2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
April 18, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Stroebel, Feyen, Nass, Marklein,
Wanggaard and Testin, cosponsored by Representatives Born, Zimmerman,
Jagler, Duchow, Skowronski, Gundrum, Plumer, Tusler, Edming, Mursau,
Brooks, Dittrich, Felzkowski, Knodl, Horlacher, Murphy, Krug, James,
Kulp and Myers. Referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges,
Children and Families.
SB165,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 36.31 (2m) (b); to amend 36.11 (3) (cm) 5. and
236.65 (3); and to create 36.31 (2m) (b) 2., 36.31 (2m) (b) 3., 36.31 (2m) (b) 4. and
336.31 (2m) (bm) of the statutes; relating to: transferability of courses between
4the University of Wisconsin System, technical college system, and tribally
5controlled and private colleges.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes changes to requirements under current law regarding the
transferability of credits between certain institutions of higher education. Under
current law, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the
Technical College System Board are required to enter into an agreement for ensuring
that, beginning in the 2014-15 academic year, no fewer than 30 credits in core
general education courses identified in the agreement are transferable between UW
institutions and technical colleges. Current law also allows tribally controlled and
private nonprofit colleges in this state to participate in the agreement.
This bill eliminates the above agreement and requires instead that the Board
of Regents and TCS Board enter into an agreement that establishes policies for
ensuring that, beginning in the 2020-21 academic year, credits for courses in
different subject areas are transferable, which may include core general education
courses. The agreement must specify the total number of course credits that are
transferable, which may not be less than 75 credits or nine credits for each course
subject area, whichever is greater. Also, the agreement must establish policies for

faculty to periodically identify the courses with transferable credits. In addition, the
agreement must include procedures for revising the agreement every two years. As
under current law, the bill allows tribally controlled and private nonprofit colleges
in this state to participate in the agreement.
The bill also includes two requirements for passive review by the Joint
Committee on Finance. First, no later than December 31, 2019, the Board of Regents
and TCS Board must submit to JCF the agreement and the list of courses with
transferable credits that are initially identified by faculty. If JCF does not schedule
a meeting by a specified deadline to review the agreement and list, the bill allows the
agreement and list to be implemented. However, if JCF schedules such a meeting,
neither the agreement nor the list may be implemented unless approved or modified
by JCF. Second, any revision of the agreement to decrease the number of
transferable credits must be submitted to JCF. If JCF does not schedule a meeting
by a specified deadline to review a revised agreement, the revised agreement may
be implemented. However, if JCF schedules such a meeting, the revised agreement
may not be implemented unless approved or modified by JCF.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB165,1 1Section 1. 36.11 (3) (cm) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB165,2,32 36.11 (3) (cm) 5. Core general education courses that are subject to Courses for
3which credits are transferable under
the agreement required under s. 36.31 (2m).
SB165,2 4Section 2. 36.31 (2m) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 36.31 (2m) (b) (intro.)
5and amended to read:
SB165,2,116 36.31 (2m) (b) (intro.) Notwithstanding s. 36.09 (3) (a) and subject to par. (bm),
7the Board of Regents and the technical college system board shall, and the governing
8boards of tribally controlled colleges in this state and the association, on behalf of
9private colleges, may, enter into and implement an agreement that identifies core
10general education courses totaling not fewer than 30 credits and establishes
does all
11of the following:
SB165,3,6
11. Establishes policies for ensuring that, beginning in the 2014-15 2020-21
2academic year, credits for completing the courses in different subject areas, which
3may include core general education courses,
are transferable and would satisfy
4general education requirements at the receiving institution or college,
between and
5within each institution, college campus, and technical college, and each tribally
6controlled college and private college that elects to participate in the agreement.
SB165,3 7Section 3. 36.31 (2m) (b) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB165,3,108 36.31 (2m) (b) 2. Specifies the total number of course credits that are
9transferable under the policies established under subd. 1., which may not be less
10than 75 credits or 9 credits for each course subject area, whichever is greater.
SB165,4 11Section 4. 36.31 (2m) (b) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
SB165,3,1512 36.31 (2m) (b) 3. Establishes policies for institution and technical college
13faculty and faculty of tribally controlled and private colleges that elect to participate
14in the agreement to periodically identify the courses for which credits are
15transferable under the agreement.
SB165,5 16Section 5. 36.31 (2m) (b) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB165,3,1717 36.31 (2m) (b) 4. Includes procedures for revising the agreement every 2 years.
SB165,6 18Section 6. 36.31 (2m) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB165,4,519 36.31 (2m) (bm) 1. No later than December 31, 2019, the Board of Regents and
20the technical college system board shall submit to the joint committee on finance the
21agreement required under par. (b) and the list of courses initially identified by faculty
22under par. (b) 3. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify
23the board within 14 working days after the date of the submittal that the committee
24has scheduled a meeting to review the agreement and list, the agreement and list
25shall be implemented. If, within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the

1cochairpersons of the committee notify the board that the committee has scheduled
2a meeting to review the agreement or list, neither the agreement nor list may be
3implemented unless the committee approves or modifies the agreement or list. If the
4committee modifies the agreement or list, the agreement and list may be
5implemented only as modified by the committee.
SB165,4,186 2. If the agreement required under par. (b) is revised to decrease the number
7of course credits that are transferable under the agreement, the Board of Regents
8and the technical college system board shall submit the revised agreement to the
9joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance
10do not notify the board within 14 working days after the date of the submittal of a
11revised agreement that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the revised
12agreement, the revised agreement shall be implemented. If, within 14 working days
13after the date of the submittal of a revised agreement, the cochairpersons of the
14committee notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the
15revised agreement, the revised agreement may not be implemented unless the
16committee approves or modifies the revised agreement. If the committee modifies
17a revised agreement, the revised agreement may be implemented only as modified
18by the committee.
SB165,7 19Section 7. 36.65 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB165,4,2420 36.65 (3) Core general education credit Credit transfers. The board shall
21include in the report required under sub. (2) a description of the agreement entered
22into under s. 36.31 (2m) and a summary of the board's implementation of the
23agreement. This subsection first applies to the report required under sub. (2) that
24applies to the 2014-15 2020-21 academic year.
SB165,4,2525 (End)
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