement rate of 45 percent for special education costs starting in the 2026-27 school year.

  • Wis. Stat. § 115.882

    not to exceed 100 percent → 42 percent of eligible costs.

    This change specifies the reimbursement rate for the 2025-26 school year in the payment of state aid for special education costs.

  • Wis. Stat. § 115.882

    In the 2026-27 school year and in each school year thereafter, costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6), and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at 45 percent of eligible costs.

    This addition outlines the reimbursement rate for the 2026-27 school year and beyond for state aid payments.

Action History

  1. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. Fiscal estimate received

  3. Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  4. Introduced by Representatives Cruz, Phelps, Hong, Sheehan, Anderson, Andraca, Arney, Bare, Billings, Brown, Clancy, DeSanto, DeSmidt, Doyle, Emerson, Fitzgerald, Goodwin, Haywood, Hysell, J. Jacobson, Joers, Johnson, Kirsch, Madison, Mayadev, McCarville, McGuire, Miresse, Moore Omokunde, Neubauer, Palmeri, Prado, Rivera-Wagner, Roe, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spaude, Stroud, Stubbs, Subeck, Taylor, Tenorio, Udell and Vining; cosponsored by Senators Smith, Larson, Keyeski, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 58 co-sponsors · 73 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (58)

Not signed on (73)

73 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 73 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 859 do?
An Act to amend 20.255 (2) (b) and 115.882 of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 859?
AB 859 is sponsored by Moore Omokunde, Smith, Larson, Keyeski, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Spreitzer, Wall, Wirch, Cruz, Angelina (Democrat), Phelps, Christian (Democrat), Hong, Francesca (Democrat), Sheehan, Joe (Democrat), Anderson, Clinton (Democrat), Andraca, Deb (Democrat), Arney, Margaret (Democrat), Bare, Mike (Democrat), Billings, Jill (Democrat), Brown, Brienne (Democrat), Clancy, Ryan (Democrat), DeSanto, Karen (Democrat), DeSmidt, Ben (Democrat), Doyle, Steve (Democrat), Emerson, Jodi (Democrat), Fitzgerald, Joan (Democrat), Goodwin, Russell (Democrat), Haywood, Kalan (Democrat), Hysell, Andrew (Democrat), Jacobson, Jenna (Democrat), Joers, Alex (Democrat), Johnson, Tara (Democrat), Kirsch, Karen (Democrat), Madison, Darrin (Democrat), Mayadev, Renuka (Democrat), McCarville, Maureen (Democrat), McGuire, Tip (Democrat), Miresse, Vincent (Democrat), Neubauer, Greta (Democrat), Palmeri, Lori (Democrat), Prado, Priscilla (Democrat), Rivera-Wagner, Amaad (Democrat), Roe, Ann (Democrat), Sinicki, Christine (Democrat), Snodgrass, Lee (Democrat), Spaude, Ryan (Democrat), Stroud, Angela (Democrat), Stubbs, Shelia (Democrat), Subeck, Lisa (Democrat), Taylor, Sequanna (Democrat), Tenorio, Angelito (Democrat), Udell, Randy (Democrat), and Vining, Robyn (Democrat).
What is the current status of AB 859?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 859?
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