Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 3 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 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.

Last action — Published 4-3-2026

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

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced October 02, 2025. It awaits signature.

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

Prognosis

Likely to advance 90% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Moderate

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 17 sponsors

    1 primary, 16 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 6 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 create 39.389 and 71.05 (6) (b) 58. of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

112 added · 8 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of SB 501, the minimum educational debt required for veterinarians to be eligible for the loan repayment grant program has increased from $25,000 to $50,000. This change means that only those with a higher amount of debt will qualify for financial assistance. This adjustment may make the program more targeted towards those facing significant financial burdens from their veterinary education, potentially attracting more skilled professionals to practice in rural areas where their services are needed most.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0901/1 ARG:cjs SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 501 January 26, 2026 - Offered by SenatABRAL-GUEVARA .
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-4982/1 ARG:amn/wlj/skw SENATE BILL 501 October 2, 2025 - Introduced by SenatABRAL-G UEVARA, TAFSHOLT , MARKLEIN and P FAFF, cosponsored by RepresentativesITCHENS , RANEL , KREIBICH, M ELOTIK, M IRESSE, MURSAU , NOVAK , O'CONNOR, PIWOWARCZYK , RIVERA- W AGNER , SHEEHAN , STEFFEN and S TROUD .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.
A N A CT to create 39.389 and 71.05 (6) (b) 58.
of the statutes;
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.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill establishes a veterinary loan repayment grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board to provide financial assistance to veterinarians employed in rural counties in repaying educational loan obligations incurred to become qualified to practice veterinary medicine.
For purposes of the program, an “eligible applicant” is an individual who 1) is enrolled in an accredited school of veterinary medicine and is in his or her final year leading to a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree or 2) was awarded a DVM degree from an accredited school of veterinary medicine in the preceding seven years.
Under the bill, HEAB may award grants to eligible applicants if, at the time the grant is awarded, the eligible applicant has 1) an outstanding balance of at least $25,000 in educational debt incurred to pursue or obtain a DVM degree;
and 2) secured or committed to secure full-time employment as a Wisconsin-licensed veterinarian for at least one year in a rural county.
A grant award may be used only to repay educational debt incurred to pursue or obtain a DVM degree.
The total amount of a grant awarded may not exceed the lesser of the outstanding balance of - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-4982/1 ARG:amn/wlj/skw SENATE BILL 501 S ECTION 1 this educational debt or $25,000 for each year that the eligible applicant secured or committed to secure qualifying employment, not exceeding $100,000 in total.
HEAB must pay grant awards annually until the total amount of the grant awarded has been paid, with no annual payment exceeding $25,000.
HEAB may not make an annual payment of a grant award unless the eligible applicant completed the year of full-time employment as a veterinarian in a rural county and, during this year, provided at least 25 percent of his or her employed veterinary care to farm animals.
Under the bill, the grant amounts that a veterinarian receives under the program are exempt from taxation.
Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
39.389 of the statutes is created to read:
39.389 Veterinary loan repayment grant program.
(1) D EFINITIONS .
In this section:
(a) “Eligible applicant” means an individual to whom, at the time of application for the grant program, any of the following applies:
Page 4, line 14:
The individual is enrolled in an accredited school of veterinary medicine and has completed sufficient credits in a program leading to the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine to be in the final year of the program.
delete “25” and substitute “50”.
2.
END )
The individual was awarded the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine from an accredited school of veterinary medicine within the immediately preceding 7-year period.
(b) “Farm animal” means any warm-blooded animal normally raised on farms in the United States and used or intended for use as food or fiber.
- 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRB-4982/1 ARG:amn/wlj/skw SENATE BILL 501 SECTION 1 (c) “Grant program” means the veterinary loan repayment grant program under this section.
(d) “Rural county” has the meaning given in s.
39.399 (1g) (a).
(e) “Veterinarian” has the meaning given in s.
89.02 (7).
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM .
There is established, to be administered by the board, a veterinary loan repayment grant program to provide financial assistance to veterinarians employed in rural counties in repaying educational loan obligations incurred to become qualified to practice veterinary medicine in this state.
(3) GRANT AWARDS .
(a) Subject to pars.
(b) and (c) and sub.
(4), the board may award grants under this section to eligible applicants if all of the following apply at the time the grant is awarded:
1.
The eligible applicant has an outstanding balance of at least $25,000 in educational debt incurred in connection with pursuing or obtaining the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine.
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2.
The eligible applicant has secured or committed to secure full-time employment as a veterinarian for at least one year in a rural county.
(b) Subject to sub.
(4), the total amount of a grant awarded under this section may not exceed the lesser of the following:
1.
The total outstanding balance of the educational debt that the eligible applicant incurred in connection with pursuing or obtaining the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine.
2.
For each year that the eligible applicant has secured or committed to secure - 2026 Legislature - 4 - LRB-4982/1 ARG:amn/wlj/skw SENATE BILL 501 SECTION 1 full-time employment as a veterinarian in a rural county, $25,000, but not exceeding a total grant award of $100,000.
(c) Grants awarded under this section may be used only to repay educational debt incurred in connection with pursuing or obtaining the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine.
(4) G RANT PAYMENTS.
The board shall pay grant awards annually until the total amount of the grant awarded under sub.
(3) (b) has been paid, with no annual payment exceeding $25,000.
The board may not make an annual payment of a grant award unless the eligible applicant has satisfied all of the following requirements:
(a) The eligible applicant completed the year of full-time employment as a veterinarian in a rural county.
(b) During the year described in par.
(a), the eligible applicant provided at least 25 percent of his or her employed veterinary care to farm animals.
S ECTION 2.
71.05 (6) (b) 58.
of the statutes is created to read:
71.05 (6) (b) 58.
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024, any amount received by an individual, in the taxable year to which the subtraction relates, from the veterinary loan repayment grant program under s.
39.389.
S ECTION 3.
Initial applicability.
(1) VETERINARY LOAN REPAYMENT GRANT PROGRAM .
This act first applies to an individual who graduates from a school of veterinary medicine in 2025.
(END)
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Action History

