The Weekly Update

Board of Regents

The Board of Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin met at UW-Milwaukee last Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6. You can view the meeting materials and webcasts on the website.  You can also read a summary of the meeting on the news website.

Senate Committee on Health

The Senate Committee on Health held a public hearing last Wednesday on Senate Bill 99, relating to: spinal cord injury research grants and symposia and making an appropriation. Representatives from UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health testified in favor during the public hearing. Its companion bill, Assembly Bill 92, previously had a public hearing on 5/15/25.

Joint Committee on Finance

The Joint Committee on Finance held its second executive session last Thursday, June 5, on the 2025-27 biennial budget. The Committee voted on the follow budget items:

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
• Educational Communications Board
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Elections Commission
• Ethics Commission
• Legislature
• Financial Institutions
• Environmental Improvement Fund
• Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
• Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority

You can view the Committee’s actions on the Wisconsin Legislature website.

Joint Committee on Finance

The Joint Committee on Finance will be holding its third executive session on Tuesday, June 10, at 1pm to vote on the following budget items:

• Circuit Courts
• Supreme Court
• Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection -- Departmentwide
• Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection -- Regulation and Training
• Historical Society
• Insurance -- Agency Operations and Current Programs
• Insurance -- Health Insurance
• Insurance -- Drug Costs and Pricing
• Workforce Development -- Departmentwide and Vocational Rehabilitation
• Workforce Development -- Employment and Training
• Workforce Development -- Equal Rights and Employment Regulation
• Workforce Development -- Worker's Compensation and Unemployment Insurance
• Revenue -- Departmentwide
• Revenue -- Tax Administration
• Revenue -- Excise Tax Regulation and Enforcement
• Revenue -- State and Local Finance
• Revenue -- Lottery Administration

The committee will also be holding its fourth executive session on Thursday, June 12, at 1pm and the following budget items will be voted on:

• Appropriation Obligation Bonds
• Veterans Affairs
• Wisconsin Technical College System
• Public Instruction -- General School Aids and Revenue Limits
• Public Instruction -- Categorical Aids
• Public Instruction -- Choice, Charter, and Open Enrollment
• Public Instruction -- School District Operations and Curriculum
• Public Instruction -- Administrative and Other Funding
• Shared Revenue -- Direct Aid Payments
• Shared Revenue -- Property Tax Credits
• Shared Revenue -- Property Taxation
• Shared Revenue -- Local Revenue Options
• General Fund Taxes -- Income and Franchise Taxes
• General Fund Taxes -- General Sales and Use Taxes
• General Fund Taxes -- Excise Taxes
• General Fund Taxes -- Public Utility Taxes
• General Fund Taxes -- Refundable Tax Credits and Other Payments

Joint Finance Committee members have not yet received budget papers for the Universities of Wisconsin.

You will be able to view both executive sessions live on WisconsinEye.

Senate Committee on Education

The Senate Committee on Education will be holding a public hearing on Tuesday, June 10, at 10am on Senate Bill 210, relating to: changes to amount of, and criteria for designating recipients of, academic excellence higher education scholarships. The Universities of Wisconsin submitted written testimony in favor of this legislation during the assembly public hearing on May 1, 2025, and it passed out of the Assembly Committee on Education on an 8-4 vote in favor on May 15, 2025.

Joint Public Hearing Senate Bill 306/Assembly Bill 299

The Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families, and the Assembly Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention will be holding a joint public hearing on Tuesday, June 10, at 10:15am on SB 306/AB 299, relating to: provision of virtual mental health services for students at certain UW System institutions.

You will be able to watch the public hearing on WisconsinEye.

Department of Education to Implement New Identity Validation Processes to Combat Student Aid Fraud

Last week, the Department of Education and the Office of Federal Student Aid released guidance for institutions of higher education as the Department works to combat student aid fraud.

At the time of the announcement, Secretary McMahon said, “When rampant fraud is taking aid away from eligible students, disrupting the operations of colleges, and ripping off taxpayers, we have a responsibility to act. Today’s actions will implement temporary changes to the current verification process to prevent identity theft fraud. We will continue to build longer-term solutions that reduce the administrative burden on institutions and protect American taxpayers who underwrite federal student aid programs.”  

For more, guidance on the newly required processes is available here.   

Department of Education Announced Additional Appointees

Last week, the Department of Education announced additional appointees across the agency. To view a full list of appointees and their biographies, you can review the Department’s press release.

House Committee on Education and Workforce and Select Committee on the CCP Update

Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) recently shared their approval of Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) decision to end its partnership with two Chinese universities tied to the Chinese military. 

Chairman Walberg said, "EMU’s decision to end its partnerships with these Chinese Communist Party-controlled schools is a strong first step to protecting American national security. For years, the CCP has worked behind the scenes to infiltrate our higher education system to indoctrinate American students and undermine our interests. Other schools must follow suit and end their dangerous partnerships with Chinese schools that work hand-in-hand with the tyrannical CCP regime."

For more on the terminated partnerships at three Michigan universities, you can review information available here.

Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

On June 10^th beginning at 9:00AM Central Time, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing reviewing the Presidents FY26 Budget Request for the National Institutes of Health. The Honorable Jayanta Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. will be the sole witness.

If interested in more information or to watch live, you can review committee website.

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, will hold a hearing titled Winning Off the Field: Legislative Proposal to Stabilize NIL and College Athletics on June 12, beginning at 9:00AM Central Time.

If interested in more information or to watch live, you can review the committee website.

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 this week’s 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 both scheduled to be in session and voting this week. A full list of votes can be found on the respective websites for the House of Representatives and the Senate as they are released.