The Board of Regents is one step closer to adding a second student regent into the 17-member group after the state Senate’s approval Tuesday.

The bill passed by a wide margin, but the legislation still needs to clear the Assembly before becoming law.

The new regent would be over the age of 24 to represent the views of “non-traditional” students, such as students with children or hefty work schedules. The law would take effect this spring and would require the other student regent to be at least 18 years old.

Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) said he decided to sponsor the bill after talking to students in his Richland campus district. He said students that did not fit the common undergrad mold felt their needs were not being represented or addressed.

“It’s partly for older people with kids,” Schultz said. “Very often people have full-time work schedules and need additional flexibility.”

Provision of support services for single mothers in school is one issue Schultz thinks the Board could better address.

Regent board president Toby E. Marcovich said he does not believe another student regent to be necessary, however. He said all regents are hired with the goal of improving higher education, and another student would not make a substantial difference on a board of 17.

The student regent on the board, UW law school student Beth Richlen, disagreed and said she would greatly appreciate another student regent.

“It’s hard to be a student regent,” she said. “Your ideas get pushed off.”

She said the other regents often dismiss her views and assume that her stances on student issues, such as her vote against tuition increases, are simply typical for a young person and have little other substance.

The new regent would serve for two years, and the student board members’ terms would be staggered to allow at least one student to be present at all board meetings.

Richlen said that the regent meetings can sometimes be “very political,” since votes can be delayed and formerly dropped issues can again be raised when regent members enter or exit the board. The bill passed through a voice vote, meaning the bill was fairly uncontroversial and that the senators did not feel the need to put their votes on the record. The measure passed the Committee on Colleges and Universities unanimously last June.

“I’m thrilled the bill passed and hopefully it will pass the Assembly,” Schultz said.