Senate Bill 606
Age restrictions, headgear requirements, and safety certificate requirements regarding the operation of an all-terrain vehicle
Topics: Children, Natural Resources, Department of: Recreation and boating, Recreation vehicle
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.
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Introduced, passed
Mar 10, 2010
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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Terms on this page
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. 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
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 would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, no person under the age of 12 may operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) unless he or she is operating the ATV for an agricultural purpose and he or she is under the supervision of a person over 18 years of age (agricultural purpose exception), or unless he or she is operating a small ATV on an ATV trail designated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and he or she is accompanied by his or her parent. Current law defines "accompanied" to mean subject to continuous verbal direction or control. Under current law, supervision is a lesser standard because it does not require a person to be subject to continuous direction and control. Under an exception to the age restrictions in current law, a person who is under the age of 12 may operate any ATV if the person operates the ATV exclusively on land under the management and control of the person's immediate family (family property exception).
This bill allows a person under the age of 12 to operate an ATV any place that any other person may operate an ATV provided that the person under the age of 12 is operating a small ATV and he or she is accompanied, and not just supervised, by his or her parent or guardian or a person who is at least 18 years old who is designated by the parent or guardian (accompanied by a parent or designee).
Read the full summary Show less
This bill maintains the agricultural purpose exception in current law so that a person under the age of 12 may still operate an ATV of any size for an agricultural purpose if he or she is under the supervision of a person over18 years of age. The bill also maintains the family property exception so that a person under the age of 12 need not operate a small ATV or be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other person in order to operate an ATV on land under the management and control of his or her immediate family.
Current law imposes certain restrictions on the operation of an ATV on a roadway. One of those restrictions prohibits a person under the age of 12 from operating an ATV on a roadway unless the agricultural purpose exception applies and the ATV is not an implement of husbandry. This bill allows a person who is under the age of 12 to operate an ATV on a roadway, regardless of the purpose, provided that the ATV is a small ATV and the person is accompanied by a parent or designee.
Under current law, no person who is at least 12 years of age and who was born on or after January 1, 1988 may operate an ATV unless he or she holds a valid safety certificate issued by DNR that indicates that the person successfully completed a program of instruction on ATV laws and safety. A person who operates an ATV exclusively on land under the management and control of the person's immediate family is exempt from this requirement. This bill creates an additional exemption.
The bill provides that a person is exempt from the safety certificate requirement if the person operates an ATV at a sponsored ATV demonstration event, the sponsor of the event requires the person to wear protective headgear, and the person operates the ATV in a closed-course area at a speed not exceeding 15 miles per hour. If the person is under 18 years of age, the person must be accompanied by a parent or designee.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, a person who is under 18 years of age must wear protective headgear if the person operates or is a passenger of an ATV.
Among the exceptions to this requirement is an exception for a person who is traveling for the purposes of hunting or fishing and who is at least 12 years old. This bill eliminates this exception to the headgear requirement.
Who's behind it
5 senators are its . 4 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
2 more lawmakers .
See all 7 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Glenn Grothman · Republican, Senate
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Jeffrey Plale · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (2)
- Scott Suder · Republican, Assembly
- Amy Sue Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment
Passed, 7 to 0 · Apr 9, 2010
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Apr 9, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 1.
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Apr 9, 2010
“Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 7, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Apr 1, 2010
The committee held a public hearing.
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Mar 10, 2010
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
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Mar 10, 2010
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 10, 2010 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Plale, Holperin, Hansen, Taylor and Grothman;Cosponsored by Representatives Vruwink and Suder
- Mar 10, 2010 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources
- Mar 16, 2010 · Senate
Senate amendment 1 offered by Senator Plale
- Mar 22, 2010 · Senate
Senate amendment 2 offered by Senator Plale
- Apr 1, 2010 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Apr 8, 2010 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Apr 9, 2010 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Apr 9, 2010 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Ayes 6, Noes 1
- Apr 9, 2010 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- 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.
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote