Senate Bill 59
The deadline for registering certain piers and wharves with the Department of Natural Resources
Topics: Natural Resources, Department of: Recreation and boating, Port
Became law
The governor signed it on May 31, 2011. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Apr 12, 2011
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed May 10, 2011
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed 87 to 7
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2011 Wisconsin Act 25
Latest entry in the official record, Jun 6, 2011: “Published 6-13-2011”
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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
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.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, no person may deposit any material or place any structure upon the bed of any navigable water where no bulkhead line has been established or, if a bulkhead line has been established, beyond that established line unless the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants that person a permit. A bulkhead line is a line established by a municipality in the public interest that conforms as nearly as practicable to an existing shore.
Under current law, a riparian owner is exempt from obtaining a permit in order to place a pier or wharf on the bed of a navigable water if the riparian owner meets certain requirements. A pier or wharf qualifies for a permitting exemption if it is placed in an area other than an area of special natural resource interest, if it does not interfere with the rights of other riparian owners, if it meets certain size requirements, and if it has fewer than a specified number of boat slips (general pier exemption). The general pier exemption prohibits a pier or wharf from being more than six feet wide but allows the pier or wharf to have an area as a loading platform that is up to eight feet wide provided that the platform meets certain configuration requirements.
Read the full summary Show less
In addition to the general pier exemption, current law exempts from the permit requirement certain piers and wharves that were placed in the water on or before February 6, 2004 (grandfathered piers). Under that exemption, a grandfathered pier may be up to eight feet wide. A grandfathered pier may also have a loading platform that meets certain other size and configuration requirements. Current law provides that in order to obtain an exemption for a grandfathered pier, the riparian owner must register the grandfathered pier with DNR no later than April 1, 2011. There is no requirement in current law to register a pier that meets the requirements for the general pier exemption.
This bill extends the deadline for the registration of grandfathered piers.
Under the bill, the deadline for registration of a grandfathered pier is April 1, 2012.
Who's behind it
Neal Kedzie, a Republican, is its .
3 more lawmakers .
See all 4 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Neal Kedzie · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (3)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Rich Zipperer · Republican, Senate
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 · May 6, 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
Assembly vote to pass it
Passed, 87 to 7 · May 10, 2011 · 1 didn't vote
See how each of the 95 representatives voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, I: Independent, R: Republican
Yes (87)
- Alvin Ott (R, 3)
- Amy Loudenbeck (R, 31)
- Amy Sue Vruwink (D, 70)
- André Jacque (R, 1)
- Andy Jorgensen (D, 43)
- Barbara Toles (D, 17)
- Bill Kramer (R, 97)
- Bob Ziegelbauer (I, 25)
- Brett Hulsey (D, 78)
- Chad Weininger (R, 4)
- Chris Danou (D, 92)
- Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
- Christine Sinicki (D, 20)
- Cory Mason (D, 66)
- Dale Kooyenga (R, 5)
- Dan Knodl (R, 24)
- Dan Meyer (R, 34)
- Daniel LeMahieu (R, 59)
- David Cullen (D, 13)
- Dean Kaufert (R, 53)
- Dean Knudson (R, 30)
- Donna Seidel (D, 85)
- Edward Brooks (R, 50)
- Elizabeth Coggs (D, 10)
- Erik Severson (R, 28)
- Evan Wynn (R, 43)
- Fred Clark (D, 81)
- Garey Bies (R, 1)
- Gary Hebl (D, 46)
- Gary Tauchen (R, 6)
- Gordon Hintz (D, 54)
- Howard Marklein (R, 17)
- Janet Bewley (D, 25)
- Jason Fields (D, 11)
- Jeff Fitzgerald (R, 39)
- Jeff Mursau (R, 36)
- Jeffrey Stone (R, 82)
- Jennifer Shilling (D, 32)
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R, 52)
- Jerry Petrowski (R, 29)
- Jim Ott (R, 23)
- Jim Steineke (R, 5)
- JoCasta Zamarripa (D, 8)
- Joan Ballweg (R, 14)
- Joe Knilans (R, 44)
- Joel Kleefisch (R, 38)
- John Klenke (R, 88)
- John Murtha (R, 29)
- John Nygren (R, 89)
- John Steinbrink (D, 65)
- Karl Van Roy (R, 90)
- Kathleen Bernier (R, 23)
- Keith Ripp (R, 42)
- Kevin Petersen (R, 57)
- Lee Nerison (R, 96)
- Leon Young (D, 16)
- Louis Molepske Jr. (D, 71)
- Margaret Krusick (D, 7)
- Mark Honadel (R, 21)
- Mark Pocan (D, 78)
- Mark Radcliffe (D, 92)
- Mary Williams (R, 87)
- Michelle Litjens (R, 56)
- Mike Endsley (R, 26)
- Mike Kuglitsch (R, 84)
- Pat Strachota (R, 58)
- Paul F. Farrow (R, 33)
- Penny Bernard Schaber (D, 57)
- Peter Barca (D, 64)
- Richard Spanbauer (R, 53)
- Robert Turner (D, 61)
- Robin Vos (R, 33)
- Roger Rivard (R, 75)
- Samantha Kerkman (R, 61)
- Sandy Pasch (D, 10)
- Scott Krug (R, 72)
- Scott Suder (R, 69)
- Steve Kestell (R, 27)
- Steve Nass (R, 11)
- Tamara Grigsby (D, 18)
- Terese Berceau (D, 77)
- Thomas Larson (R, 67)
- Thomas Tiffany (R, 12)
- Tony Staskunas (D, 15)
- Travis Tranel (R, 49)
- Tyler August (R, 31)
- Warren Petryk (R, 93)
No (7)
- Frederick Kessler (D, 12)
- Janis Ringhand (D, 15)
- Jon Richards (D, 19)
- Josh Zepnick (D, 9)
- Kelda Roys (D, 26)
- Nick Milroy (D, 73)
- Sondy Pope (D, 80)
Didn't vote (1)
- Don Pridemore (R, 22)
Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 87, Noes 7”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Jun 6, 2011
The new law was published.
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May 31, 2011
The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 25.
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May 26, 2011
Sent to the governor.
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May 10, 2011
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 10, 2011
The Assembly passed it too, 87 to 7.
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May 10, 2011
“Read” (the official wording)
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May 10, 2011
The Assembly received it.
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May 10, 2011
The Senate passed it.
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May 6, 2011
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
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Apr 26, 2011
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 14, 2011
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Apr 12, 2011
Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
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Apr 12, 2011
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 12, 2011 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Kedzie;Cosponsored by Representative Mursau
- Apr 12, 2011 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources and Environment
- Apr 14, 2011 · Senate
Senator Zipperer added as a coauthor
- Apr 26, 2011 · Senate
Public hearing held
- May 5, 2011 · Senate
Executive action taken
- May 6, 2011 · Senate
Report passage recommended by committee on Natural Resources and Environment, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- May 6, 2011 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- May 9, 2011 · Senate
Placed on calendar 5-10-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- May 10, 2011 · Senate
Read a second time
- May 10, 2011 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- May 10, 2011 · Senate
Rules suspended
- May 10, 2011 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- May 10, 2011 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Read
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Rules suspended and taken up
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Read a second time
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 87, Noes 7
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Representative Jacque added as a cosponsor
- May 10, 2011 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- May 11, 2011 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- May 13, 2011 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled on 5-13-2011
- May 26, 2011 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 5-26-2011
- May 31, 2011 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 5-27-2011. 2011 Wisconsin Act 25
- Jun 6, 2011 · Senate
Published 6-13-2011
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote