Senate Bill 448
A utility terrain vehicle pilot program and making an appropriation
Topics: Natural Resources, Department of: Administration, Recreation vehicle, Sunset, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 16, 2010. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jan 7, 2010
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed 32 to 0
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Mar 4, 2010
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2009 Wisconsin Act 175
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2010: “Published 3-29-2010”
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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.
This bill establishes a pilot program for the operation of utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) that is similar to a pilot program for the operation of lightweight utility vehicles (LUVs) under prior law that expired on September 30, 2009. The bill requires that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) administer the UTV pilot program in consultation with the Department of Transportation to investigate the effects of using UTVs on all-terrain vehicle routes and trails.
Under the bill, a UTV is defined as a motor driven device, other than a golf cart or low-speed vehicle, that is designed to be used primarily off of a highway and that has, and was originally manufactured with, certain features, including a gross weight of more than 900 pounds but not more than 1,999 pounds, a cargo or dump box, four or more low-pressure tires, non-straddling seats for at least two occupants, and certain safety systems.
Read the full summary Show less
As with the LUV program under prior law, which allowed counties and municipalities to designate all-terrain vehicle (ATV) routes and trails that may be used by LUVs, the UTV pilot program allows counties and municipalities to make such a designation, except that unlike the LUV pilot program, which was limited to eight specified counties and the municipalities within those counties, the UTV pilot program is open to any county and the municipalities within those counties. The program also allows DNR and any federal agency that receives state funds for ATV projects to designate ATV routes and trails that may be used by UTVs. The UTV pilot program provides that if a county adopts a resolution electing to participate in the pilot program, then the resolution applies to all of the municipalities within the county unless a municipality adopts a resolution to opt out of the program.
Unlike the LUV pilot program, the UTV pilot program prohibits a person from operating a UTV on a designated ATV route or trail unless the UTV is registered by DNR. The bill authorizes DNR to register and charge registration fees for UTVs in the same manner as it registers and charges registration fees for ATVs that are registered for public use under current law. The bill provides that certain laws that apply to ATVs under current law apply to UTVs under the pilot program, including traffic citation laws, rules of operation, prohibitions on operation while intoxicated, noise limits, and certain equipment requirements. Unlike the LUV pilot program under prior law, the bill does not require a person who operates a UTV under the UTV pilot program to have a motor vehicle operator's license but instead prohibits a person who is younger than 16 from operating a UTV. The bill also requires a person who is born on or after January 1, 1988, and who operates a UTV to hold a valid all-terrain vehicle safety certificate.
The bill provides that the UTV pilot program does not apply after June 30, 2012.
Who's behind it
5 senators are its . 4 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 15 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Robert Jauch · Democrat, Senate
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (10)
- Steve Hilgenberg · Democrat, Assembly
- Mary Hubler · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Keith Ripp · Republican, Assembly
- John Steinbrink · Democrat, Assembly
- Scott Suder · Republican, Assembly
- Robert Turner · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
- Bob Ziegelbauer · Independent, Assembly
- Ted Zigmunt · Democrat, 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 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
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 32 to 0 · Feb 23, 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 passed, Ayes 32, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it
Passed, 11 to 0 · Mar 4, 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 Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 19, 2010
The new law was published.
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Mar 16, 2010
The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 175.
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Mar 11, 2010
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 11, 2010
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 4, 2010
The Assembly passed it too.
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Mar 4, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Mar 4, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 0.
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Feb 25, 2010
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 24, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
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Feb 24, 2010
The Assembly received it.
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Feb 23, 2010
The Senate passed it, 32 to 0.
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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)
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Feb 18, 2010
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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Feb 5, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 0.
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Feb 1, 2010
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 20, 2010
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 20, 2010
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 7, 2010
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
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Jan 7, 2010
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 7, 2010 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Holperin, Lassa, Taylor, Schultz and Jauch;Cosponsored by Representatives Hubler, Zepnick, Zigmunt, Ziegelbauer, Suder, Mursau, Steinbrink, Ripp and Turner
- Jan 7, 2010 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources
- Jan 20, 2010 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 20, 2010 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 1, 2010 · Senate
Representative Hilgenberg added as a cosponsor
- Feb 4, 2010 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 5, 2010 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 6, Noes 0
- Feb 5, 2010 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 18, 2010 · Senate
Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e)
- 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)
- Feb 18, 2010 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-23-2010 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 23, 2010 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 23, 2010 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 23, 2010 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 23, 2010 · Senate
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 32, Noes 0
- Feb 23, 2010 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 24, 2010 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 24, 2010 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation
- Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Report concurrence recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Rules and take up
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 5, 2010 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Mar 11, 2010 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled on 3-11-2010
- Mar 11, 2010 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 11, 2010 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 3-11-2010
- Mar 16, 2010 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 3-15-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 175
- Mar 19, 2010 · Senate
Published 3-29-2010
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