Assembly Bill 274
Requiring motorists to yield to railroad track equipment trains at railroad crossings and requiring a railroad to maintain its right-of-way
Topics: Bus and truck, Motor vehicle: Regulation, Railroad, Railroad: Crossing
Became law
The governor signed it on Dec 7, 2011. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Sep 22, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 1, 2011
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Nov 3, 2011
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2011 Wisconsin Act 101
Latest entry in the official record, Dec 12, 2011: “Published 12-20-2011”
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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
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, an operator of a vehicle may not drive across a railroad crossing when a train occupies or is closely approaching the crossing. An operator of certain vehicles, including motor buses, school buses, and certain motor vehicles used for transporting hazardous, flammable, or explosive materials (covered vehicles), must generally stop before crossing any nonexempted railroad track, listen and look in both directions for an approaching train, and proceed only once the operator has ascertained that the course is clear.
Under this bill, railroad track equipment is defined as "a device that is operated on rails and used primarily for the maintenance of railroads." For railroad crossing purposes, this bill treats railroad track equipment similar to railroad trains. Thus, under this bill, a motorist must yield to railroad track equipment as for a railroad train at a railroad crossing and a covered vehicle must listen and look for railroad track equipment as for a railroad train at a nonexempted railroad tracks.
Read the full summary Show less
Also under current law, a railroad must keep its right-of-way clear of brush or trees for at least 330 feet in each direction from the center of a public railroad crossing, and for any further distance that is necessary to provide an adequate view of approaching trains from the highway. Under this bill, a railroad is required only to keep its right-of-way clear for at least 330 feet in each direction from the center of a public railroad crossing.
Who's behind it
15 lawmakers are its . 9 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats. 2 have no party on record.
4 more lawmakers .
See all 19 names Hide the names
Authors (15)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Endsley · Republican, Assembly
- IBT
- Andy Jorgensen · Democrat, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Lee Nerison · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Roger Rivard · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Robert Turner · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
- by request of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division
Signed on in support (4)
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Joe Leibham · Republican, Senate
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it
Passed, 15 to 0 · Oct 12, 2011
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, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Nov 3, 2011
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Dec 12, 2011
The new law was published.
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Dec 7, 2011
The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 101.
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Dec 5, 2011
Sent to the governor.
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Nov 3, 2011
The Senate passed it too.
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Nov 3, 2011
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Nov 2, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Nov 2, 2011
The Senate received it.
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Nov 1, 2011
The Assembly passed it.
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Oct 12, 2011
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Oct 12, 2011
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 15 to 0.
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Sep 27, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Sep 22, 2011
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
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Sep 22, 2011
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Sep 22, 2011 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Petrowski, Mursau, Brooks, Endsley, Jorgensen, Kaufert, Nerison, A. Ott, Rivard, Sinicki, Spanbauer, Zepnick and Turner, by request of Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, IBT;Cosponsored by Senators Leibham, Olsen, Hansen and Taylor
- Sep 22, 2011 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation
- Sep 27, 2011 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Oct 27, 2011 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 11-1-2011 by committee on Rules
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Placed on calendar 11-3-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Read a second time
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Nov 3, 2011 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Nov 7, 2011 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled
- Dec 5, 2011 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 12-5-2011
- Dec 7, 2011 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 12-7-2011. 2011 Wisconsin Act 101
- Dec 12, 2011 · Assembly
Published 12-20-2011
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote