Sen. Johnson authors Wisconsin Senate bill supporting minority mental health professionals

A new bill authored by State Sen. LaTonya Johnson in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to support school districts in hiring mental health professionals from racial minority groups, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “grants to hire school mental health professionals who are members of a racial minority group, granting rule-making authority, 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 Department of Public Instruction to create and manage a grant program aimed at supporting school districts in hiring mental health professionals who belong to racial minority groups. It allocates $5 million for each of the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to fund these grants. The term “member of a racial minority group” includes Black Americans, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, individuals of Asian or Pacific Island origin, and those with multiracial ancestry. Additionally, the department holds the authority to establish rules necessary for executing this program. The bill becomes effective the day after its publication or two days following the publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Robyn Vining (Democrat-13th District), Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District), Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District), Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), and Representative Brienne Brown (Democrat-43rd District), along 25 other co-sponsors.

LaTonya Johnson has authored or co-authored another 41 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.

Johnson graduated from Tennessee State University in 1997 with a BS.

Johnson, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2017 to represent the state’s 6th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Nikiya Harris Dodd.

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.