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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Assembly Bill 352

Allowing placement of net pens in navigable waters under a statewide general permit and exceptions for certain requirements that apply to fish farms. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Dec 12, 2013. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 5, 2013

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 8, 2013

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 32 to 1

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 75

Latest entry in the official record, Dec 12, 2013: “Published 12-13-2013”

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, no person may place a structure upon the bed of any navigable water where no bulkhead line has been established or beyond a lawfully established bulkhead line unless the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued an individual or general permit allowing the structure. Certain structures, including a fish crib intended to improve fish habitat, certain piers and wharves, and a biological shore erosion control structure, are exempted from these permitting requirements if they are not in an area of special natural resource interest and do not interfere with riparian rights.

This bill requires DNR to issue a statewide general permit that authorizes a person to place a net pen in a navigable water as long as the net pen meets certain conditions. The bill defines a net pen as an enclosure placed in a body of water and used to hold or rear fish. The bill specifies that a person may place a net pen only for noncommercial purposes. The fish must be stocked, and released into the water, by DNR or by a person who has a fish stocking permit. Finally, the bill requires that the fish held or reared in the net pen be released into the same body of water into which the net pen is placed. The bill specifies that the general permit may not authorize the placement of a net pen for a period of more than eight weeks and provides that the general permit may not limit the number of times that a person may place a net pen in the waters of this state.

Read the full summary

Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) administers laws regulating fish farms. A fish farm is a facility at which a person hatches fish eggs or rears fish for the purpose of introduction into the waters of the state or for various other purposes including human or animal consumption. Current law requires most persons who bring fish or fish eggs into this state for the purpose of introduction into the waters of this state to obtain a permit from DATCP. Current law also requires a person who operates a fish farm to annually register the fish farm with DATCP.

This bill exempts a person who is authorized under a general permit to place a net pen in the waters of this state from obtaining a permit from DATCP or registering that net pen with DATCP as a fish farm. The bill provides that after the date on which fish are placed in a net pen under the authority of a general permit, DATCP's authority to regulate fish farms does not apply to fish held in that net pen.

Current law generally prohibits a person from using a natural body of water as a fish farm unless the land that is riparian to the body of water is owned, leased, or controlled by the owners of the fish farm and the body of water is a freeze-out pond, a preexisting fish rearing facility, or a body of water for which DNR has issued a permit for certain other navigable waters activities. This bill creates an exemption to this prohibition against using a natural body of water as a fish farm. Under the bill, the exemption applies to a person who places a net pen under the authority of a general permit issued by DNR.

Who's behind it

7 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 7 are Republicans.

4 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 11 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (4)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

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 7 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage vote on an amendment

Passed, 16 to 0 · Oct 1, 2013

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage, Ayes 16, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage vote to recommend it

Passed, 16 to 0 · Oct 1, 2013

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage, Ayes 16, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 94 to 2 · Oct 8, 2013 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 97 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (94)

No (2)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 94, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Nov 7, 2013

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Natural Resources, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Nov 11, 2013

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

Passed, 5 to 0 · Nov 11, 2013

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

Official motion: “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”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 32 to 1 · Nov 12, 2013

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 32, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Dec 12, 2013

    The new law was published.

  2. Dec 12, 2013

    The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 75.

  3. Dec 10, 2013

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Nov 12, 2013

    The Senate passed it too, 32 to 1.

  5. Nov 11, 2013

    “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)

  6. Nov 11, 2013

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  7. Nov 7, 2013

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

  8. Oct 31, 2013

    The committee held a public hearing.

  9. Oct 9, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.

  10. Oct 9, 2013

    The Senate received it.

  11. Oct 8, 2013

    The Assembly passed it, 94 to 2.

  12. Oct 8, 2013

    The Assembly adopted it.

  13. Oct 8, 2013

    “Placed at the foot of the calendar of 10-8-2013” (the official wording)

  14. Oct 1, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  15. Oct 1, 2013

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 16 to 0.

  16. Oct 1, 2013

    “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage, Ayes 16, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  17. Sep 11, 2013

    The committee held a public hearing.

  18. Sep 11, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  19. Sep 10, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  20. Sep 5, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage.

  21. Sep 5, 2013

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 5, 2013 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Bies, A. Ott, T. Larson, Czaja, Tittl, Williams and Stroebel; cosponsored by Senators Lasee, Kedzie, Tiffany and Miller

  2. Sep 5, 2013 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage

  3. Sep 10, 2013 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Sep 11, 2013 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Sep 11, 2013 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Sep 20, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Bies

  7. Sep 25, 2013 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Oct 1, 2013 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage, Ayes 16, Noes 0

  9. Oct 1, 2013 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage, Ayes 16, Noes 0

  10. Oct 1, 2013 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  11. Oct 3, 2013 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-8-2013 by Committee on Rules

  12. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Placed at the foot of the calendar of 10-8-2013

  13. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  15. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  17. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 94, Noes 2

  18. Oct 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Oct 9, 2013 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  20. Oct 9, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Natural Resources

  21. Oct 31, 2013 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  22. Nov 7, 2013 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  23. Nov 7, 2013 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Natural Resources, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  24. Nov 7, 2013 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  25. Nov 11, 2013 · Senate

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

  26. Nov 11, 2013 · 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

  27. Nov 11, 2013 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-12-2013 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  28. Nov 12, 2013 · Senate

    Read a second time

  29. Nov 12, 2013 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. Nov 12, 2013 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  31. Nov 12, 2013 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 32, Noes 1

  32. Nov 12, 2013 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  33. Nov 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  34. Nov 21, 2013 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 11-21-2013

  35. Dec 10, 2013 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 12-10-2013

  36. Dec 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-12-2013. 2013 Wisconsin Act 75

  37. Dec 12, 2013 · Assembly

    Published 12-13-2013

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

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