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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 261

Soliciting purchases of goods or services using unsolicited checks or money orders and providing a penalty

Topics: Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Department of, Checks, Contracts, Forfeiture, Trade practice

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 11, 2010. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 8, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 27, 2009

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 25, 2010

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2009 Wisconsin Act 150

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 16, 2010: “Published 3-24-2010”

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.

This bill prohibits soliciting the purchase of goods or services by the delivery to a recipient in this state of a document that is or appears to be a check or money order payable to the recipient, if the endorsement of the document purports to bind the recipient to purchasing goods or services and the recipient did not request the delivery of the document. Under the bill, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection may bring an action against a violator for a forfeiture of $100 per solicitation, except that the forfeiture may not exceed $10,000 for each seven-day period in which the person commits a violation.

Who's behind it

36 lawmakers are its ⁠. 27 are Democrats and 9 are Republicans.

12 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 48 names

Authors (36)

Signed on in support (12)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

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 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 2 · Oct 21, 2009

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

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 7, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 84 to 12 · 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 passed, Ayes 84, Noes 12”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Small Business vote to recommend it

Passed, 4 to 1 · Feb 17, 2010

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection, Ayes 4, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 16, 2010

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 11, 2010

    The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 150.

  3. Mar 9, 2010

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 25, 2010

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 25, 2010

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  6. Feb 17, 2010

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 1.

  7. Feb 3, 2010

    The committee held a public hearing.

  8. Oct 29, 2009

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection.

  9. Oct 28, 2009

    The Senate received it.

  10. Oct 27, 2009

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  11. Oct 27, 2009

    The Assembly passed it, 84 to 12.

  12. Oct 27, 2009

    The Assembly adopted it.

  13. Oct 21, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  14. Oct 21, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 2.

  15. Jul 1, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  16. Jun 17, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. May 8, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection.

  18. May 8, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. May 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Bernard Schaber, Pocan, Berceau, Black, Brooks, Clark, Cullen, Dexter, Grigsby, Gunderson, Hebl, Hixson, Kaufert, Kestell, Mason, Molepske Jr., Nass, Milroy, A. Ott, Parisi, Pasch, Pope-Roberts, Petrowski, Richards, Roys, Seidel, Sinicki, Smith, Steinbrink, Toles, Townsend, Van Akkeren, Vos, A. Williams, Zepnick and Zigmunt;Cosponsored by Senators Lehman, Carpenter, Hansen, Lassa, Plale, Risser, Schultz, Taylor, Wirch and Coggs

  2. May 8, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Consumer Protection

  3. Jun 17, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jul 1, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Oct 20, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Kleefisch

  6. Oct 21, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Oct 21, 2009 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 7, Noes 2

  8. Oct 21, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  9. Oct 21, 2009 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-27-2009 by committee on Rules

  10. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 offered by Representative Bernard Schaber

  12. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 adopted

  13. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 84, Noes 12

  16. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Representative Hilgenberg added as a coauthor

  17. Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Oct 28, 2009 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Oct 29, 2009 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection

  20. Feb 3, 2010 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  21. Feb 16, 2010 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  22. Feb 17, 2010 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  23. Feb 17, 2010 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  24. Feb 23, 2010 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-25-2010 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  25. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Senator Miller added as a cosponsor

  26. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Read a second time

  27. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  29. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Feb 25, 2010 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  32. Mar 5, 2010 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled

  33. Mar 9, 2010 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-9-2010

  34. Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-10-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 150

  35. Mar 16, 2010 · Assembly

    Published 3-24-2010

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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

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