Senate Bill 601

Comprehensive planning

Topics: Land use planning and control

Became law

The governor signed it on May 18, 2010. It's ⁠.

Introduced, passed

Mar 9, 2010
Committee, passed

Approved
Senate vote, passed

Passed Apr 15, 2010
Assembly vote, passed

Passed Apr 20, 2010
Governor, passed

Signed
Law, here now

2009 Wisconsin Act 372

Latest entry in the official record, May 20, 2010: “Published 6-1-2010”

Read the bill

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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 the current law commonly known as the "Smart Growth" statute, if a city, village, town, county, or regional planning commission (local governmental unit) creates a development plan or master plan (comprehensive plan) or amends an existing comprehensive plan, the plan must contain certain planning elements. A town may create a comprehensive plan only if it exercises village powers as authorized by the town meeting. The required planning elements include the following: housing; transportation; utilities and community facilities; agricultural, natural, and cultural resources; economic development; land use; and intergovernmental cooperation.

Also under current law, beginning on January 1, 2010, certain actions of a local governmental unit that affect land use must be consistent with that local governmental unit's comprehensive plan. The actions to which this requirement applies are official mapping, local subdivision regulation, and zoning ordinances, including zoning of shorelands or wetlands in shorelands. Also under current law, beginning on January 1, 2010, if a local governmental unit engages in any of these specified actions, the comprehensive plan must contain at least all of the required planning elements.

Read the full summary

This bill specifies that the actions of a local governmental unit that must be consistent with the local governmental unit's comprehensive plan are ordinances related to official mapping, local subdivision regulation, and zoning, including zoning of shorelands or wetlands in shorelands. "Consistent with" is defined in this bill to mean "furthers or does not contradict the objectives, goals, and policies contained in the comprehensive plan." This bill also specifies that enacting a comprehensive plan by ordinance does not make the comprehensive plan by itself a regulation.

Also under this bill, if a local governmental unit has not adopted a comprehensive plan, it may be exempt from the consistency requirement if either:

1) the local governmental unit has not received a comprehensive planning grant from the Department of Administration (DOA), and the local governmental unit adopts a resolution stating that it will adopt a comprehensive plan by January 1, 2012; or 2) the local governmental unit has received a comprehensive planning grant and an extension from DOA. The local governmental unit is exempt from the consistency requirement until January 1, 2012, if it qualifies under the former provision or until the expiration of the extension granted by DOA if it qualifies under the latter provision.

Also under this bill, a town may adopt a comprehensive plan whether or not it exercises village powers.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Republican.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 4 names

Authors (2)

Sheila Harsdorf · Republican, Senate
Pat Kreitlow · Democrat, Senate

Signed on in support (2)

Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
Mary Hubler · Democrat, Assembly

What it would cost

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

Fiscal Estimate From DOA

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Ethics Reform and Government Operations vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Apr 7, 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 Ethics Reform and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

May 20, 2010

The new law was published.
May 18, 2010

The governor signed it. It became 2009 Wisconsin Act 372.
May 13, 2010

Sent to the governor.
Apr 20, 2010

The Assembly passed it too.
Apr 15, 2010

Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
Apr 15, 2010

The Assembly received it.
Apr 15, 2010

The Senate passed it.
Apr 7, 2010

The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
Mar 17, 2010

A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
Mar 17, 2010

The committee held a public hearing.
Mar 9, 2010

Sent to the Senate Committee on Ethics Reform and Government Operations.
Mar 9, 2010

Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word

Mar 9, 2010 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kreitlow and Harsdorf;Cosponsored by Representatives Hubler and Brooks
Mar 9, 2010 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Ethics Reform and Government Operations
Mar 17, 2010 · Senate
Public hearing held
Mar 17, 2010 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
Apr 6, 2010 · Senate
Executive action taken
Apr 7, 2010 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Ethics Reform and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0
Apr 7, 2010 · Senate
Available for scheduling
Apr 14, 2010 · Senate
Placed on calendar 4-15-2010 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
Apr 15, 2010 · Senate
Read a second time
Apr 15, 2010 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
Apr 15, 2010 · Senate
Rules suspended
Apr 15, 2010 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
Apr 15, 2010 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
Apr 15, 2010 · Assembly
Received from Senate
Apr 15, 2010 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
Apr 15, 2010 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 12:07 P.M. on 4-20-2010 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 23
Apr 20, 2010 · Assembly
Read a second time
Apr 20, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
Apr 20, 2010 · Assembly
Rules suspended
Apr 20, 2010 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
Apr 20, 2010 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
Apr 21, 2010 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
May 6, 2010 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled on 5-6-2010
May 13, 2010 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 5-13-2010
May 18, 2010 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 5-18-2010. 2009 Wisconsin Act 372
May 20, 2010 · Senate
Published 6-1-2010

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

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