Assembly Bill 55
Vehicle failure-to-yield violations
Topics: Court: Traffic, Damage (personal injury), Death, Drivers' education, Motor vehicle: Driver's license, Motor vehicle: Regulation, Traffic safety, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 3, 2012. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Mar 21, 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 33 to 0
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2011 Wisconsin Act 173
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 5, 2012: “Published 4-16-2012”
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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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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, the operator of a vehicle must yield the right-of-way to another vehicle under certain circumstances, including: 1) when turning left across traffic; 2) at an intersection posted with a yield sign; 3) when entering a through highway or a highway from an alley or driveway or from a parked or standing position; or 4) when entering a highway from another highway that ends at a "T" intersection. A person who fails to yield the right-of-way as required is subject to a forfeiture of not less than $20 nor more than $50 for a first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $100 for any subsequent offense within a year, except that the forfeiture is doubled if the person fails to yield at a yield sign in a highway maintenance or construction area or in a utility work area. In addition, if a person's failure to yield the right-of-way results in bodily harm or death to another, the court must suspend the person's motor vehicle operating privilege and the person must forfeit $200 if bodily harm results, $500 if great bodily harm results, and $1,000 if death results. For any failure-to-yield violation, the court must also order the person who commits the violation to attend a traffic safety school approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and conducted by a police department, sheriff's office, or regularly established safety organization. The traffic safety school must acquaint the person with vehicle right-of-way rules and provide instruction on motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle awareness.
Current law also allows a court to suspend a person's operating privilege if the person is convicted of violating any state or local traffic law.
Read the full summary Show less
Under this bill, if a person is convicted of a failure-to-yield violation that results in bodily harm, great bodily harm, or death, DOT must suspend the person's operating privilege, but a court cannot suspend the person's operating privilege.
This DOT suspension must be for a period of two months if the offense resulted in bodily harm to another, three months if the offense resulted in great bodily harm to another, and nine months if the offense resulted in the death of another. The bill requires DOT, instead of a court, to order a person to attend traffic safety school for a failure-to-yield violation. The traffic safety school must be conducted by a regularly established safety organization, a licensed driver school, or a provider of driver education courses and must be approved by DOT. The traffic safety school's course of instruction must acquaint the person with vehicle right-of-way rules and provide instruction on motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle awareness. If the traffic safety school is conducted by a driver school or provider of driver education courses, the driver school or provider must issue a certificate upon successful completion of the traffic safety school. If a person's operating privilege has been suspended as a result of a failure-to-yield violation that results in injury or death, DOT may not reinstate the person's operating privilege unless the person has successfully completed the traffic safety school.
Who's behind it
4 representatives are its . All 4 are Republicans.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Samantha Kerkman · Republican, Assembly
- Don Pridemore · Republican, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Pat Strachota · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- John Nygren · Republican, Assembly
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Kathleen Vinehout · Democrat, Senate
- Evan Wynn · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
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 4 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment
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 Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 9, 2012
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 20, 2012
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 33 to 0 · Feb 21, 2012
See how each of the 33 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (33)
- Alberta Darling (R, 8)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
- Chris Larson (D, 7)
- Dale Schultz (R, 17)
- Dave Hansen (D, 30)
- Frank G. Lasee (R, 1)
- Fred A. Risser (D, 26)
- Glenn Grothman (R, 20)
- Jennifer Shilling (D, 32)
- Jessica King (D, 18)
- Jim Holperin (D, 12)
- Joe Leibham (R, 9)
- Jon Erpenbach (D, 27)
- Julie M. Lassa (D, 24)
- Kathleen Vinehout (D, 31)
- Leah Vukmir (R, 5)
- Lena Taylor (D, 4)
- Luther S. Olsen (R, 14)
- Mark Miller (D, 16)
- Mary Lazich (R, 28)
- Michael Ellis (R, 19)
- Neal Kedzie (R, 11)
- Pam Galloway (R, 29)
- Rich Zipperer (R, 33)
- Rob Cowles (R, 2)
- Robert Jauch (D, 25)
- Scott L. Fitzgerald (R, 13)
- Sheila Harsdorf (R, 10)
- Spencer Coggs (D, 6)
- Terry Moulton (R, 23)
- Tim Carpenter (D, 3)
- Timothy Cullen (D, 15)
- Van Wanggaard (R, 21)
Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 33, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 5, 2012
The new law was published.
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Apr 3, 2012
The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 173.
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Mar 30, 2012
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 21, 2012
The Senate passed it too, 33 to 0.
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Feb 21, 2012
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Feb 20, 2012
“Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Feb 20, 2012
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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Feb 9, 2012
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Jan 19, 2012
The committee held a public hearing.
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Nov 2, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections.
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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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Nov 1, 2011
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Nov 1, 2011
The Assembly adopted 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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Aug 30, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jun 21, 2011
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Apr 19, 2011
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 5, 2011
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Mar 21, 2011
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
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Mar 21, 2011
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 21, 2011 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Pridemore, Kerkman, Strachota and Spanbauer;Cosponsored by Senators Olsen and Lassa
- Mar 21, 2011 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation
- Apr 5, 2011 · Assembly
Representative Wynn added as a coauthor
- Apr 19, 2011 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jun 21, 2011 · Assembly
Representative Nygren added as a coauthor
- Aug 12, 2011 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Pridemore
- Aug 30, 2011 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Oct 12, 2011 · Assembly
Report passage as amended 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
Assembly amendment 1 adopted
- Nov 1, 2011 · Assembly
Representative Barca added as a coauthor
- 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 Transportation and Elections
- Jan 19, 2012 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 9, 2012 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 9, 2012 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 9, 2012 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 20, 2012 · Senate
Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 20, 2012 · Senate
Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 20, 2012 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-21-2012 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Senator Vinehout added as a cosponsor
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 33, Noes 0
- Feb 21, 2012 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 21, 2012 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 12, 2012 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled
- Mar 30, 2012 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-30-2012
- Apr 3, 2012 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 4-2-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 173
- Apr 5, 2012 · Assembly
Published 4-16-2012
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote