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Bills from the Sep 2011 Special Session

Senate Bill 22

The duty of care owed to trespassers

Became law

The governor signed it on Dec 8, 2011. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 18, 2011

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Nov 2, 2011

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 80 to 15

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2011 Wisconsin Act 93

Latest entry in the official record, Dec 12, 2011: “Published 12-20-2011”

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.

This bill sets forth limits on the civil liability of private property owners to trespassers. Under the bill, a private property owner, including a lawful tenant or other occupant of private property, owes no duty of care to a trespasser on his or her property and may not be found liable for an act or omission relating to a condition on his or her property that causes injury or death to a trespasser, except under certain circumstances. The bill defines a trespasser as anyone who enters onto private property without the express or implied consent of the property owner and sets forth criteria for determining whether the owner gave implied consent to enter onto the property.

Under the bill, a private property owner may be liable for injuries that he or she intentionally causes to a trespasser, unless the private property owner was acting reasonably in self-defense or in the defense of another.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, a private property owner may, under certain circumstances, be liable for injuries to a trespasser who is a child. Liability may attach if the child was injured because of an artificial condition on the property that the owner knew or should have known was unreasonably dangerous and knew or should have known a child was likely to trespass near and if other factors indicate that the owner acted unreasonably in failing to prevent harm to the child.

Who's behind it

4 lawmakers are its ⁠. 4 have no party on record.

4 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (4)

  • Committee on Senate Organization
  • Representative Kuglitsch
  • Senator Galloway
  • by request of Governor Scott Walker

Signed on in support (4)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Judiciary vote on an amendment

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 adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 80 to 15 · Nov 3, 2011 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 96 representatives voted

D: Democrat, I: Independent, R: Republican

Yes (80)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 80, Noes 15, Paired 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Dec 12, 2011

    The new law was published.

  2. Dec 8, 2011

    The governor signed it. It became 2011 Wisconsin Act 93.

  3. Dec 6, 2011

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Nov 3, 2011

    The Assembly passed it too, 80 to 15.

  5. Nov 3, 2011

    “Read first time and referred to calendar 11-3-2011 pursuant to Assembly Rule 93” (the official wording)

  6. Nov 3, 2011

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Nov 2, 2011

    The Senate passed it.

  8. Nov 2, 2011

    The Senate adopted it.

  9. Nov 1, 2011

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  10. Nov 1, 2011

    “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  11. Oct 26, 2011

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Oct 18, 2011

    4 more representatives and 2 senators signed on in support.

  13. Oct 18, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations.

  14. Oct 18, 2011

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by committee on Senate Organization, by request of Governor Scott Walker, Senator Galloway, and Representative Kuglitsch

  2. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations

  3. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Senator Galloway added as a coauthor

  4. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Representative Kuglitsch added as a cosponsor

  5. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Senator Zipperer added as a coauthor

  6. Oct 18, 2011 · Senate

    Representatives Williams, Farrow and August added as a cosponsors

  7. Oct 26, 2011 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  8. Oct 28, 2011 · Senate

    Senate substitute amendment 1 offered by Senators Galloway and Zipperer

  9. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  10. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  11. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  12. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  13. Nov 1, 2011 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-2-2011 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  14. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Read a second time

  15. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Senate substitute amendment 1 adopted

  16. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  18. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  19. Nov 2, 2011 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  21. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to calendar 11-3-2011 pursuant to Assembly Rule 93

  22. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  23. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  24. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  26. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 80, Noes 15, Paired 2

  27. Nov 3, 2011 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Nov 4, 2011 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  29. Nov 9, 2011 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled on 11-9-2011

  30. Dec 6, 2011 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 12-5-2011

  31. Dec 8, 2011 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-7-2011. 2011 Wisconsin Act 93

  32. 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

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