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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 136

Partially exempting an assessor and an assessor's staff from liability for trespassing, creating immunity from civil liability, and changing the notice requirements related to the revaluation of property by an assessor

Topics: Building, Crime and criminals, Damage (personal injury), Property tax: Assessment, Trespass

Became law

The governor signed it on Nov 12, 2009. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Mar 9, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Sep 16, 2009

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 25 to 7

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2009 Wisconsin Act 68

Latest entry in the official record, Nov 18, 2009: “Published 11-25-2009”

Read the bill

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What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Generally under current trespass law, subject to a number of exceptions, a person who enters the land of another, without permission, is subject to a Class B forfeiture. The exceptions include a person authorized to enter land to remove a wild animal and a hunter entering land that is required to be open for hunting. Also under current trespass law, a person who enters the locked or posted construction site of another, without permission, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

This bill creates an exception to certain prohibitions against trespassing.

Read the full summary

Under this bill, the trespassing prohibitions do not apply to an assessor or an assessor's staff entering the land, or construction site, of another to make an assessment for the state or for a political subdivision (a city, village, town, or county).

For the exception to apply, the bill requires the assessor or the assessor's staff to leave in a prominent place notice that the assessor or staff entered the land or construction site, and the assessor or assessor's staff must not have received notice from the owner or occupant of the land not to enter or remain on the premises.

The bill also provides immunity from civil liability for the owner or person in lawful possession of premises for any injury to or death of an assessor or a member of an assessor's staff who enters a construction site without permission to make an assessment. The immunity does not apply if the injury or death resulted from reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct of the owner or person in lawful possession of the premises.

Under current law, each taxation district is required to assess property at full value at least once every five years. Under this bill, before a city, village, or town (municipal) assessor may conduct a revaluation of property, the municipality must publish a notice on its Web site, or post in at least three public places if it has no Web site, that a revaluation will occur. The notice must state the approximate dates of the revaluations and describe the authority of an assessor to enter land.

Who's behind it

9 representatives are its ⁠. 6 are Republicans, 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Independent.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 17 names

Authors (9)

Signed on in support (8)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs vote on an amendment

Passed, 7 to 0 · Sep 8, 2009

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 25 to 7 · Oct 27, 2009

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 25, Noes 7”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Nov 18, 2009

    The new law was published.

  2. Nov 12, 2009

    The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 68.

  3. Nov 10, 2009

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Oct 27, 2009

    The Senate passed it too, 25 to 7.

  5. Sep 23, 2009

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.

  6. Sep 17, 2009

    The Senate received it.

  7. Sep 16, 2009

    The Assembly passed it.

  8. Sep 16, 2009

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Sep 16, 2009

    The Assembly adopted it.

  10. Sep 8, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Sep 8, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.

  12. May 5, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Mar 9, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs.

  14. Mar 9, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 9, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Hubler, Wood, Berceau, A. Ott, Mursau, Brooks, Friske, Strachota and Lothian;Cosponsored by Senators Holperin, Lehman, Lassa, Hansen, Risser, Coggs and Plale

  2. Mar 9, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Urban and Local Affairs

  3. Mar 9, 2009 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  4. Apr 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Hubler

  5. Apr 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Hubler

  6. May 5, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  7. Jul 15, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 2 offered by Representative Hubler

  8. Aug 25, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Sep 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  10. Sep 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  11. Sep 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  12. Sep 10, 2009 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 9-16-2009 by committee on Rules

  13. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 2 offered by Representative Hubler

  15. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 2 adopted

  16. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 2 adopted

  17. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Representative Spanbauer added as a coauthor

  18. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  21. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Sep 17, 2009 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Sep 23, 2009 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing

  24. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing and take up

  25. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Read a second time

  26. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  27. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  28. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 25, Noes 7

  29. Oct 27, 2009 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  30. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  31. Oct 30, 2009 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled

  32. Nov 10, 2009 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 11-10-2009

  33. Nov 12, 2009 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 11-12-2009. 2009 Wisconsin Act 68

  34. Nov 18, 2009 · Assembly

    Published 11-25-2009

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary