Senate Bill 200
Requiring motorists to yield to railroad track equipment trains at railroad crossings and requiring a railroad to maintain its right-of-way
Topics: Bus and truck, Motor vehicle: Regulation, Railroad, Railroad: Crossing
Stopped before the full Senate voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Sep 26, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
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Assembly 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 ”
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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.
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
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, an operator of a vehicle may not drive across a railroad crossing when a train occupies or is closely approaching the crossing. An operator of certain vehicles, including motor buses, school buses, and certain motor vehicles used for transporting hazardous, flammable, or explosive materials (covered vehicles), must generally stop before crossing any nonexempted railroad track, listen and look in both directions for an approaching train, and proceed only once the operator has ascertained that the course is clear.
Under this bill, railroad track equipment is defined as "a device that is operated on rails and used primarily for the maintenance of railroads." For railroad crossing purposes, this bill treats railroad track equipment similar to railroad trains. Thus, under this bill, a motorist must yield to railroad track equipment as for a railroad train at a railroad crossing and a covered vehicle must listen and look for railroad track equipment as for a railroad train at a nonexempted railroad tracks.
Read the full summary Show less
Also under current law, a railroad must keep its right-of-way clear of brush or trees for at least 330 feet in each direction from the center of a public railroad crossing, and for any further distance that is necessary to provide an adequate view of approaching trains from the highway. Under this bill, a railroad is required only to keep its right-of-way clear for at least 330 feet in each direction from the center of a public railroad crossing.
Who's behind it
4 senators are its . 2 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.
12 more lawmakers .
See all 16 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Joe Leibham · Republican, Senate
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (12)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Endsley · Republican, Assembly
- Andy Jorgensen · Democrat, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Lee Nerison · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Roger Rivard · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Nov 1, 2011
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2012
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Nov 1, 2011
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Oct 31, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Sep 26, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Elections.
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Sep 26, 2011
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Sep 26, 2011 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Leibham, Olsen, Hansen and Taylor;Cosponsored by Representatives Petrowski, Mursau, Brooks, Endsley, Jorgensen, Kaufert, Nerison, A. Ott, Rivard, Sinicki, Spanbauer and Zepnick
- Sep 26, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Elections
- Oct 31, 2011 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 23, 2012 · Senate
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
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
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
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