  1. Published 4-3-2026

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 4-2-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 177

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

  4. Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor

  5. Representative Penterman added as a cosponsor

  6. Representative Brown added as a cosponsor

  7. Report correctly enrolled

  8. Received from Assembly concurred in

  9. Ordered immediately messaged

  10. Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 89, Noes 7

  11. Rules suspended

  12. Ordered to a third reading

  13. Read a second time

  14. Made a special order of business at 11:24 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14

  15. Referred to committee on Rules

  16. Received from Senate

  17. Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Senators Carpenter, Spreitzer and Smith added as coauthors

  19. Read a third time and passed, Ayes 32, Noes 1

  20. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  21. Ordered to a third reading

  22. Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  23. Read a second time

  24. Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  25. Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  26. Available for scheduling

  27. Report passage as amended recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  28. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  29. Executive action taken

  30. Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  31. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Cabral-Guevara

  32. Representative Tucker added as a cosponsor

  33. Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions received, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  34. Representative DeSanto added as a cosponsor

  35. Report of Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions requested

  36. Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor

  37. Representative Udell added as a cosponsor

  38. Available for scheduling

  39. Report passage recommended by Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  40. Executive action taken

  41. Public hearing held

  42. Senator Keyeski added as a coauthor

  43. Read first time and referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges

  44. Introduced by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Stafsholt, Marklein and Pfaff; cosponsored by Representatives Kitchens, Tranel, Kreibich, Melotik, Miresse, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Rivera-Wagner, Sheehan, Steffen and Stroud

Sponsors

  • Kitchens · Cosponsor
  • Tranel · Cosponsor
  • Kreibich · Cosponsor
  • Melotik · Cosponsor
  • Miresse · Cosponsor
  • Mursau · Cosponsor
  • Novak · Cosponsor
  • O'Connor · Cosponsor
  • Piwowarczyk · Cosponsor
  • Rivera-Wagner · Cosponsor
  • Sheehan · Cosponsor
  • Steffen · Cosponsor
  • Stroud · Cosponsor
  • Rachael Cabral-Guevara · Primary
  • Rob Stafsholt · Cosponsor
  • Howard Marklein · Cosponsor
  • Brad Pfaff · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 16 co-sponsors · 115 not signed on · 8 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (16)

