Senate Bill 242
Creating separate regulatory requirements for certain future service contracts
Topics: Contracts, Mercantile establishment, Trade practice
Became law
The governor signed it on Feb 11, 2010. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jul 23, 2009
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Oct 27, 2009
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed 94 to 2
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2009 Wisconsin Act 115
Latest entry in the official record, Feb 16, 2010: “Published 2-25-2010”
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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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection regulates future service contracts, defined as contracts whose primary purpose is to provide a customer with the right to purchase goods or services or to rent video recordings from a contractor. Generally, future service contracts must be in writing, may not provide the contractor more than 12 months in unearned fees, may not contain a renewal clause, and must grant customers rights against a successor to a contractor's interests and the right to cancel the contract within the first three months of the contract term or within three days after the customer's first purchase or rental worth more than $25, whichever occurs first. Also under current law, a contractor must maintain a $25,000 bond to cover customers who lose amounts prepaid to a contractor because the contractor has become insolvent or has ceased to conduct business.
This bill creates a new category of future service contracts. Under the bill, these contracts may have a term not to exceed three years, must grant the customer rights against a successor to the contractor's interests, must permit the customer to cancel the contract without penalty until midnight on the third day after entering into the contract, must contain a notice of the right to cancel on a separate page, and must permit the customer to cancel an order if the order is not delivered by the date it was promised or to the address where the customer requested delivery. A contractor who enters into such a contract must maintain a $250,000 bond to cover customer losses.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Pat Kreitlow · Democrat, Senate
- Jeffrey Plale · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (10)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Chris Danou · Democrat, Assembly
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Scott Gunderson · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Lothian · Republican, Assembly
- Mary Williams · Republican, Assembly
- Lee Nerison · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- John Townsend · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There were 3 votes on this bill.
Senate Committee on Small Business vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 14, 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 Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection vote to recommend it
Passed, 9 to 0 · Jan 12, 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 Consumer Protection, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly vote to pass it
Passed, 94 to 2 · Jan 19, 2010
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, Ayes 94, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Feb 16, 2010
The new law was published.
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Feb 11, 2010
The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 115.
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Feb 9, 2010
Sent to the governor.
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Jan 19, 2010
The Assembly passed it too, 94 to 2.
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Jan 12, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jan 12, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 0.
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Nov 4, 2009
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 27, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection.
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Oct 27, 2009
The Assembly received it.
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Oct 27, 2009
The Senate passed it.
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Oct 14, 2009
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Sep 2, 2009
The committee held a public hearing.
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Aug 18, 2009
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jul 23, 2009
Sent to the Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection.
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Jul 23, 2009
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jul 23, 2009 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kreitlow, Plale and Darling;Cosponsored by Representatives Fields, M. Williams, Townsend, Petrowski, Brooks, A. Ott, Nerison, Lothian, Danou and Gunderson
- Jul 23, 2009 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection
- Aug 18, 2009 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Sep 2, 2009 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 14, 2009 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Oct 14, 2009 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Oct 14, 2009 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 22, 2009 · Senate
Placed on calendar 10-27-2009 by committee on Senate Organization
- Oct 27, 2009 · Senate
Read a second time
- Oct 27, 2009 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 27, 2009 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Oct 27, 2009 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Oct 27, 2009 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Oct 27, 2009 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Consumer Protection
- Nov 4, 2009 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Dec 16, 2009 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 12, 2010 · Assembly
Report concurrence recommended by committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 9, Noes 0
- Jan 12, 2010 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 13, 2010 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 1-19-2010 by committee on Rules
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 94, Noes 2
- Jan 19, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 19, 2010 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Jan 22, 2010 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled on 1-22-2010
- Feb 9, 2010 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 2-9-2010
- Feb 11, 2010 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 2-11-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 115
- Feb 16, 2010 · Senate
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
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
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
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