Elijah Behnke, Wisconsin State Representative for 6th District | Facebook
Elijah Behnke, Wisconsin State Representative for 6th District | Facebook
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "a school psychologist loan program. (FE)".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes a school psychologist loan program to be managed by the Higher Educational Aids Board in Wisconsin. The program targets residents enrolled at least half-time as graduate students in programs leading to a school psychologist career, requiring a minimum 3.0 GPA. Eligible students may receive loans up to $10,000 annually for a maximum of three years, totaling $30,000. Loans carry a 5% annual interest rate, but 25% of the loan, along with interest, will be forgiven for each year the recipient works full-time as a school psychologist in a rural or urbanized area school. Repayments and interest will be deposited into the general fund as general-purpose revenue. The board is required to request funding for this program in the 2027-29 biennial budget.
The bill was co-authored by Senator André Jacque (Republican-1st District), Representative Angelina M. Cruz (Democrat-62nd District), Representative Jeffrey Mursau (Republican-36th District), Representative David Steffen (Republican-4th District), and Representative Lisa Subeck (Democrat-79th District).
Elijah R. Behnke has co-authored or authored another 127 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Behnke graduated from Toccoa Falls College in 2005 with an AA.
Behnke, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 6th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Peter Schmidt.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AB270 | 05/19/2025 | A school psychologist loan program. (FE) |
| AB267 | 05/19/2025 | Waiver of fees for admission to state parks on Earth Day. (FE) |
| AB259 | 05/19/2025 | Criminal trespass at a campground and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB247 | 05/08/2025 | Local building permit fees for certain improvements of residences of disabled veterans. (FE) |
| AB242 | 05/02/2025 | Tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and providing a penalty |
| AB236 | 05/02/2025 | The rights of sexual assault crime victims |
| AB187 | 04/15/2025 | Training completion awards for volunteer firefighters. (FE) |
| AB184 | 04/15/2025 | Coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions and benefit limits under health plans |
| AB179 | 04/15/2025 | Requirements for lighting on police vehicles |
| AB178 | 04/15/2025 | Expanding the treatment alternatives and diversion programs. (FE) |
| AB158 | 04/02/2025 | Changing the conditions of liability for worker’s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff. (FE) |
| AB149 | 03/17/2025 | The nomination of presidential electors |
| AB144 | 03/17/2025 | Eliminating a judgeship from district IV of the court of appeals and establishing an additional judgeship for district III of the court of appeals |
| AB136 | 03/13/2025 | Classification of the crime of impersonating law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and certain other emergency personnel and providing a penalty |
| AB135 | 03/13/2025 | The right to repair motor vehicles and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB133 | 03/13/2025 | Investment securities under the Uniform Commercial Code |
| AB128 | 03/11/2025 | Requiring first responders to be trained to administer epinephrine delivery systems. (FE) |
| AB103 | 03/04/2025 | School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns |
| AB93 | 02/28/2025 | The distribution and labeling of fertilizers and soil or plant additives produced from manure. (FE) |
| AB91 | 02/28/2025 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) |
| AB88 | 02/28/2025 | Civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty |
| AB76 | 02/28/2025 | Creating an individual income tax deduction for certain income earned by an individual from the practice of psychiatry or from providing psychiatric or mental health services. (FE) |
| AB74 | 02/28/2025 | Parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (FE) |
| AB66 | 02/24/2025 | Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes |
| AB64 | 02/24/2025 | An income tax subtraction for certain expenses paid by a school teacher. (FE) |
| AB42 | 02/17/2025 | Local regulation of fowl |
| AB38 | 02/17/2025 | An income tax exemption for cash tips paid to an employee. (FE) |
| AB36 | 02/17/2025 | Law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE) |
| AB30 | 02/17/2025 | Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state |
| AB26 | 02/17/2025 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty |
| AB18 | 02/06/2025 | Fee waivers for state park vehicle admission receipts to pupils with Every Kid Outdoors passes. (FE) |
| AB4 | 02/03/2025 | Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE) |
| AB3 | 02/03/2025 | Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE) |
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