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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 76

Requiring the Department of Transportation to establish rules allowing living will and health care power of attorney information to be included on driver's licenses, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and granting rule-making authority

Topics: Administrative rules, Data processing, Death, Motor vehicle: Driver's license, Power of attorney, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles

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

    Feb 20, 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

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What it would have done

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

Under current law, any person at least 18 years of age and of sound mind may voluntarily execute a declaration to physicians (commonly known as a "living will") authorizing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or of feeding tubes when the person is in a terminal condition or is in a persistent vegetative state. Also, under current law, any person at least 18 years of age and of sound mind may voluntarily execute a power of attorney for health care, under which, if the person is found to be incapacitated, the person's designated agent may make health care decisions on behalf of the person. The Department of Health Services (DHS) must prepare and provide copies of living will and health care power of attorney forms, in quantities, to health care professionals, hospitals, nursing homes, county clerks, and local bar associations, and individually to private persons.

This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish by rule a procedure that allows any person who has been issued a regular operator's license and who has executed a living will or health care power of attorney to write, in a space provided on the back of the operator's license, the identity of an individual who has custody of the person's living will or designated as the person's agent under a health care power of attorney.

Read the full summary

The bill also requires DOT to make available on its Internet Web site the living will and health care power of attorney forms prepared by DHS.

Who's behind it

14 lawmakers are its ⁠. 11 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans. 1 has no party on record.

7 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 21 names

Authors (14)

Signed on in support (7)

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 Health and Healthcare Reform vote on an amendment

Passed, 7 to 4 · Apr 7, 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 Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 7, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Apr 7, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Apr 7, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 4.

  4. Mar 16, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Mar 4, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Mar 4, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Mar 3, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. Feb 20, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform.

  9. Feb 20, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 20, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Vruwink, Richards, Shilling, Roys, Pasch, Schneider, Sinicki, Smith, A. Williams, Berceau, Stone, Kerkman, Seidel and Zepnick;Cosponsored by Senators Kreitlow, Hansen, Erpenbach, Lassa, Lehman, Coggs and Vinehout

  2. Feb 20, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Health and Healthcare Reform

  3. Mar 3, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 4, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Mar 4, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Mar 16, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Apr 1, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Apr 1, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform

  9. Apr 7, 2009 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 7, Noes 4

  10. Apr 7, 2009 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Health and Healthcare Reform, Ayes 7, Noes 4

  11. Apr 7, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  12. 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