Senate Bill 253
The liability of certain persons for environmental contamination on property on which a cleanup has been conducted
Topics: Environmental protection, Natural Resources, Department of: Environmental protection, Solid waste management
Became law
The governor signed it on Dec 8, 2011. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Oct 21, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed 32 to 0
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 3, 2011
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2011 Wisconsin Act 103
Latest entry in the official record, Dec 12, 2011: “Published 12-20-2011”
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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.
Current law generally requires a person who possesses or controls a hazardous substance that is discharged or who causes the discharge of a hazardous substance to restore the environment to the extent practicable. Under current law, a person, called a voluntary party, who applies for a liability exemption may be exempt from absolute liability to restore the environment, and from the requirements of other laws relating to hazardous substances, even if a cleanup of the discharge is not completely successful. To qualify for this exemption, an environmental investigation of the contaminated property must be conducted, a cleanup performed, and a certificate obtained from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stating that the cleanup has restored the environment. In addition, if the voluntary party owns or controls the property, the voluntary party must maintain and monitor the property as required by DNR.
Under current law, the voluntary party liability exemption is not available for a landfill that was licensed by DNR. This bill expands the voluntary party liability exemption so that the exemption is available for a landfill unless the landfill was licensed by DNR and had a plan of operation approved by DNR under current law or was initially licensed on or after May 21, 1975, and DNR determined that the landfill's design and plan of operation complied substantially with the requirements for approval under current law.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill also authorizes DNR to remove a voluntary party from the process of obtaining the voluntary party liability exemption if the voluntary party fails to make reasonable progress toward completing the environmental investigation and the cleanup or if the voluntary party fails to provide DNR with information that DNR requests.
Under current law, in limited circumstances, DNR may agree to limit the monetary amount that a voluntary party may be required to spend on a cleanup if the voluntary party ceases the cleanup after the cost exceeds 125 percent of the anticipated cost of the cleanup and the voluntary party makes reasonable efforts to sell the property. The bill eliminates this provision.
Who's behind it
Pam Galloway, a Republican, is its .
3 more lawmakers .
See all 4 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Pam Galloway · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (3)
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Donna Seidel · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 0 · Oct 28, 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 Natural Resources and Environment, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 32 to 0 · Nov 2, 2011 · 1 didn't vote
See how each of the 33 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (32)
- Alberta Darling (R, 8)
- 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)
Didn't vote (1)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 32, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Dec 12, 2011
The new law was published.
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Dec 8, 2011
The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 103.
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Dec 6, 2011
Sent to the governor.
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Nov 3, 2011
The Assembly passed it too.
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Nov 3, 2011
“Read” (the official wording)
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Nov 3, 2011
The Assembly received it.
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Nov 2, 2011
The Senate passed it, 32 to 0.
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Nov 2, 2011
“Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up” (the official wording)
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Nov 2, 2011
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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Nov 1, 2011
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Oct 28, 2011
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
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Oct 26, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 21, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
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Oct 21, 2011
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 21, 2011 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Galloway;Cosponsored by Representatives Petrowski, Mursau and Seidel
- Oct 21, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources and Environment
- Oct 26, 2011 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 28, 2011 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Oct 28, 2011 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Natural Resources and Environment, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Oct 28, 2011 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Nov 1, 2011 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- 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
Referred to joint committee on Finance
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up
- 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, Ayes 32, Noes 0
- Nov 2, 2011 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Read
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Rules suspended and taken up
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 4, 2011 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Nov 9, 2011 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled on 11-9-2011
- Dec 6, 2011 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 12-5-2011
- Dec 8, 2011 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 12-7-2011. 2011 Wisconsin Act 103
- Dec 12, 2011 · Senate
Published 12-20-2011
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