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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Senate Bill 12

The operation of motorboats, other than personal watercraft, at slow-no-wake speed within a given distance of the shoreline of a lake

Topics: Boat, Dane County, Lakes, Municipality: Ordinance, Sanitation and sewerage management

Became law

The governor signed it on Jul 10, 2009. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 21, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 24, 2009

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Mar 26, 2009

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2009 Wisconsin Act 31

Latest entry in the official record, Jul 16, 2009: “Published 7-24-2009.”

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, no person may operate a motorboat in excess of slow-no- wake speed within 100 feet of buoyed restricted areas or structures such as piers.

Current law defines "motorboat" to include personal watercraft. Current law imposes an additional slow-no-wake restriction on the operation of personal watercraft by prohibiting operation within 200 feet of the shoreline of a lake. Under current law, there is no slow-no-wake restriction for other motorboats within a given distance of a shoreline. This bill imposes a slow-no-wake restriction of 100 feet from the shoreline for motorboats that are not personal watercraft.

Read the full summary

Under current law, cities, towns, villages, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and town sanitary districts (local governmental units) may enact local boating ordinances but the ordinances may not be inconsistent with state law. The bill provides an exception from this general requirement by allowing a local governmental unit to enact an ordinance exempting motorboats from the 100-foot restriction created in this bill.

Current law exempts from these restrictions pickup and drop areas for personal watercraft and motorboats and persons involved in water skiing. These exemptions apply to this new provision.

Who's behind it

5 senators are its ⁠. All 5 are Democrats.

12 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 17 names

Authors (5)

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.

Senate Committee on Environment vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 20, 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 Environment, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Natural Resources vote on an amendment

Passed, 14 to 0 · Mar 19, 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 Natural Resources, Ayes 14, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 70 to 27 · Mar 26, 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 concurred in as amended, Ayes 70, Noes 27”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Jul 16, 2009

    The new law was published.

  2. Jul 10, 2009

    The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 31.

  3. Jul 9, 2009

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Apr 23, 2009

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Mar 26, 2009

    The Senate adopted it.

  6. Mar 26, 2009

    The Assembly passed it too, 70 to 27.

  7. Mar 26, 2009

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Mar 19, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  9. Mar 19, 2009

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 1.

  10. Mar 11, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  11. Feb 24, 2009

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.

  12. Feb 24, 2009

    The Assembly received it.

  13. Feb 24, 2009

    The Senate passed it.

  14. Feb 20, 2009

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

  15. Feb 11, 2009

    The committee held a public hearing.

  16. Feb 10, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Jan 21, 2009

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Environment.

  18. Jan 21, 2009

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 21, 2009 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jauch, Holperin, Lehman, Miller and Risser;Cosponsored by Representatives Sherman, Berceau, Black, Clark, Hilgenberg, Knodl, Milroy, Molepske Jr., Pasch, Richards, Roys and Turner

  2. Jan 21, 2009 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Environment

  3. Feb 10, 2009 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Feb 11, 2009 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 19, 2009 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 20, 2009 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Environment, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Feb 20, 2009 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 20, 2009 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-24-2009 by committee on Senate Organization

  9. Feb 24, 2009 · Senate

    Read a second time

  10. Feb 24, 2009 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Feb 24, 2009 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  12. Feb 24, 2009 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  13. Feb 24, 2009 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Feb 24, 2009 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Feb 24, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources

  16. Mar 11, 2009 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  17. Mar 18, 2009 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  18. Mar 18, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 offered by committee on Natural Resources

  19. Mar 19, 2009 · Assembly

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

  20. Mar 19, 2009 · Assembly

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by committee on Natural Resources, Ayes 13, Noes 1

  21. Mar 19, 2009 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  22. Mar 24, 2009 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 3-26-2009 by committee on Rules

  23. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  24. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Assembly amendment 1 adopted

  25. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  27. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 70, Noes 27

  28. Mar 26, 2009 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Mar 26, 2009 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly amendment 1 adopted

  30. Mar 26, 2009 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  31. Apr 20, 2009 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-23-2009 by committee on Senate Organization

  32. Apr 23, 2009 · Senate

    Assembly amendment 1 concurred in

  33. Apr 23, 2009 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  34. Apr 27, 2009 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 4-27-2009

  35. Jul 9, 2009 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 7-9-2009

  36. Jul 10, 2009 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 7-10-2009. 2009 Wisconsin Act 31

  37. Jul 16, 2009 · Senate

    Published 7-24-2009.

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