Senate Bill 235
Age restrictions and safety certificate requirements regarding the operation of an all-terrain vehicle
Topics: Children, Natural Resources, Department of: Recreation and boating, Recreation vehicle
Passed the Senate, then stopped
The Senate passed it on Nov 2, 2011, but the Assembly never voted on it. A bill has to . To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Oct 14, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Nov 2, 2011
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The Assembly never voted on it.
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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 concur in pursuant to ”
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Terms on this page
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary
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, no person under the age of 12 may operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) unless he or she is operating the ATV for an agricultural purpose and he or she is under the supervision of a person over 18 years of age (agricultural purpose exception), or unless he or she is operating a small ATV on an ATV trail designated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and he or she is accompanied by his or her parent. Current law defines "accompanied" to mean subject to continuous verbal direction or control. Under current law, supervision is a lesser standard because it does not require a person to be subject to continuous direction and control. Under an exception to the age restrictions in current law, a person who is under the age of 12 may operate any ATV if the person operates the ATV exclusively on land under the management and control of the person's immediate family (family property exception).
This bill allows a person under the age of 12 to operate an ATV any place that any other person may operate an ATV provided that the person under the age of 12 is operating a small ATV and he or she is accompanied, and not just supervised, by his or her parent or guardian or a person who is at least 18 years old who is designated by the parent or guardian (accompanied by a parent or designee).
Read the full summary Show less
This bill maintains the agricultural purpose exception in current law so that a person under the age of 12 may still operate an ATV of any size for an agricultural purpose if he or she is under the supervision of a person over 18 years of age. The bill also maintains the family property exception so that a person under the age of 12 need not operate a small ATV or be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other person in order to operate an ATV on land under the management and control of his or her immediate family.
Current law imposes certain restrictions on the operation of an ATV on a roadway. One of those restrictions prohibits a person under the age of 12 from operating an ATV on a roadway unless the agricultural purpose exception applies and the ATV is not an implement of husbandry. This bill prohibits a person who is under the age of 12 from operating an ATV on a roadway, regardless of the purpose.
The bill prohibits a person who is under 16 years of age from operating an ATV on a roadway for nonagricultural purposes unless the person is at least 12 years of age and is accompanied by a parent or designee.
Under current law, no person who is at least 12 years of age and who was born on or after January 1, 1988 may operate an ATV unless he or she holds a valid safety certificate issued by DNR that indicates that the person successfully completed a program of instruction on ATV laws and safety. A person who operates an ATV exclusively on land under the management and control of the person's immediate family is exempt from this requirement. This bill creates an additional exemption.
The bill provides that a person is exempt from the safety certificate requirement if the person operates an ATV at a sponsored ATV demonstration event, the sponsor of the event requires the person to wear protective headgear, and the person operates the ATV in a closed-course area at a speed not exceeding 15 miles per hour. If the person is under 18 years of age, the person must be accompanied by a parent or designee.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Jim Holperin · Democrat, Senate
- Joe Leibham · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (10)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Endsley · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Kestell · Republican, Assembly
- Louis Molepske Jr. · Democrat, Assembly
- Keith Ripp · Republican, Assembly
- Roger Rivard · Republican, Assembly
- Erik Severson · Republican, Assembly
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- Travis Tranel · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Labor 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 Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs, 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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Feb 20, 2012
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Nov 7, 2011
The Assembly received it.
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Nov 2, 2011
The Senate passed it.
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Nov 1, 2011
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Oct 24, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 14, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs.
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Oct 14, 2011
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 14, 2011 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Leibham, Holperin and Taylor;Cosponsored by Representatives Rivard, Severson, Brooks, Endsley, Kestell, Molepske Jr, A. Ott, Spanbauer, Tranel and Ripp
- Oct 14, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs
- Oct 24, 2011 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Placed on calendar 11-2-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Read a second time
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 7, 2011 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2012 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Mar 23, 2012 · Assembly
Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence. More in the glossary
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
Second chamber's vote
A bill has to pass both the Assembly and the Senate in the same form before it goes to the governor.
Official term: Concurrence
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