Admission of students to technical college programs, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5267/1
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2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 750
December 3, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Dittrich, Armstrong, Brill, Donovan, Duchow, Green, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kaufert, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Snodgrass, Tittl and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk and Hutton. Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.

An Act to renumber and amend 38.22 (5); to create 38.22 (5) (b) of the statutes; relating to: admission of students to technical college programs.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law requires the Technical College System Board (TCS Board) to promulgate rules establishing technical colleges’ priorities in admitting students who are residents of the technical college district, students who are state residents but not district residents, and students who are not state residents. The rules promulgated by the TCS Board also allow a technical college to adopt a policy to reserve a reasonable number of program spaces to accommodate admission of students in special circumstances, subject to approval by the TCS Board. Factors that may be considered for special circumstance admission include hardship, school-to-work program participation, special need, and enrollment diversity.
This bill allows a technical college to adopt a policy to reserve program spaces to accommodate admission of students in protective services programs, including programs that prepare students to provide law enforcement, paramedic, emergency medical technician, or firefighting services. The policy is not subject to the TCS Board’s approval. The bill also codifies, with some modification, the TCS Board’s rule allowing a technical college to reserve program spaces for students in special circumstances.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. 38.22 (5) of the statutes is renumbered 38.22 (5) (a) and amended to read:
38.22 (5) (a) The Subject to par. (b), the board shall promulgate rules establishing the priority to be given by a district board in admitting students who are residents of the district, students who are not residents of the district but are residents of this state, and students who are not residents of this state.
Section 2. 38.22 (5) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
38.22 (5) (b) 1. Notwithstanding the board’s rules under par. (a), and subject to approval by the board, a district board may adopt a policy to reserve program spaces to accommodate admission of students in special circumstances. Factors that may be considered for special circumstance admission include hardship, school-to-work program participation, special need, school partnerships with employers, and enrollment diversity.
2. Notwithstanding the board’s rules under par. (a), a district board may adopt a policy to reserve program spaces to accommodate admission of students in protective services programs, including programs that prepare students to provide law enforcement, paramedic, emergency medical technician, or firefighting services.
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