Legislative News

Legislative Chair: Murrene Payton

SSWAA Delegate Assembly: Kelly Ohme

Legislative Consultant/Lobbiest: Jack O’Meara

Upcoming Legislative Committee Meetings via conference call:

March 16, 2017 5pm

email: wisconsinssw@gmail.com to be included in the call. Place “WSSWA Legislative Committee Meeting Request” in the Subject Line

Capitol Update

Jack O’Meara,
WSSWA Government Relations Representative
jack@omearapublicaffairs.com or (608) 294-8746.

State Superintendent's Budget (p.9) - Funding for School Mental Health, including

Collaboration grants between schools and behavioral health clinics
Professional development for SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral for Treatment), Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Trauma-Sensitive Schools
Categorical aid for more school social work services

WSSWA lobbied in support of this proposed funding.

Proposed Changes in Licensure for Educators

A coalition of education groups has issued preliminary recommendations to streamline licensing of WI educators, including eliminating school social work licensure.
WSSWA is working on having the voice of school social workers in Wisconsin included in discussions on this issue.

Legislation WSSWA Lobbied On and Monitored in 2016-17 Legislative Session

Bill #/Lead Author(s)	Topic	WSSWA Position	Status/WSSWA Action
AB 1 Rep. Thiesfeldt	School accountability legislation that included letter grades for schools and conversions to private charter schools for schools that receive a D or F grade.	Oppose	Issue was dealt with in 2015-17 state budget; changes included in budget are not as punitive as those in AB 1.
AB 69 Rep. Genrich Sen. Lassa	Targeted fraud in parental choice program; Idea is to have same standards apply to choice program as apply to other benefit programs.	Monitor	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 216 Rep. Barnes Sen. Larson Same as SB 146	Would have created community school start-up grants.	Support	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 234 Rep. Jorgenson Sen. Ringhand	Would have increased payments for school breakfasts from 15 cents (or less, depending on funding) per breakfast to 30 cents per breakfast	Support	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 248 Rep. Krug Sen. Marklein Same as SB 177	Would have required school boards to incorporate financial literacy into curriculum and UW institutions and tech colleges to cover financial literacy in orientation programs.	Oppose	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 294 Rep. Barnes Sen. Larson Same as SB 216	Would have increased state funding for special education to no less than 33% of a district’s certified, eligible costs.	Support	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 295 Rep. Barnes Sen. Larson Same as SB 215	Would have increased school revenue limits consistent with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).	Support	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 332 Rep. Sanfellipo Sen. Stroebel Same as SB 250	Created exemptions to participation limit for the statewide parental choice program, thereby allowing more students into the program.	Oppose	Passed Legislature and was signed into law (2015 Wisconsin Act 72).
Bill #/Lead Author(s)	Topic	WSSWA Position	Status/WSSWA Action
AB 378 Rep. Hutton Sen. Petrowski Same as SB 280	Would have raised the minimum age for being charged as an adult for many crimes from 17 to 18.	Monitor	Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 469 Rep. Kremer Sen. Nass Same as SB 582	Would have required school districts to define “changing rooms” (restrooms and changing rooms) by sex, and require students to use the changing rooms that correspond with their sex as defined at birth.	Oppose	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Public hearing held. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 481 Rep. Schraa Sen. Stroebel Same as SB 355	Would have placed new, unreasonable limitations on borrowing by school districts.	Oppose	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
AB 664 Rep. Kitchens Sen. LaMahieu	Prohibited the Department of Health Services (DHS) from requiring a mental health clinic or a licensed treatment professional to designate a school site as a clinic office in order to provide outpatient mental health services at the school.	Support	Passed the Legislature and was signed into law (2015 Wisconsin Act 294).
AB 918 Rep. Brostoff Sen. C. Larson	Would have repealed the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR), reinstated an expanded Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program, and phased out state-funded voucher programs for private schools.	Support	Referred to Assembly Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 67 Sen. Farrow Rep. Kitchens	Prohibited DPI from issuing a school accountability report for the 2014-15 school year.	Support	Passed the Legislature and was signed into law (2015 Wisconsin Act 20).
SB 122 Sen. Harris Dodd Rep. Genrich	Allowed use of first class mail and electronic means and first class mail for notifying parents or guardians of habitually truant pupils.	Support	Passed the Legislature and was signed into law (2015 Wisconsin Act 52). WSSWA developed legislation and worked to get it passed and signed into law.
SB 146 Sen. C. Larson Rep. Barnes Same as AB 216	Would have created community school start-up grants.	Support	Referred to Senate Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
Bill #/Lead Author(s)	Topic	WSSWA Position	Status/WSSWA Action
SB 177 Sen. Marklein Rep. Krug Same as AB 248	Would have required school boards to incorporate financial literacy into curriculum and UW institutions and tech colleges to cover financial literacy in orientation programs.	Oppose	Referred to Senate Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 215 Sen. Larson Rep. Barnes Same as AB 295	Would have increased school revenue limits consistent with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).	Support	Referred to Senate Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 216 Sen. Larson Rep. Barnes Same as AB 294	Would have increased state funding for special education to no less than 33% of a district’s certified, eligible costs.	Support	Referred to Senate Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 254 Sen. Olsen Rep. Czaja	Made various changes to the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) Program and delayed evaluation until 2018-19 school year.	Support	Passed the Legislature and was signed into law (2015 Wisconsin Act 71).
SB 280 Sen. Petrowski Rep. Hutton Same as AB 378	Would have raised the minimum age for being charged as an adult for many crimes from 17 to 18.	Monitor	Referred to Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 355 Sen. Stroebel Rep. Schraa Same as AB 481	Would have placed new, unreasonable limitations on borrowing by school districts.	Oppose	Referred to Senate Elections and Local Government Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.
SB 582 Rep. Kremer Sen. Nass Same as AB 469	Would have required school districts to define “changing rooms” (restrooms and changing rooms) by sex, and require students to use the changing rooms that correspond with their sex as defined at birth.	Oppose	Referred to Senate Education Committee. Bill died when legislative session ended.