Not signed on (115)

115 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 115 →

"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 concurred in

Passed 89 Yea · 7 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 53000
Democrat 34702
Unaffiliated 2001
Total 89703
% of votes cast 90%7%0%3%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Not Voting
MOORE OMOKUNDE — Yea
SPEAKER — Yea
Anderson, Clinton Democrat Yea
Andraca, Deb Democrat Yea
Arney, Margaret Democrat Yea
Bare, Mike Democrat Yea
Billings, Jill Democrat Yea
Brown, Brienne Democrat Yea
Clancy, Ryan Democrat Nay
Cruz, Angelina Democrat Nay
DeSanto, Karen Democrat Yea
DeSmidt, Ben Democrat Yea
Doyle, Steve Democrat Yea
Emerson, Jodi Democrat Not Voting
Fitzgerald, Joan Democrat Yea
Goodwin, Russell Democrat Yea
Haywood, Kalan Democrat Yea
Hong, Francesca Democrat Nay
Hysell, Andrew Democrat Yea
Jacobson, Jenna Democrat Yea
Joers, Alex Democrat Yea
Kirsch, Karen Democrat Nay
Madison, Darrin Democrat Nay
Mayadev, Renuka Democrat Yea
McCarville, Maureen Democrat Yea
McGuire, Tip Democrat Yea
Miresse, Vincent Democrat Yea
Neubauer, Greta Democrat Yea
Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Democrat Yea
Palmeri, Lori Democrat Yea
Phelps, Christian Democrat Nay
Prado, Priscilla Democrat Not Voting
Rivera-Wagner, Amaad Democrat Yea
Roe, Ann Democrat Yea
Sheehan, Joe Democrat Yea
Sinicki, Christine Democrat Nay
Snodgrass, Lee Democrat Yea
Spaude, Ryan Democrat Yea
Stroud, Angela Democrat Yea
Stubbs, Shelia Democrat Yea
Subeck, Lisa Democrat Yea
Taylor, Sequanna Democrat Yea
Tenorio, Angelito Democrat Yea
Udell, Randy Democrat Yea
Vining, Robyn Democrat Yea
Allen, Scott Republican Yea
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 Yea

Official roll call →

Read a third time and passed

Passed 32 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 17100
Democrat 12000
Unaffiliated 3000
Total 32100
% of votes cast 97%3%0%0%
How each member voted (33)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Yea
DASSLER-ALFHEI — Yea
HABUSH SINYKIN — Yea
Carpenter, Tim Democrat Yea
Drake, Dora Democrat Yea
Hesselbein, Dianne Democrat Yea
Keyeski, Sarah Democrat Yea
Larson, Chris Democrat Yea
Pfaff, Brad Democrat Yea
Ratcliff, Melissa Democrat Yea
Roys, Kelda Democrat Yea
Smith, Jeff Democrat Yea
Spreitzer, Mark Democrat Yea
Wall, Jamie Democrat Yea
Wirch, Robert Democrat Yea
Bradley, Julian Republican Yea
Cabral-Guevara, Rachael Republican Yea
Felzkowski, Mary Republican Yea
Feyen, Dan Republican Yea
Hutton, Rob Republican Yea
Jacque, André Republican Yea
Jagler, John Republican Yea
James, Jesse Republican Yea
Kapenga, Chris Republican Nay
LeMahieu, Devin Republican Yea
Marklein, Howard Republican Yea
Nass, Steve Republican Yea
Quinn, Romaine Republican Yea
Stafsholt, Rob Republican Yea
Testin, Patrick Republican Yea
Tomczyk, Cory Republican Yea
Wanggaard, Van Republican Yea
Wimberger, Eric Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

taxation education agriculture
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 501 do?
An Act to create 39.389 and 71.05 (6) (b) 58. of the statutes;
Who sponsors SB 501?
SB 501 is sponsored by Kitchens, Tranel, Kreibich, Melotik, Miresse, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Rivera-Wagner, Sheehan, Steffen, Stroud, Cabral-Guevara, Rachael (Republican), Stafsholt, Rob (Republican), Marklein, Howard (Republican), and Pfaff, Brad (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB 501?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced October 02, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track SB 501?
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