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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Assembly Bill 592

Solicitation of a fee by a business or individual for a public record, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 8, 2014. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 23, 2013

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 13, 2014

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 18, 2014

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 247

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2014: “Published 4-9-2014”

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.

Currently an individual may request a copy of a public record from a state agency or local unit of government and, upon the payment of a fee for the cost of producing a copy of the public record, receive a copy of that record. In many cases there is no fee or a small fee for receiving a copy of a public record.

The bill requires any document used by a business or individual to make a solicitation of a fee to provide a copy of a public record to state, in at least 24-point type, that the solicitation is not from a governmental agency, that no action is legally required by the person being solicited, the contact information for the governmental office that has custody of the public record and fee for, or cost of, obtaining the public record from that office, and the solicitor's name.

Read the full summary

The bill specifies that the solicitation document may not be in a form that makes it appear to be from a governmental agency or to impose a legal duty upon the solicited person. The bill prohibits the solicitor from charging more than four times the amount charged by the governmental office that has custody of the public record.

The bill also requires a solicitor to furnish the register of deeds of each county where a solicitation is to be made for a copy of a deed with a copy of the solicitation document at least 15 days before the solicitation is distributed. In addition, the bill gives DATCP authority or, at the request of DATCP, the department of justice or a district attorney authority to bring an action against any person who violates the provisions of this bill, allows the court to order refunds of moneys paid to a violator, and creates a forfeiture of up to $100 for each solicitation document distributed in violation of the bill's provisions.

The bill does not apply to a title insurance company authorized to do business in this state.

Who's behind it

25 lawmakers are its ⁠. 14 are Republicans and 11 are Democrats.

10 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 35 names

Authors (25)

Signed on in support (10)

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 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection vote on an amendment

Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 7, 2014

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 Consumer Protection, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 7, 2014

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 Consumer Protection, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 17, 2014

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 8, 2014

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 8, 2014

    The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 247.

  3. Apr 7, 2014

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 18, 2014

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 17, 2014

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 17, 2014

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 14, 2014

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 13, 2014

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Feb 13, 2014

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Feb 13, 2014

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Feb 7, 2014

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 7, 2014

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  13. Jan 7, 2014 to Jan 9, 2014

    3 more representatives signed on in support.

  14. Jan 7, 2014

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Dec 23, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection.

  16. Dec 23, 2013

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 23, 2013 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Ripp, Hebl, Ballweg, Berceau, Bernier, Bewley, Billings, Born, Czaja, Doyle, Hintz, Jacque, Kestell, T. Larson, Loudenbeck, Milroy, Mursau, Nass, Ohnstad, A. Ott, Pridemore, Smith, Swearingen, Vruwink and Genrich; cosponsored by Senators Olsen, Gudex, Hansen, Harsdorf, Lassa, Miller and Wirch

  2. Dec 23, 2013 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Consumer Protection

  3. Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Representatives Jagler and Tittl added as coauthors

  5. Jan 9, 2014 · Assembly

    Representative Wright added as a coauthor

  6. Jan 16, 2014 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Ripp

  7. Feb 4, 2014 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Feb 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  9. Feb 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  10. Feb 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  11. Feb 11, 2014 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-13-2014 by Committee on Rules

  12. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  14. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  16. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  17. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Representative Barca added as a coauthor

  18. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Feb 14, 2014 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  20. Feb 17, 2014 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  21. Feb 17, 2014 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  22. Feb 17, 2014 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  23. Feb 17, 2014 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-18-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Feb 18, 2014 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Feb 18, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Feb 18, 2014 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  27. Feb 18, 2014 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  28. Feb 18, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Feb 18, 2014 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  30. Feb 28, 2014 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-28-2014

  31. Apr 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-7-2014

  32. Apr 8, 2014 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2014. 2013 Wisconsin Act 247

  33. Apr 8, 2014 · Assembly

    Published 4-9-2014

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