Assembly Bill 497
Providing immunity from liability to a school board or the governing body of a charter school that provides public access to school grounds for certain recreational activities
Topics: Claims, Fire department, Insurance: Miscellaneous, Public liability, Recreation, School, School: Board, School: Building
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 30, 2012. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jan 25, 2012
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Mar 6, 2012
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Mar 13, 2012
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2011 Wisconsin Act 162
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 30, 2012: “Published 4-11-2012”
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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, a school board may permit any responsible person to use the school grounds, buildings, facilities, or equipment of the school district for lawful nonschool purposes when that use does not interfere with school purposes. Also under current law, school boards may enter into contracts with individuals, groups, businesses, or governmental bodies to establish charter schools, which operate with fewer constraints than traditional public schools. Current law also permits the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the city of Milwaukee to operate charter schools (independent charter schools) directly or to contract for the operation of charter schools.
This bill provides immunity from liability to a school board for death or injury that occurs on the school grounds of the school district when the death or injury results from a recreational activity held on the school grounds pursuant to a recreational agreement between the school board and a person. The bill provides identical liability protections to the governing body of a charter school that enters into a recreational agreement with a person. The bill defines recreational activity as any indoor or outdoor physical activity, sport, team sport, or game, whether organized or unorganized, undertaken for the purpose of exercise, relaxation, diversion, or pleasure. The bill defines recreational agreement as a written authorization granted by a school board or the governing body of a charter school to a person permitting public access to all or a specified part of the school grounds for the purpose of any recreational activity.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also provides that, when a school board or governing body of a charter school has entered into a recreational agreement with a person, neither the school board, the governing body of the charter school, nor an employee, officer or agent of the school board or governing body owes any of the following duties to a person that participates in the recreational activity: 1) a duty to keep the school grounds safe for the recreational activity; 2) a duty to inspect the school grounds; or 3) a duty to give warning of an unsafe condition, use, or activity on the school grounds. The bill provides an exception to the liability protection granted to a school board and the governing body of a charter school in an instance in which an injury or death is caused by a malicious act or malicious failure to warn against an unsafe condition about which an officer, employee, or agent of the school board or governing body of the charter school knew.
Who's behind it
14 lawmakers are its . All 14 are Republicans.
4 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (14)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Steve Kestell · Republican, Assembly
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Daniel LeMahieu · Republican, Assembly
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Pat Strachota · Republican, Assembly
- Duey Stroebel · Republican, Senate
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (4)
- Pam Galloway · Republican, Senate
- Glenn Grothman · Republican, Senate
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Mary Lazich · 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 were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Public Health and Public Safety vote on an amendment
Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 22, 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 Public Health and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 12, 2012
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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Mar 30, 2012
The new law was published.
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Mar 30, 2012
The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 162.
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Mar 28, 2012
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 15, 2012
“Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)
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Mar 13, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Mar 13, 2012
The Assembly adopted it.
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Mar 13, 2012
The Senate passed it too.
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Mar 13, 2012
The Senate adopted it.
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Mar 13, 2012
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Mar 12, 2012
“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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Mar 7, 2012
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Mar 7, 2012
The Senate received it.
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Mar 6, 2012
The Assembly passed it.
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Mar 6, 2012
The Assembly adopted it.
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Feb 22, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 22, 2012
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.
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Feb 7, 2012
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 25, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Public Health and Public Safety.
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Jan 25, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 25, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Bies, Bernier, Brooks, Jacque, Kestell, Kooyenga, LeMahieu, Marklein, A. Ott, Petrowski, Spanbauer, Strachota, Stroebel and Thiesfeldt;Cosponsored by Senators Galloway, Grothman and Lazich
- Jan 25, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Public Health and Public Safety
- Feb 7, 2012 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 17, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Bies
- Feb 21, 2012 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 22, 2012 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Public Health and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Feb 22, 2012 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Public Health and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Feb 22, 2012 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 23, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Bies
- Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 3-6-2012 by committee on Rules
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 7, 2012 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Mar 7, 2012 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Mar 7, 2012 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 12, 2012 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 12, 2012 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-13-2012 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Senator Lassa added as a cosponsor
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Senate amendment 1 offered by Senators Grothman and Galloway
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Senate amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in as amended
- Mar 13, 2012 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly
Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate amendment 1 adopted)
- Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 9:06 A.M. on 3-14-2012 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 24
- Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly
Senate amendment 1 concurred in
- Mar 15, 2012 · Assembly
Action ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly
LRB correction (Assembly amendment 1)
- Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled
- Mar 28, 2012 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-28-2012
- Mar 30, 2012 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-29-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 162
- Mar 30, 2012 · Assembly
Published 4-11-2012
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