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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 778

Weight limitations for vehicles transporting raw forest products

Topics: Bus and truck: Taxation or registration, Forestry, Forfeiture, Road, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles

Became law

The governor signed it on May 6, 2010. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 25, 2010

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Apr 13, 2010

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Apr 13, 2010

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2009 Wisconsin Act 222

Latest entry in the official record, May 10, 2010: “Published 5-19-2010”

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.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate upon a highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles that exceeds certain statutory weight limits unless the person obtains a permit issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) or a local highway authority. DOT may issue annual or consecutive month permits for the transportation of raw forest products in vehicle combinations having a gross weight not exceeding 98,000 pounds if the vehicle combination has six or more axles and meets other criteria (RS permit). A vehicle combination operated under an RS permit is subject to certain operating restrictions, including that it cannot be operated on an interstate highway. "Raw forest products" includes logs, poles, cordwood, wood chips, sawdust, and pulpwood.

Also under current law, DOT or a local highway authority may impose special weight limits on highways that, because of weakness of the roadbed due to deterioration or climatic conditions or other special or temporary conditions, would likely be seriously damaged or destroyed in the absence of the special limits. If special weight limits are imposed, the limits must be posted by highway signs along the affected highways. The special weight limits apply regardless of whether a vehicle is being operated under an overweight permit unless the permit expressly authorizes the special weight limits to be exceeded.

Read the full summary

Under this bill, each RS permit must expressly authorize the vehicle combination to exceed any special weight limits imposed in connection with the thawing of frozen highways and to be operated at the full allowable weight of up to 98,000 pounds.

Under current law, if a vehicle's per-axle weight is over limits prescribed by law by not more than 2,000 pounds and the vehicle's load can be reloaded within the normal load carrying areas to eliminate the excess per-axle weight, the operator may reload up to 2,000 pounds and no forfeiture may be imposed. In lieu of reloading the vehicle, the operator may choose to continue operating the vehicle above the per-axle weight limit and pay a forfeiture of $50 for failure to reload the vehicle.

This bill affords the same opportunity to reload up to 2,000 pounds, or pay a forfeiture of $50 for failure to reload, for a vehicle combination being operated under an RS permit if the vehicle combination exceeds, by not more than 2,000 pounds, any per-axle weight limit specified in the RS permit.

Because this bill concerns an exception to the vehicle weight limits specified in ch. 348, stats., the Department of Transportation, as required by law, will prepare a report to be printed as an appendix to this bill.

Who's behind it

7 lawmakers are its ⁠. 4 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats. 1 has no party on record.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 12 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (5)

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 Forestry vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 31, 2010

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 Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 10, 2010

    The new law was published.

  2. May 6, 2010

    The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 222.

  3. May 4, 2010

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 13, 2010

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Apr 13, 2010

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  6. Apr 13, 2010

    The Senate received it.

  7. Apr 13, 2010

    The Assembly passed it.

  8. Apr 13, 2010

    The Assembly adopted it.

  9. Apr 13, 2010

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  10. Apr 13, 2010

    “Department of Transportation Vehicle report received pursuant to s. 13.096, Wisconsin Statutes” (the official wording)

  11. Mar 31, 2010

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Mar 31, 2010

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  13. Mar 3, 2010

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Feb 25, 2010

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Forestry.

  15. Feb 25, 2010

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Clark, Friske, Sherman, Soletski, Mursau, Bies and Townsend;Cosponsored by Senators Holperin, Jauch, Hansen, Taylor and Cowles

  2. Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Forestry

  3. Mar 3, 2010 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 23, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representatives Milroy and Clark

  5. Mar 24, 2010 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Mar 24, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 offered by committee on Forestry

  7. Mar 31, 2010 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  8. Mar 31, 2010 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  9. Mar 31, 2010 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  10. Mar 31, 2010 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  11. Apr 7, 2010 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 4-13-2010 by committee on Rules

  12. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Department of Transportation Vehicle report received pursuant to s. 13.096, Wisconsin Statutes

  13. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  14. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 adopted

  16. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 2 adopted

  17. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  19. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  20. Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  23. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Senate Organization and take up

  24. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  27. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  28. Apr 13, 2010 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Apr 14, 2010 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  30. Apr 21, 2010 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled

  31. May 4, 2010 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 5-4-2010

  32. May 6, 2010 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 5-5-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 222

  33. May 10, 2010 · Assembly

    Published 5-19-2010

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