Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: March 11, 2024 Contact: Dan Schmidt, Deputy Director
2023 Senate Bill 596
Senate
Amendment 3
2023 SENATE BILL 596
Under current law, the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB), University of Wisconsin System
(UWS), and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) oversee several grant and loan programs for
minority students. Current law also requires the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and the
Marquette University School of Dentistry (MUSD) to each make every effort to ensure that at least five
percent of their total enrollments consist of minority students as a condition of certain state assistance.
2023 Senate Bill 596 modifies these programs so that, rather than apply to minority students, they
instead apply to disadvantaged students. The bill does not define the term “disadvantaged” but does
provide that in determining whether a student is disadvantaged, the student’s race, ethnicity, national
origin, gender, sexual orientation, or religion may not be considered either directly or indirectly.
Specifically, the bill makes this modification to the following programs and requirements:
The Minority Teacher Loan Program administered by HEAB.
The minority undergraduate grants administered by HEAB.
Minority and disadvantaged student programs at UWS.
The Lawton Grants program administered by the UWS Board of Regents.
The minority student participation and retention plan required of the WTCS Board.
Minority student participation and retention grants awarded by the WTCS Board.
The incentive grants awarded by the WTCS Board.
The bill also repeals the minority enrollment requirements for MCW and MUSD.
SENATE AMENDMENT 3
Senate Amendment 3 to 2023 Senate Bill 596 clarifies the meaning of the term “disadvantaged.”
Specifically, under the amendment, a student is disadvantaged if that student has experienced any
unfavorable economic, familial, geographic, physical, or other personal hardship. The amendment
permits HEAB, UWS, and WTCS to further define the term “disadvantaged” for the purposes of each
program modified by the bill. However, similar to the bill, in defining the term disadvantaged, HEAB,
UWS, and WTCS may not consider any of the following: a student’s race, ethnicity, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation, or religion, or a student’s identity as a member of a group without regard to
individual qualities.
The amendment also modifies the percentage of economically disadvantaged students that must be
located in a school district in this state in order for a teacher to qualify for loan forgiveness under the - 2 -
Teacher Loan Program for Disadvantaged Students, formerly the Minority Teacher Loan Program, from
80 percent of the school district membership to 60 percent of the school district membership.
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BILL HISTORY
Senator Wimberger offered Senate Amendment 1 on March 4, 2024. On March 8, 2024, the Senate
Committee on Universities and Revenue recommended adoption of Senate Amendment 3 and passage
of Senate Bill 596, as amended, both by votes of Ayes, 5; Noes, 3.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
DWS:jal
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Membership, as defined under s. 121.004 (5), Stats., is the sum of pupils enrolled as reported under s. 121.05 (1) or (2),
as appropriate, and the summer average daily membership equivalent for those academic summer classes, interim
session classes, and laboratory periods approved for necessary academic purposes under s. 121.14 (1) (a) 1. and 2. and
those online classes described in s. 121.14 (1) (a) 3.