Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 5 R cosponsors

AB 1005 — An Act to amend 36.11 (3) (a); to create 36.11 (3r) of the statutes;

Last action — Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

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

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 03, 2026. It awaits signature.

Vetoed by Governor Tony Evers (Democratic) on April 03, 2026.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 6 sponsors

    1 primary, 5 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (5 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 recorded votes so far.

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 36.11 (3) (a); to create 36.11 (3r) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

23 added · 43 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendments to Assembly Bill 1005 aim to change how students are admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison by focusing more on scores from college entrance exams like the ACT and SAT. Previously, admissions decisions were primarily based on a student's high school class rank and GPA, but now there’s an emphasis on standardized testing, while still maintaining a guaranteed admission program for top-ranking students. This shift is significant as it could affect which students are accepted into the university, potentially favoring those who perform better on standardized tests over those with strong academic records but lower test scores.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-5855/1 ARG:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 1005 February 3, 2026 - Introduced by RepresentativesUSTAFSON , MURPHY , O'ONNOR , BRILL and D ITTRICH, cosponsored by Senator ESTIN.
Date of enactment:
Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.
Assembly Bill 1005 Date of publication*:
A N A CT to amend 36.11 (3) (a);
WISCONSIN ACT A N A CT to amend 36.11 (3) (a);
admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions.
admission to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Current law requires the University of Wisconsin System to establish a guaranteed admission program.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in sen- 36.11 (3r) O BJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION .
Under this program, Wisconsin high school students who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class, or in the top 5 percent for UW–Madison, are generally eligible for guaranteed admission.
ate and assembly, do enact as follows:
A student’s class rank is based solely on the student’s grade point average.
(a) In this subsection, “college entrance examination” SECTION 1.
This bill requires undergraduate admission decisions at UW System institutions to be predominantly based on college entrance examination performance or similar objective testing measures, except with respect to applicants admitted through the guaranteed admission program.
36.11 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended means the ACT, as defined in s.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
39.41 (9) (a) 1., the to read:
SECTION 1.
SAT, as defined in s.
36.11 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
39.41 (9) (a) 3., or a similar na- tional or regional test for measuring college readiness.
(3m) and (3r), the board shall establish the policies for admission within the system and within these policies each institution - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-5855/1 ARG:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 1005 SECTION 1 shall establish specific requirements for admission to its courses of instruction.
(3m) and (3r), the (b) The board shall ensure that undergraduate ad- board shall establish the policies for admission within mission decisions at the University of Wisconsin-Madi- the system and within these policies each institution son are predominantly based on college entrance exami- shall establish specific requirements for admission to its courses of instruction.
No sectarian or partisan tests or any tests based upon race, religion, national origin of U.S.
No sectarian or partisan tests or nation performance or similar objective testing mea- sures.
citizens or sex shall ever be allowed in the admission of students thereto.
This paragraph does not apply with respect to ap- any tests based upon race, religion, national origin of plicants admitted through the guaranteed admission U.S.
S ECTION 2.
citizens or sex shall ever be allowed in the admis- program under sub.
36.11 (3r) of the statutes is created to read:
36.11 (3r) O BJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION.
(a) In this subsection, “college entrance examination” means the ACT, as defined in s.
39.41 (9) (a) 1., the SAT, as defined in s.
39.41 (9) (a) 3., or a similar national or regional test for measuring college readiness.
(b) The board shall ensure that undergraduate admission decisions at each institution are predominantly based on college entrance examination performance or similar objective testing measures.
This paragraph does not apply with respect to applicants admitted through the guaranteed admission program under sub.
sion of students thereto.
(1) This act first applies to applications for admission for the 2027-28 academic year.
SECTION 2.
(END)
36.11 (3r) of the statutes is created to (1) This act first applies to applications for admis- read:
sion for the 2027-28 academic year.
* Section 991.11, ISCONSINSTATUTES:
Effective date of acts.
“Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the gov- ernor's partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.”
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How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

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

The bill establishes that admission decisions for the University of Wisconsin-Madison must primarily rely on standardized testing performance.

  • 36.11 (3) (a)

    Subject to sub. (3m), the board shall establish the policies for admission within the system and within these policies each institution shall establish specific requirements for admission to its courses of instruction. → Subject to sub. subs. (3m) and (3r), the board shall establish the policies for admission within the system and within these policies each institution shall establish specific requirements for admission to its courses of instruction.

    The bill adds a reference to the new subsection (3r) in the admission policies.

  • 36.11 (3r) OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION. (a) In this subsection, “college entrance examination” means the ACT, as defined in s. 39.41 (9) (a) 1., the SAT, as defined in s. 39.41 (9) (a) 3., or a similar national or regional test for measuring college readiness. (b) The board shall ensure that undergraduate admission decisions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are predominantly based on college entrance examination performance or similar objective testing measures. This paragraph does not apply with respect to applicants admitted through the guaranteed admission program under sub. (3m).

    This new section mandates that admission decisions at UW-Madison rely primarily on standardized test scores.

