Assembly Bill 400
Requiring landlords to change locks
Topics: Children: Abuse and neglect, Court: Procedure, Damage (to property), Landlord and tenant, Women
Became law
The governor signed it on Feb 11, 2010. It's .
-
Introduced, passed
Aug 26, 2009
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Assembly vote, passed
Passed Oct 29, 2009
-
Senate vote, passed
Passed Jan 19, 2010
-
Governor, passed
Signed
-
Law, here now
2009 Wisconsin Act 117
Latest entry in the official record, Feb 16, 2010: “Published 2-25-2010”
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a tenant may terminate his or her tenancy and remove from the premises if the tenant or a child of the tenant faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises. The tenant must provide notice to the landlord and a certified copy of: 1) an injunction order protecting the tenant or the child from the person; 2) a condition of release ordering the person not to contact the tenant; 3) a criminal complaint alleging that the person sexually assaulted or stalked the tenant or the child; or 4) a criminal complaint filed against the person as a result of an arrest for committing a domestic abuse offense against the tenant.
This bill requires a landlord to change the locks to a tenant's premises, or to give a tenant permission to do so, regardless of whether the tenant is terminating his or her tenancy, if the tenant requests it and provides the landlord with a certified copy of one of the documents that the tenant must provide under current law to terminate his or her tenancy because the tenant faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises. The landlord must change the locks, or give the tenant permission to do so, within 48 hours after receiving the request and certified copy of the document. The tenant is responsible for the cost of having the locks changed.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill provides an exception from the requirement to change the locks. If the person who is the subject of the document that the tenant provides a certified copy of to the landlord is also a tenant of the premises for which the locks are to be changed, the landlord is not required to change the locks unless the document is: 1) an injunction directing that other tenant to avoid the residence of the tenant requesting that the locks be changed; or 2) a condition of release ordering that other tenant not to contact the tenant requesting that the locks be changed.
Who's behind it
18 lawmakers are its . 14 are Democrats, 2 are Republicans and 1 is a Independent. 1 has no party on record.
5 more lawmakers .
See all 23 names Hide the names
Authors (18)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Annette Williams · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Penny Bernard Schaber · Democrat, Assembly
- Fred Clark · Democrat, Assembly
- Kristen Dexter · Democrat, Assembly
- Tamara Grigsby · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Joe Parisi · Democrat, Assembly
- Sandy Pasch · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Pocan · Democrat, Assembly
- Kelda Roys · Democrat, Senate
- Donna Seidel · Democrat, Assembly
- Shilling
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Scott Suder · Republican, Assembly
- Jeffrey Wood · Independent, Assembly
Signed on in support (5)
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Pat Kreitlow · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
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 Housing vote on an amendment
Passed, 7 to 0 · Oct 20, 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 adoption recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly vote to pass it
Passed, 94 to 0 · Oct 29, 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 94, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 19, 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 Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Feb 16, 2010
The new law was published.
-
Feb 11, 2010
The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 117.
-
Feb 9, 2010
Sent to the governor.
-
Jan 19, 2010
The Senate passed it too.
-
Jan 19, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
-
Nov 3, 2009
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
-
Oct 29, 2009
The Senate received it.
-
Oct 29, 2009
The Assembly passed it, 94 to 0.
-
Oct 29, 2009
The Assembly adopted it.
-
Oct 20, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Oct 20, 2009
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
-
Oct 7, 2009
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Aug 26, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Housing.
-
Aug 26, 2009
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Aug 26, 2009 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Dexter, Parisi, Berceau, Bernard Schaber, Clark, Grigsby, Hebl, Milroy, A. Ott, Pasch, Pocan, Roys, Seidel, Shilling, Smith, Suder, A. Williams and Wood;Cosponsored by Senators Holperin, Hansen, Kreitlow, Schultz and Taylor
- Aug 26, 2009 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Housing
- Oct 7, 2009 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Oct 9, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Dexter
- Oct 13, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 2 offered by Representative Dexter
- Oct 14, 2009 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Oct 20, 2009 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Oct 20, 2009 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Oct 20, 2009 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Oct 20, 2009 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 10-29-2009 by committee on Rules
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 adopted
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 2 adopted
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 94, Noes 0
- Oct 29, 2009 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 29, 2009 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Nov 3, 2009 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Senate Organization and take up
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Jan 22, 2010 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled
- Feb 9, 2010 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 2-9-2010
- Feb 11, 2010 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 2-11-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 117
- Feb 16, 2010 · Assembly
Published 2-25-2010
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
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote