Assembly Bill 655
The regulation of aquaculture
Topics: Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Department of, Fish and fishing: Commercial, Natural Resources, Department of: Environmental protection, Natural Resources, Department of: Hunting and fishing, Water: Pollution, Wetland
Stopped in committee
It never got a , 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
Mar 2, 2012
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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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 never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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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.
Aquaculture Use of natural bodies of water Under current law, a person may not use a natural body of water as a fish farm unless the water body is a freeze-out pond or preexisting fish rearing facility and unless the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issues person a permit (natural water body permit). The person and the water body must also meet certain additional conditions. One of those conditions requires DNR to determine that no substantial public interest exists in the body of water and that no public or private rights in the body of water will be damaged (interest and rights determination). This bill provides that the requirement to obtain a natural water body permit, the requirement that the water body be a freeze-out pond or preexisting fish rearing facility, and the requirement that DNR make an interest and rights determination do not apply to a person seeking to use a natural body of water as a fish farm if the person has been issued a permit with respect to that body of water that authorizes the person to change the course of or straighten a stream, to enlarge a waterway, or to construct a dam.
Generally, under current law, DNR must renew a natural water body permit unless DNR finds that there has been a substantial change in circumstances related to DNR's interest and rights determination. This bill provides that a natural water body permit, once issued, does not expire unless DNR makes such a finding.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill also prohibits DNR from promulgating rules that require DNR, before it issues a natural water body permit, to hold a hearing or provide notice that it will not hold a hearing. In addition, the bill requires DNR to post notice of every application for a natural water body permit on DNR's Internet Web site.
Wastewater discharge permits Current law generally prohibits a person from discharging pollutants into the surface water or groundwater without a wastewater discharge permit from DNR.
The law requires persons required to have permits, other than persons who operate livestock farms, to pay an annual wastewater discharge fee based in part on the amount of pollutants discharged. The fees are deposited into the general fund.
This bill exempts persons who operate fish farms from the wastewater discharge fee.
The bill also requires DNR to include, in wastewater discharge permits for fish farms that produce more than 100,000 pounds of fish per year, requirements that are based on, and are not more stringent than, requirements in a specified regulation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency applicable to those fish farms.
Record-keeping Current law requires a person who operates a fish farm to keep records on purchases, sales, and production of fish and fish eggs and any other records required by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).
This bill provides that a person who operates a fish farm is not required to keep records on the sale of fish to an individual for the individual's personal use.
Importing fish Current law generally requires a person who brings fish or fish eggs into this state for the purpose of introduction into lakes or streams, of use as bait, or of rearing in a fish farm without an annual permit issued by DATCP.
This bill exempts a person bringing fish or fish eggs from a fish farm in another state to a fish farm in this state from the requirement to have an importation permit if the person has a fish health certificate that covers the fish or fish eggs and that complies with DATCP's rules on fish health certificates.
Current law exempts DNR from the requirement to have a permit from DATCP to bring fish into this state. This bill eliminates that exemption.
Who's behind it
6 lawmakers are its . 5 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.
4 more lawmakers .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Authors (6)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Endsley · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (4)
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Robert Jauch · Democrat, Senate
- Neal Kedzie · Republican, Senate
- Dale Schultz · 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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Mar 15, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 9, 2012
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 2, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources.
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Mar 2, 2012
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Marklein, Krug, Bewley, Brooks, Endsley and Spanbauer;Cosponsored by Senators Holperin, Jauch, Kedzie and Schultz
- Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources
- Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 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