Skip to content
Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 299

Products containing mercury and granting rule-making authority

Topics: Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Department of, Farm and farming, Housing, Natural Resources, Department of: Environmental protection, Parochial and private educational institutions, Personal property, Public safety, Sales, School

Stopped before the full Assembly voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jun 2, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it would have done

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

This bill regulates the sale of products to which mercury has been added during formulation and manufacture (mercury-added products), including fever thermometers, manometers (instruments for measuring pressure), thermostats, instruments and measuring devices, switches and relays, and household items.

Under the bill, fever thermometers containing mercury may be sold only upon a prescription, and must contain instructions for use and disposal and cleanup if the thermometer breaks. The bill prohibits the sale of manometers that contain mercury. Under the bill, manufacturers of manometers that contain mercury and that are the type in milking machines must notify wholesalers and retailers of the prohibition and provide instructions for disposal of remaining inventory. The bill also prohibits the sale of certain products containing mercury, including thermostats, other instruments and switches, and household items such as toys, clothing, and cosmetics.

Read the full summary

The bill authorizes a manufacturer or user of certain mercury-added products to petition the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for an exemption from the bill's prohibitions. DNR may grant such an exemption only if the petitioner establishes certain facts, including that technically feasible nonmercury alternatives are not available at comparable cost.

This bill prohibits a public, private, or charter school from knowingly purchasing or using free-flowing elemental mercury for any purpose, or, with certain exceptions, from knowingly purchasing or using a mercury-containing compound or an instrument or measuring device containing mercury. Beginning January 1, 2012, the bill prohibits a public, private, or charter school from knowingly storing free-flowing elemental mercury or, with certain exceptions, from storing a mercury-containing compound or an instrument or measuring device containing mercury.

A public, private, or charter school may purchase, use, or store a mercury-containing compound or an instrument or measuring device containing mercury if one of the following exceptions applies:

1. The purchase or use of the compound, instrument, or measuring device is required under federal law.

2. The only mercury-added component in the instrument or measuring device is a button cell battery.

3. No reasonably acceptable, mercury-free alternative exists, in which case, only a compound, instrument, or measuring device that contains the lowest mercury content available may be used.

Who's behind it

12 representatives are its ⁠. 11 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.

13 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 25 names

Authors (12)

Signed on in support (13)

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 was one vote on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Natural Resources vote on an amendment

Passed, 14 to 0 · Sep 16, 2009

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Natural Resources, Ayes 14, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Sep 16, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Sep 16, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 14 to 0.

  4. Aug 6, 2009

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  5. Jul 29, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  6. Jul 15, 2009

    11 more representatives signed on in support.

  7. Jun 16, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. Jun 2, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.

  9. Jun 2, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jun 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Danou, Benedict, Pope-Roberts, Pocan, A. Ott, Dexter, Parisi, Milroy, Bernard Schaber, Sinicki, Richards and Mason;Cosponsored by Senators Jauch, Coggs, Cowles, Lassa, Lehman, Miller, Risser, Robson, Sullivan, Taylor and Wirch

  2. Jun 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources

  3. Jun 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jul 15, 2009 · Assembly

    Representatives Black, Berceau, Hebl, Hilgenberg, Hintz, Hixson, Pasch, Roys, Smith, Spanbauer and Steinbrink added as coauthors

  5. Jul 29, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Aug 6, 2009 · Assembly

    Representative Molepske Jr. added as a coauthor

  7. Aug 12, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by Representative Danou

  8. Sep 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Sep 2, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly substitute amendment 1 offered by committee on Natural Resources

  10. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Natural Resources, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  11. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Natural Resources, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  12. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Natural Resources, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  13. Sep 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  14. Sep 17, 2009 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 9-22-2009 by committee on Rules

  15. Sep 22, 2009 · Assembly

    Laid on the table

  16. Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

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