Assembly Bill 403
The length of time for which a variance applies
Topics: County: Ordinance, Land use planning and control, Municipality: Ordinance
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Dec 1, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “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, a city, village, or town that is authorized to exercise village powers (municipality) or county is authorized to enact zoning ordinances that regulate and restrict the height, number of stories, and size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of lot that may be occupied, the size of yards and other open spaces, the density of population, and the location and use of buildings, structures, and land for various purposes.
A municipality's board of appeals or a county's board of adjustment (board) is authorized under current law to hear and decide appeals that allege there is an error in the enforcement of a zoning ordinance, to hear and decide special exceptions to the terms of a zoning ordinance, and to authorize a variance from the terms of a zoning ordinance. A "use" variance grants permission for a use that is not permitted by the zoning ordinance, and an "area" variance relaxes restrictions on dimensions, such as setback, frontage, height, bulk, density, and area. To grant a variance, a board must find four things:
Read the full summary Show less
1. The variance will not be contrary to the public interest.
2. Substantial justice will be done by granting the variance.
3. The variance is needed so that the spirit of the ordinance is observed.
4. Due to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the zoning ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship.
This bill authorizes a municipality or county to enact an ordinance specifying an expiration date for a variance. If no such ordinance exits, however, the bill specifies that a variance that is granted does not expire unless the board specifies in the variance, at the time it is granted, a date after which the variance does not apply.
The bill also codifies a court decision ( Goldberg v. Milwaukee Zoning Appeals Board , 115 Wis. 2d 517 (Ct. App. 1983)) stating that a variance runs with the land.
The bill first applies, retroactively, to a variance that was granted before the effective date of the bill.
Who's behind it
5 lawmakers are its . All 5 are Republicans.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 8 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Roger Rivard · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Steineke · Republican, Assembly
- Duey Stroebel · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (3)
- Alberta Darling · Republican, Senate
- Glenn Grothman · Republican, Senate
- Frank G. Lasee · Republican, Senate
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.
Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs vote on an amendment
Passed, 9 to 0 · Mar 6, 2012
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 6, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Mar 6, 2012
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 0.
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Feb 28, 2012
The committee held a public hearing.
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Dec 1, 2011
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs.
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Dec 1, 2011
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Dec 1, 2011 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Steineke, Stroebel, Bies, Rivard and Jacque;Cosponsored by Senators Lasee, Darling and Grothman
- Dec 1, 2011 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Urban and Local Affairs
- Feb 27, 2012 · Assembly
LRB correction
- Feb 27, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Steineke
- Feb 28, 2012 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 9, Noes 0
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 9, Noes 0
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- 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.
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