Skip to content
Bills from the 2009–10 session

Senate Bill 404

Registration of former military vehicles

Topics: Military property, Motor vehicle: Taxation or registration, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles

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

    Nov 18, 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

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it would have done

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

Under current law, an owner of a motor vehicle that is of model year 1945 or earlier may register the vehicle as an antique vehicle. Antique vehicles may be driven only for special occasions such as display and parade purposes or for necessary testing, maintenance, and storage purposes. Also under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must refuse registration of any vehicle that is originally designed and manufactured for off-highway operation unless the vehicle meets certain federal motor vehicle safety standards.

This bill allows former military vehicles to be registered in a manner similar to antique vehicles, with similar operating restrictions. The bill defines a former military vehicle as a vehicle, including a trailer but excluding a tracked vehicle, that was manufactured for use in any country's military forces and is maintained to accurately represent its military design and markings, regardless of the vehicle's size or weight. A former military vehicle may be registered as a "historic military vehicle" if it is at least 25 years old and has been imported into the United States from another country or if it has not been imported and is of any age. It is the applicant's burden to show that a vehicle is eligible for registration as a historic military vehicle.

Read the full summary

DOT must issue for the vehicle special plates of a distinctive design that show that the vehicle is registered as a historic military vehicle. The applicant must pay a one-time $5 registration fee and there is no fee for registration renewal. In addition, the applicant must pay a $25 processing fee, to cover the initial costs of production of special plates, until DOT has recovered $11,800 for its costs of plate development.

However, if the vehicle is currently registered by DOT under another registration category, the vehicle may be registered as a historic military vehicle without payment of any fee.

The bill also prohibits DOT from registering any vehicle that was manufactured for use in any country's military forces and that does not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards. However, the bill allows DOT to register a former military vehicle as a historic military vehicle, or as a municipal or county vehicle operated in the public service, even if the vehicle was originally designed and manufactured for off-highway operation, does not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, and was manufactured for use in a country's military forces.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its ⁠. 5 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.

29 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 36 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (29)

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 Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 0 · Feb 5, 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 Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 6, 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. Feb 23, 2010

    “Placed at the foot of the calendar of 2-23-2010” (the official wording)

  3. Feb 18, 2010

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e)” (the official wording)

  4. Feb 18, 2010

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  5. Feb 5, 2010

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 0.

  6. Jan 20, 2010

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Jan 14, 2010

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. Nov 18, 2009

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.

  9. Nov 18, 2009

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Nov 18, 2009 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Hansen, Plale, Holperin, Hopper, A. Lasee, Taylor and Wirch;Cosponsored by Representatives Zigmunt, Steinbrink, Soletski, Berceau, Brooks, Clark, Colon, Danou, Davis, Hraychuck, Jorgensen, Kerkman, Kleefisch, Knodl, Lothian, Molepske Jr., Petersen, Pope-Roberts, Ripp, Schneider, Sinicki, Strachota, Suder, Townsend, Turner, Van Roy, M. Williams, Ziegelbauer and Vruwink

  2. Nov 18, 2009 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources

  3. Jan 14, 2010 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 20, 2010 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 4, 2010 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 5, 2010 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  7. Feb 5, 2010 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 18, 2010 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e)

  9. Feb 18, 2010 · Senate

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e)

  10. Feb 18, 2010 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-23-2010 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  11. Feb 23, 2010 · Senate

    Placed at the foot of the calendar of 2-23-2010

  12. Feb 23, 2010 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 23, 2010 · Senate

    Laid on the table

  14. 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.

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