---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to: qualification of newspapers to receive compensation for publication of legal notices and requirements relating to publication."
description: "Relating to: qualification of newspapers to receive compensation for publication of legal notices and requirements relating to publication."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wi"
legislature: "Wisconsin Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 51"
citation: "Wisconsin SB 51 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bewley", "Cowles", "Pfaff", "Testin"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 31
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-01-28T06:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-05-24T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/09516bc6-d9fc-4451-a847-4114b31177da"
source_url: "https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2021/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb51"
source_hash: "a76e556656044a834e43aff8cec8f9b1231b24eacdd6399aa960f05facbafdc8"
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 51 (2021) — Relating to: qualification of newspapers to receive compensation for publication of legal notices and requirements relating to publication.

## Version chain

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

1. **Bill Text** (committee substitute) — [source](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2021/REG/SB51)
2. **Senate Amendment 1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/amends/2021/REG/SB51-SA1)

## Votes

- Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0 — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0 — **5–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bewley — primary (person)
- Cowles — primary (person)
- Pfaff — primary (person)
- Testin — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-28T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced by Senators Cowles, Bewley, Pfaff and Testin; cosponsored by Representatives Kitchens, Armstrong, Billings, Doyle, Duchow, James, Knodl, Loudenbeck, Milroy, Moses, Mursau, Novak, Rozar, Skowronski, Steffen, Subeck and Vruwink `introduction`
- **2021-01-28T06:00:00+00:00** Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03T06:00:00+00:00** Representative Spreitzer added as a cosponsor
- **2021-02-04T06:00:00+00:00** Public hearing held
- **2021-04-13T05:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Cowles
- **2021-05-06T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken
- **2021-05-06T05:00:00+00:00** Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0 `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-06T05:00:00+00:00** Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0 `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-06T05:00:00+00:00** Available for scheduling
- **2021-05-07T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on calendar 5-11-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read a second time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment 1 adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered to a third reading `reading-3`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read a third time and passed `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered immediately messaged
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Received from Senate `receipt`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read a second time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered to a third reading `reading-3`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read a third time and concurred in `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Representative Edming added as a cosponsor
- **2021-05-11T05:00:00+00:00** Ordered immediately messaged
- **2021-05-12T05:00:00+00:00** Received from Assembly concurred in `receipt`
- **2021-05-18T05:00:00+00:00** LRB correction
- **2021-05-18T05:00:00+00:00** Report correctly enrolled `enrolled`
- **2021-05-20T05:00:00+00:00** Presented to the Governor on 5-20-2021 `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-24T05:00:00+00:00** Report approved by the Governor on 5-21-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 32 `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-24T05:00:00+00:00** Published 5-22-2021 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/09516bc6-d9fc-4451-a847-4114b31177da`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Wisconsin legislature records).