Action History

  1. Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

  2. Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  3. Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026

  4. Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  5. Report correctly enrolled on 3-24-2026

  6. Received from Senate concurred in

  7. Ordered immediately messaged

  8. Read a third time and concurred in

  9. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  10. Ordered to a third reading

  11. Read a second time

  12. Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Available for scheduling

  14. Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  15. Executive action taken

  16. Public hearing held

  17. Read first time and referred to committee on Universities and Technical Colleges

  18. Received from Assembly

  19. Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Read a third time and passed, Ayes 52, Noes 45

  21. Rules suspended

  22. Ordered to a third reading

  23. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  24. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Gustafson

  25. Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Subeck

  26. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  27. Read a second time

  28. Assembly Amendment 3 offered by Representative Subeck

  29. Placed on calendar 2-12-2026 by Committee on Rules

  30. Referred to committee on Rules

  31. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 7, Noes 4

  32. Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 7, Noes 4

  33. Executive action taken

  34. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Gustafson

  35. Public hearing held

  36. Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor

  37. Read first time and referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities

  38. Introduced by Representatives Gustafson, Murphy, O'Connor, Brill and Dittrich; cosponsored by Senator Testin

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 5 co-sponsors · 126 not signed on · 43 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (5)

Not signed on (126)

126 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 126 →

"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

Votes

Read a third time and passed

Passed 52 Yea · 45 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 51002
Democrat 04300
Unaffiliated 1200
Total 524502
% of votes cast 53%45%0%2%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Nay
MOORE OMOKUNDE — Nay
SPEAKER — Yea
Anderson, Clinton Democrat Nay
Andraca, Deb Democrat Nay
Arney, Margaret Democrat Nay
Bare, Mike Democrat Nay
Billings, Jill Democrat Nay
Brown, Brienne Democrat Nay
Clancy, Ryan Democrat Nay
Cruz, Angelina Democrat Nay
DeSanto, Karen Democrat Nay
DeSmidt, Ben Democrat Nay
Doyle, Steve Democrat Nay
Emerson, Jodi Democrat Nay
Fitzgerald, Joan Democrat Nay
Goodwin, Russell Democrat Nay
Haywood, Kalan Democrat Nay
Hong, Francesca Democrat Nay
Hysell, Andrew Democrat Nay
Jacobson, Jenna Democrat Nay
Joers, Alex Democrat Nay
Kirsch, Karen Democrat Nay
Madison, Darrin Democrat Nay
Mayadev, Renuka Democrat Nay
McCarville, Maureen Democrat Nay
McGuire, Tip Democrat Nay
Miresse, Vincent Democrat Nay
Neubauer, Greta Democrat Nay
Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Democrat Nay
Palmeri, Lori Democrat Nay
Phelps, Christian Democrat Nay
Prado, Priscilla Democrat Nay
Rivera-Wagner, Amaad Democrat Nay
Roe, Ann Democrat Nay
Sheehan, Joe Democrat Nay
Sinicki, Christine Democrat Nay
Snodgrass, Lee Democrat Nay
Spaude, Ryan Democrat Nay
Stroud, Angela Democrat Nay
Stubbs, Shelia Democrat Nay
Subeck, Lisa Democrat Nay
Taylor, Sequanna Democrat Nay
Tenorio, Angelito Democrat Nay
Udell, Randy Democrat Nay
Vining, Robyn Democrat Nay
Allen, Scott Republican Not Voting
Armstrong, David Republican Yea
August, Tyler Republican Yea
Behnke, Elijah Republican Yea
Born, Mark Republican Yea
Brill, Lindee Republican Yea
Brooks, Robert Republican Yea
Callahan, Calvin Republican Yea
Dallman, Alex Republican Yea
Dittrich, Barbara Republican Yea
Donovan, Bob Republican Yea
Duchow, Cindi Republican Yea
Franklin, Benjamin Republican Yea
Goeben, Joy Republican Yea
Green, Chanz Republican Yea
Gundrum, Rick Republican Yea
Gustafson, Nate Republican Yea
Hurd, Karen Republican Yea
Jacobson, Brent Republican Yea
Kaufert, Dean Republican Yea
Kitchens, Joel Republican Yea
Knodl, Daniel Republican Yea
Kreibich, Rob Republican Yea
Krug, Scott Republican Yea
Kurtz, Tony Republican Yea
Maxey, Dave Republican Yea
Melotik, Paul Republican Yea
Moses, Clint Republican Yea
Murphy, David Republican Yea
Mursau, Jeffrey Republican Yea
Nedweski, Amanda Republican Yea
Neylon, Adam Republican Yea
Novak, Todd Republican Yea
O'Connor, Jerry Republican Yea
Penterman, William Republican Yea
Petersen, Kevin Republican Yea
Piwowarczyk, Jim Republican Yea
Pronschinske, Treig Republican Yea
Rodriguez, Jessie Republican Yea
Snyder, Patrick Republican Yea
Sortwell, Shae Republican Yea
Spiros, John Republican Yea
Steffen, David Republican Yea
Summerfield, Rob Republican Yea
Swearingen, Rob Republican Yea
Tittl, Paul Republican Yea
Tranel, Travis Republican Yea
Tucker, Duke Republican Yea
Tusler, Ron Republican Yea
VanderMeer, Nancy Republican Yea
Wichgers, Chuck Republican Yea
Wittke, Robert Republican Yea
Zimmerman, Shannon Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 1005 do?
An Act to amend 36.11 (3) (a); to create 36.11 (3r) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 1005?
AB 1005 is sponsored by Testin, Gustafson, Nate (Republican), Murphy, David (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Brill, Lindee (Republican), and Dittrich, Barbara (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 1005?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 03, 2026. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 1005?
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