Status Update on Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857

Thank you to everyone who took action to oppose Senate Bill 713/Assembly Bill 857, which eliminates the requirement that Common School Fund dollars go to school libraries and ends the BCPL Trust Fund Loan Program. As a result of your advocacy, no action has been taken on this bill since the public hearing was held on January 31.

The 2017-18 legislative session is quickly coming to a close, and if SB713/AB857 does not pass before the legislature adjourns, it will be considered dead. The final floor day is March 22, but the State Assembly is expected to adjourn at the end of the week and the Senate will meet only once in March. 

As you know, the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection held a public hearing on January 31 on Senate Bill 713. That Committee never scheduled a vote on the bill. 

The Assembly companion bill, Assembly Bill 857, is before the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. That Committee has not taken any action on the bill. 

Representative Hutton (R-Brookfield) did release an amendment to the Assembly Bill, but no action has been taken on that amendment. It is important to note that the amendment does not resolve all of WEMTA's issues with the bill, so it would not change our position on the bill if it were adopted.  Even with the amendment, the bill would still:

Rename the School Library Aids appropriation the School Aids appropriation

Eliminate the requirement that computers and software purchased with CSF dollars be housed in the school library. However, the amendment does keep the current law requirement that CSF dollars be given to school libraries 

Eliminate the BCPL Trust Fund Loan Program

Set the stage to transfer BCPL Trust Fund investments over to SWIB. 

We will know more about the status of this bill by the end of this week, and will update you at that time.