The Weekly Update

State of the State Address

Governor Tony Evers will deliver his eighth and final State of the State address tomorrow, February 17, 2026, starting at 7:00 p.m. CT. The address will be live streamed on WisconsinEye as well as the Governor’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. 

The GOP response to the Governor’s address will be delivered by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu at 8:00 p.m. CT. You can view that on WisconsinEye as well.

Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities

The Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities held an executive session on Tuesday, February 10, on the following bills impacting the Universities of Wisconsin:

• Assembly Bill 818, Relating to: demonstration charter schools. This bill passed the committee with a 6-4 vote and is now ready to be scheduled for an Assembly floor vote.
• Assembly Bill 757, Relating to: the appointment of certain employees of the University of Wisconsin System and faculty governance. The Universities of Wisconsin submitted testimony for information only on this legislation during the public hearing. It passed the committee with a 7-4 vote and is now ready to be scheduled for an Assembly floor vote.

Universities Of WI AB 757 Testimony pdf

• Assembly Bill 669, Relating to: race-based higher education programs and requirements. This bill passed with a 6-5 vote and is ready for a concurrence vote in the Senate.
• Assembly Bill 1005, Relating to: admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions. The Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Whitewater, all testified in opposition to this legislation during the public hearing. This bill passed the committee with a 6-5 vote and is ready for a concurrence vote in the Senate.

You can view the testimonies here.

Assembly Committee on State Affairs

The Assembly Committee on State Affairs held a public hearing and executive session last week Wednesday, February 11.

• 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. The bill passed as amended out of committee unanimously (10-0). UW-Madison submitted testimony for information only on this legislation during the public hearing.
• 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. The bill passed out of committee unanimously (10-0). UW-Madison testified in favor of this legislation during the public hearing. The Universities of Wisconsin registered in favor of this legislation as well.

Senate Floor Session

The Senate convened last week Wednesday, February 11, and considered a number of bills including these of note below:

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. This bill passed the Senate Floor 32-1. UW-Madison submitted testimony in favor of this legislation during the public hearing.

Assembly Bill 102, Relating to: designating University of Wisconsin and technical college sports and athletic teams based on the sex of the participants. This bill passed the Senate Floor 18-15 and is now ready for the Governor’s desk.

Assembly Floor Session

The Assembly convened last week Tuesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 12, and considered a number of UW related bills:

• Assembly Bill 486 Relating to: permissible financial aid reductions in higher education. This passed the Assembly Floor as amended 53-45. The Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Madison submitted testimony for information only on this legislation during the public hearing. This bill still needs to be given a public hearing in the Senate.
• Assembly Bill 501/Senate Bill 498 Relating to: free speech and academic freedom at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, due process in disciplinary proceedings at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, and causes of action against the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and technical college district boards. The Universities of Wisconsin testified for information only during the public hearings. This bill passed the Assembly Floor 53-45 and is now ready for the Governor’s desk.
• Assembly Bill 545/Senate Bill 532 Relating to: course fees at University of Wisconsin System institutions, passed the Assembly Floor as amended 53-45 but needs to go back to the Senate for concurrence. The Universities of Wisconsin testified against this bill during the public hearings.
• Assembly Bill 669/Senate Bill 652 Relating to: race-based higher education programs and requirements, passed the Assembly Floor as amended 53-45 but needs to go back to the Senate for concurrence.
• Assembly Bill 757 Relating to: the appointment of certain employees of the University of Wisconsin System and faculty governance, pass the Assembly Floor 53-45. The Universities of Wisconsin submitted testimony for information only during the public hearing. This bill still needs to be given a public hearing in the Senate.
• Assembly Bill 1005 Relating to: admission to University of Wisconsin System institutions. The substitute amendment passed the Assembly Floor 52-45. The Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Whitewater, all testified against this legislation in the public hearing. This bill now needs to be given a public hearing in the Senate.

Assembly Floor Session

The Wisconsin State Assembly will be convening at 1pm tomorrow, Tuesday, February 17, to take up a slew of bills. You can view the full calendar at the website.

You will be able to view the floor session live on WisconsinEye.

Department of Homeland Security Funding

Just after midnight on February 13, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security experienced a lapse in appropriations. In the coming days, the House of Representatives and Senate will continue to work to find an agreement on agency funding.

Importantly, all other federal agencies are funded through the duration of the federal fiscal year following Congressional action over the past several weeks.

2027-28 FAFSA Updates

Last week, the Department of Education announced they had “published an information collection for the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, which is the first stage in the FAFSA development process.” As is noted in the linked release, this process helps ensure that the administration will be on track for an October 1, 2026, launch of the 2027-28 FAFSA.

Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026

Last week, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. For more on the bill, you can review the bill text here, and if interested, you can view a short overview here and a title-by-title summary here as authored by the Committee.  

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.