Assembly Bill 597
Certain shoreland zoning standards and ordinances that regulate the repair and expansion of nonconforming structures
Topics: Natural Resources, Department of: Administration, Shoreland zoning
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.
-
Introduced, passed
Feb 20, 2012
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
-
Senate vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
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
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 would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a county must enact a shoreland zoning ordinance for all shorelands in its unincorporated area and the ordinance must meet shoreland zoning standards established by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by rule. Current law defines a shoreland to be an area within a certain distance from the edge of a navigable water. Current law also specifies that, if a shoreland area is annexed by a city or village (annexing municipality) or is part of a town that incorporates as a city or village (incorporated municipality), then, with certain exceptions, the county shoreland zoning ordinance continues in effect and must be enforced by the annexing or incorporated municipality. The exceptions in current law allow the annexing or incorporated municipality to enforce its own zoning ordinance with respect to shorelands if the ordinance complies with shoreland zoning standards that are at least as restrictive as the county shoreland zoning ordinance.
This bill prohibits a county from enacting, and prohibits a county, city, or village from enforcing, any provision in a county shoreland zoning ordinance that regulates the use, location, maintenance, expansion, replacement, or relocation of a nonconforming structure if that provision is more restrictive than the shoreland zoning standards for nonconforming structures promulgated by DNR. The prohibition under the bill also applies to a shoreland zoning ordinance enacted by an annexing or incorporated municipality. The bill defines a nonconforming structure as a dwelling or building that does not conform with a county shoreland zoning ordinance, other than an ordinance regulating a nonconforming use, but that lawfully existed before the county shoreland zoning ordinance was enacted.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also provides that DNR may not establish a shoreland zoning standard, and a county may not enact or enforce a shoreland zoning ordinance, that prohibits the construction of a structure or building on certain lots, parcels, or tracts (lots).
Under the bill, a shoreland zoning standard or ordinance may not prohibit the construction of a structure or a building on a lot that does not meet minimum area and width requirements if the lot met those requirements when the lot was originally created or if there was no shoreland zoning standard or ordinance in effect that established minimum area and width requirements when the lot was originally created.
Generally under current law, zoning restrictions that would otherwise apply to a damaged or destroyed nonconforming structure may not prohibit, subject to a number of conditions, the restoration of the structure if it will be restored to the size, location, and use it had before the damage or destruction occurred, unless the size must be larger to comply with state or federal requirements. In addition, and subject to the same conditions, the restrictions in the zoning ordinance may not impose limits on the costs of the repair, reconstruction, or improvement of the structure. The conditions that apply to the restrictions in the zoning ordinance are as follows:
1. The structure must have been damaged or destroyed after March 1, 2006.
2. The structure must have been damaged or destroyed by violent wind, vandalism, fire, flood, ice, snow, mold, or infestation.
Under this bill, a zoning ordinance may not prohibit, or limit based on cost, the repair, maintenance, reconstruction, renovation, or remodeling of a nonconforming structure in existence on the effective date of a zoning ordinance that relates to that structure.
Who's behind it
6 lawmakers are its . All 6 are Republicans.
See all 6 names Hide the names
Authors (6)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Michelle Litjens · Republican, Assembly
- John Murtha · Republican, Assembly
- Roger Rivard · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Steineke · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Tiffany · Republican, Senate
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 was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Housing vote on an amendment
Passed, 8 to 0 · Mar 9, 2012
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Mar 9, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Mar 9, 2012
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.
-
Mar 6, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Mar 5, 2012
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Feb 29, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
-
Feb 21, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Housing.
-
Feb 20, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.
-
Feb 20, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 20, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Tiffany, Murtha, Litjens, Rivard, Jacque and Steineke
- Feb 20, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources
- Feb 21, 2012 · Assembly
Withdrawn from committee on Natural Resources and referred to committee on Housing
- Feb 29, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 29, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Tiffany
- Mar 5, 2012 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 2 offered by Representative Tiffany
- Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 7, 2012 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Housing, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Mar 9, 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
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
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
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