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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Assembly Bill 289

Elimination of compensatory and punitive damages for acts of employment discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing

Topics: Circuit court, Damage (personal injury), Discrimination in employment, Genetics and genetic testing, Lie detector, Workforce Development, Department of

Stopped in committee

It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 29, 2011

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It sat with the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.

Read the bill

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What it would have done

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

Under the current fair employment law, a person alleging discrimination in employment or unfair honesty or genetic testing may file a complaint with the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) seeking action that will effectuate the purpose of the fair employment law, including reinstating the employee, providing back pay, and paying costs and attorney fees. In addition, the fair employment law permits DWD or a person who has been discriminated against or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing to bring an action in circuit court to recover compensatory and punitive damages caused by the act of discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing after the completion of all administrative proceedings before DWD and the Labor and Industry Review Commission concerning the violation. If the circuit court finds that a defendant has committed an act of discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing, the circuit court must order the defendant to pay to the person discriminated against compensatory and punitive damages in an amount that the circuit court finds appropriate, subject to certain limitations, as follows:

1. If the defendant employs 100 or fewer employees, $50,000.

Read the full summary

2. If the defendant employs more than 100 but fewer than 201 employees, $100,000.

3. If the defendant employs more than 200 but fewer than 501 employees, $200,000.

4. If the defendant employs more than 500 employees, $300,000.

This bill eliminates the awarding of compensatory and punitive damages to persons who have been discriminated against in employment or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing. Under the bill, DWD may still award to such a person back pay, costs, and attorney fees.

Who's behind it

26 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 26 are Republicans.

7 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 33 names

Authors (26)

Signed on in support (7)

What it would cost

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

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2012

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Oct 27, 2011

    The committee held a public hearing.

  3. Oct 6, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Oct 4, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Sep 29, 2011

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.

  6. Sep 29, 2011

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 29, 2011 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Litjens, LeMahieu, Pridemore, Thiesfeldt, Honadel, Brooks, Knodl, Kleefisch, T. Larson, Kooyenga, Rivard, Kapenga, Steineke, Severson, Petersen, Stroebel, Vos, Knilans, Craig, A. Ott, Kaufert, Tauchen, Bies, Kuglitsch, Endsley and Strachota;Cosponsored by Senators Grothman, Galloway, Darling, Lasee, Kedzie, Zipperer and Moulton

  2. Sep 29, 2011 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Ethics

  3. Oct 4, 2011 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Oct 6, 2011 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Oct 27, 2011 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly

    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

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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