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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Senate Bill 239

The Internet sale of unclaimed personal property by a sheriff

Topics: Auction, County: Finance, Data processing, Personal property, Sheriff

Stopped before the full Senate voted

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jul 21, 2009

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly 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, the personal property of an individual who dies while he or she is a patient at a county institution or whose body has been taken charge of by the coroner or medical examiner is, if unclaimed for one year, delivered to the county sheriff and subject to sale. Any personal property left at the county jail by a prisoner after the discharge, transfer, or other commitment of the prisoner, and unclaimed for more than one year, or any property, found or stolen, which comes into the sheriff's possession and remains unclaimed for more than one year, is also subject to sale by the sheriff. Each year on or before August 1, the sheriff must post a notice at three public places in the county describing the place and time of a public auction at which the unclaimed personal property held by the sheriff will be sold. The auction must be held as described in the notice. Any remaining personal property may be sold for the best price obtainable or, if it cannot be sold, destroyed in the presence of the sheriff. Any proceeds of the sale of personal property is remitted to the county treasurer for inclusion in the general fund of the county.

Under this bill, the sheriff may choose to sell the personal property at a public auction at either a specified physical location or an Internet site.

Who's behind it

4 senators are its ⁠. 2 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.

11 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (4)

Signed on in support (11)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Rural Issues vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 25, 2010

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 Rural Issues, Biofuels, and Information Technology, Ayes 5, 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. Mar 25, 2010

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

  3. Mar 3, 2010

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Nov 12, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Jul 21, 2009

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Rural Issues, Biofuels, and Information Technology.

  6. Jul 21, 2009

    Introduced in the Senate.

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

    Introduced by Senators Kedzie, Lehman, Taylor and A. Lasee;Cosponsored by Representatives Lothian, Nass, Suder, Murtha, Brooks, Spanbauer, Vos, Townsend, LeMahieu, Petrowski and Ballweg

  2. Jul 21, 2009 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rural Issues, Biofuels, and Information Technology

  3. Nov 12, 2009 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 3, 2010 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Mar 24, 2010 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Mar 25, 2010 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Rural Issues, Biofuels, and Information Technology, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Mar 25, 2010 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Apr 28, 2010 · Senate

    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.

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

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote