---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to: the regulation and licensure of genetic counselors, creating a genetic counselors affiliated credentialing board, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)"
description: "Relating to: the regulation and licensure of genetic counselors, creating a genetic counselors affiliated credentialing board, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wi"
legislature: "Wisconsin Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 259"
citation: "Wisconsin SB 259 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Darling", "Erpenbach", "Johnson", "Larson", "Pfaff", "Testin", "Wirch"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 44
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-03-31T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2022-04-11T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cada46cd-7feb-4fce-be99-a8d38543f88b"
source_url: "https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2021/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb259"
source_hash: "3f1e3c23da46bb5543491866406f46c96eea9d7fbd588b0394ab77c83bae1b2e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wi"]
---

# Wisconsin SB 259 (2021) — Relating to: the regulation and licensure of genetic counselors, creating a genetic counselors affiliated credentialing board, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Assembly Amendment 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2021/REG/SB259-AA1)
2. **Bill Text** (committee substitute) — [source](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2021/REG/SB259)

## Votes

- Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0 — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, Ayes 6, Noes 3 — **6–3** (pass) · lower
- Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, Ayes 6, Noes 3 — **6–3** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Darling — primary (person)
- Erpenbach — primary (person)
- Johnson — primary (person)
- Larson — primary (person)
- Pfaff — primary (person)
- Testin — primary (person)
- Wirch — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-31T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced by Senators Testin, Darling, Erpenbach, Johnson, Larson, Pfaff and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Steffen, Rozar, Brostoff, Billings, Cabral-Guevara, Dittrich, Duchow, Goyke, Kitchens, Kuglitsch, Skowronski, Tittl and Wichgers `introduction`
- **2021-03-31T05:00:00+00:00** Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-14T05:00:00+00:00** Fiscal estimate received `receipt`
- **2021-04-28T05:00:00+00:00** Fiscal estimate received `receipt`
- **2021-05-24T05:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque
- **2021-05-26T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing held
- **2021-06-03T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken
- **2021-06-03T05:00:00+00:00** Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-06-03T05:00:00+00:00** Available for scheduling
- **2021-08-03T05:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Jacque
- **2021-09-24T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on calendar 9-28-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Read a second time `reading-2`
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment 2 withdrawn and returned to author
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered to a third reading `reading-3`
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Read a third time and passed, Ayes 29, Noes 2 `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered immediately messaged
- **2021-09-28T05:00:00+00:00** Received from Senate `receipt`
- **2021-12-06T06:00:00+00:00** Read first time and referred to committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform `referral-committee`
- **2022-01-20T06:00:00+00:00** Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Steffen
- **2022-01-26T06:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken
- **2022-02-01T06:00:00+00:00** Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, Ayes 6, Noes 3 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-01T06:00:00+00:00** Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, Ayes 6, Noes 3 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-01T06:00:00+00:00** Referred to committee on Rules `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-15T06:00:00+00:00** Placed on calendar 2-17-2022 by Committee on Rules
- **2022-02-16T06:00:00+00:00** Representative McGuire added as a cosponsor
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up `withdrawal`
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Read a second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Assembly Amendment 1 adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Ordered to a third reading `reading-3`
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Read a third time and concurred in as amended `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Ordered immediately messaged
- **2022-02-17T06:00:00+00:00** Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Amendment 1 adopted `amendment-passage, receipt`
- **2022-03-04T06:00:00+00:00** Placed on calendar 3-8-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- **2022-03-08T06:00:00+00:00** Senator Erpenbach withdrawn as a coauthor `withdrawal`
- **2022-03-08T06:00:00+00:00** Assembly Amendment 1 concurred in
- **2022-03-08T06:00:00+00:00** Action ordered immediately messaged
- **2022-03-16T05:00:00+00:00** LRB correction
- **2022-03-16T05:00:00+00:00** Report correctly enrolled `enrolled`
- **2022-04-04T05:00:00+00:00** Presented to the Governor on 4-4-2022 `executive-receipt`
- **2022-04-11T05:00:00+00:00** Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 251 `executive-signature`
- **2022-04-11T05:00:00+00:00** Published 4-9-2022 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cada46cd-7feb-4fce-be99-a8d38543f88b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Wisconsin legislature records).