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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Senate Bill 497

Designation, modification, and termination of agricultural enterprise areas

Topics: Administrative rules, Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Department of, Farmland preservation

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 6, 2012. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 21, 2012

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 33 to 0

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Mar 13, 2012

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2011 Wisconsin Act 253

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 10, 2012: “Published 4-19-2012”

Read the bill

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What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) administers the Farmland Preservation Program, which contains some of the requirements that a farmer must meet to qualify for the farmland preservation tax credit. Under current law, one requirement for qualifying for the tax credit is that the farmland must either be in a farmland preservation zoning district or be covered by a farmland preservation agreement executed by DATCP. Current law prohibits DATCP from entering into new farmland preservation agreements unless the farmland is in an agricultural enterprise area targeted for agricultural preservation and development. Under current law, DATCP designates agricultural enterprise areas by rule. The law allows DATCP to use emergency rule-making procedures to designate agricultural enterprise areas.

Under this bill, DATCP designates agricultural enterprise areas by order, rather than by rule.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Republican.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (6)

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Agriculture vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 24, 2012

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 Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 5, 2012

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 33 to 0 · Mar 6, 2012

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 33, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 10, 2012

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 6, 2012

    The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 253.

  3. Apr 5, 2012

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 13, 2012

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Mar 6, 2012

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Mar 6, 2012

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Mar 6, 2012

    The Senate passed it, 33 to 0.

  8. Mar 5, 2012

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  9. Mar 5, 2012

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  10. Feb 24, 2012

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.

  11. Feb 23, 2012

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Feb 22, 2012

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  13. Feb 21, 2012

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education.

  14. Feb 21, 2012

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 21, 2012 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Schultz and Holperin;Cosponsored by Representatives Nerison, Clark, Vruwink, A. Ott and Tranel

  2. Feb 21, 2012 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education

  3. Feb 22, 2012 · Senate

    Representative Spanbauer added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 23, 2012 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 24, 2012 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  6. Feb 24, 2012 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  7. Mar 5, 2012 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  8. Mar 5, 2012 · Senate

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  9. Mar 5, 2012 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-6-2012 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Mar 6, 2012 · Senate

    Read a second time

  11. Mar 6, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Mar 6, 2012 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  13. Mar 6, 2012 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 33, Noes 0

  14. Mar 6, 2012 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  16. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  17. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:36 A.M. on 3-13-2012 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 22

  18. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  19. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  22. Mar 13, 2012 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Mar 13, 2012 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  24. Mar 21, 2012 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-21-2012

  25. Apr 5, 2012 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-5-2012

  26. Apr 6, 2012 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-6-2012. 2011 Wisconsin Act 253

  27. Apr 10, 2012 · Senate

    Published 4-19-2012

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

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

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