Assembly Bill 521
Homemade wine and fermented malt beverages
Topics: Alcohol beverage: Regulation, Alcohol beverage: Taxation, Legislature: Tax Exemptions, Joint Survey Committee on
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.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 2, 2012
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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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 ”
It sat with the Assembly Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.
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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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a person is not required to hold a license or permit to make wine or fermented malt beverages (beer) at his or her home, farm, or place of residence if the wine or beer is to be consumed by the person or his or her family and guests and if the person receives no compensation. Also under current law, a person is not required to pay an occupational tax on wine or beer made at home solely for consumption at home by the person's family and guests, without compensation.
This bill significantly modifies the standards for the production and use of homemade wine and beer for which a license or permit is not required and for which occupational taxes are not owed. Under the bill, "homemade" wine and beer is wine and beer made by a person's own efforts and not for a commercial purpose, and is not limited to wine or beer made in the person's home. Under the bill, no license or permit is required for the making of homemade wine or beer, and the possession, transportation, or storage of homemade wine or beer, if all of the following apply: 1) the person who makes the wine or beer receives no compensation; 2) the wine or beer is not sold or offered for sale; and 3) the total quantity of wine or beer made by the person and any other person living in the same household does not exceed 100 gallons or 200 gallons per calendar year, depending on how many persons of legal drinking age live in the household. If wine or beer is made in compliance with these requirements, this homemade wine or beer may also be used, without any license or permit, for purposes of exhibition, demonstration, judging, tasting, or sampling or as part of a contest or competition (collectively "home maker's event").
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also allows a person, including an alcohol beverage retailer or other permit holder, to conduct, sponsor, or host, at a public or private place under the control of the person, a home maker's event if the person does not sell, or acquire any ownership interest in, the homemade wine or beer.
Under the bill, homemade wine or beer made in compliance with the requirements identified as items 1 to 3 above is exempt from the occupational tax.
Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.
Who's behind it
15 lawmakers are its . 11 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (15)
- Penny Bernard Schaber · Democrat, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Honadel · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Kestell · Republican, Assembly
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Michelle Litjens · Republican, Assembly
- Sandy Pasch · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Pocan · Democrat, Assembly
- Don Pridemore · Republican, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Karl Van Roy · Republican, Assembly
- Evan Wynn · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Michael Ellis · Republican, Senate
- Glenn Grothman · Republican, Senate
- Sheila Harsdorf · Republican, Senate
- Neal Kedzie · Republican, Senate
- Mary Lazich · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 15, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 8, 2012
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 2, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.
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Feb 2, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 2, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kaufert, Kooyenga, Brooks, Pasch, Kestell, Wynn, Thiesfeldt, Pocan, Pridemore, Spanbauer, C. Taylor, Van Roy, Honadel, Bernard Schaber and Litjens;Cosponsored by Senators Ellis, Lazich, Harsdorf, Wanggaard, Kedzie and Grothman
- Feb 2, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs
- Feb 8, 2012 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 15, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- 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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate