The new bill authored by State Rep. Karen DeSanto seeks to support students training as school social workers by providing financial stipends during their internships, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “stipend payments for school social worker interns and making an appropriation. (FE)”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to provide stipends to students who are either enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs leading to licensure as school social workers and are placed as school social worker interns in public schools governed by a school board. A $2 million annual appropriation from the state is allocated for this purpose during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years, as outlined in the bill. The act will become effective the day after its publication or the second day after the publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever occurs later.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), Representative Brienne Brown (Democrat-43rd District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), and Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District), along 32 other co-sponsors.
Karen DeSanto has co-authored or authored another 25 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.
DeSanto, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state’s 40th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Kevin David Petersen.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB335 | 07/08/2025 | Stipend payments for school social worker interns and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| AB213 | 04/23/2025 | Prohibiting hedge funds from acquiring single-family homes in this state. (FE) |
