Skip to content
Bills from the 2013–14 session

Assembly Bill 598

Changing the method for charging interest that may be charged on special assessments and changing the interest rate paid on claims for certain unlawfully assessed property taxes and creating an exception for local levy limits. (FE)

Became law

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 7, 2014

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 13, 2014

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 11, 2014

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 222

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

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it does

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

Under current law, a local governmental unit may allow a special assessment that is imposed to pay for public improvements to be paid in installments. A local governmental unit includes a city, village, town, county, and special purpose district that is allowed to levy a special assessment. If installments are allowed, the local governmental unit may impose interest on the unpaid balance of the special assessment. Current law does not prescribe a maximum rate of interest that may be charged. Under this bill, installment payments are structured by the local governmental unit's governing body. Also under the bill, the interest rate is set by the governing body, and may include an administrative fee of up to 2 percent. Once the interest rate is set, the bill prohibits the rate from being changed during the course of the installment payments.

Also under current law, if a person is aggrieved by the levy and collection of an unlawful property tax assessed against his or her property, the person may file a claim against the taxation district to recover the unlawful tax. If the taxation district denies the claim, the person may file an action in circuit court. If the person filing the claim prevails with the taxation district or at the circuit court, the recovery on his or or her claim may include interest at the rate of 0.8 percent per month.

Read the full summary

Under this bill the interest rate that a person may receive on the recovery of an unlawfully assessed tax is the average annual discount rate determined by the last auction of 6-month U.S. treasury bills that is held before the claim for recovery is filed or the action for recovery is commenced. This rate of interest is the same as the maximum amount of interest that an aggrieved person may collect on the recovery of an excessive assessment of property taxes imposed by a taxation district.

Generally, under current law, and subject to a number of exceptions, a city, village, town, or county (political subdivision) may not increase its levy by a percentage that exceeds its "valuation factor," which is defined as the greater of either zero percent or the percentage change in the political subdivision's equalized value due to new construction, less improvements removed. The base amount of a political subdivision's levy, on which the levy limit is imposed, is the actual levy for the immediately preceding year.

Under one of the current law exceptions, the limit that would otherwise apply does not apply to the amount that a political subdivision levies to make up any revenue shortfall for the debt service on a revenue bond issued by the political subdivision.

Under this bill, a similar exception is created for the amount that a political subdivision levies to make up any revenue shortfall for the debt service on a special assessment B bond issued to fund a public improvement.

Who's behind it

7 lawmakers are its ⁠. 5 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

1 more lawmaker ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (1)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 0 · Feb 3, 2014

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 Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 97 to 0 · Feb 13, 2014 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (97)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 97, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Economic Development and Local Government vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 5, 2014

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Economic Development and Local Government vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 5, 2014

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 33 to 0 · Mar 11, 2014

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 33, 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 222.

  3. Apr 7, 2014

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 20, 2014

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Mar 18, 2014

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Mar 12, 2014

    The Assembly adopted it.

  7. Mar 11, 2014

    The Senate passed it too, 33 to 0.

  8. Mar 11, 2014

    The Senate adopted it.

  9. Mar 5, 2014

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

  10. Mar 5, 2014

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  11. Feb 19, 2014

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Feb 17, 2014

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Local Government.

  13. Feb 14, 2014

    The Senate received it.

  14. Feb 13, 2014

    The Assembly passed it, 97 to 0.

  15. Feb 13, 2014

    The Assembly adopted it.

  16. Feb 13, 2014

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up” (the official wording)

  17. Feb 13, 2014

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  18. Feb 3, 2014

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  19. Feb 3, 2014

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 0.

  20. Jan 29, 2014

    The committee held a public hearing.

  21. Jan 29, 2014

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  22. Jan 7, 2014

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Urban and Local Affairs.

  23. Jan 7, 2014

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Steineke, Kahl, Bernier, Bies, Ohnstad, Ripp and Petryk; cosponsored by Senator Petrowski

  2. Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Urban and Local Affairs

  3. Jan 29, 2014 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jan 29, 2014 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 29, 2014 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 3, 2014 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Urban and Local Affairs, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  7. Feb 3, 2014 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  8. Feb 11, 2014 · Assembly

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

  9. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Referred to joint committee on Finance

  10. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and taken up

  11. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Steineke

  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, Ayes 97, Noes 0

  17. Feb 13, 2014 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Feb 14, 2014 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Feb 17, 2014 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Economic Development and Local Government

  20. Feb 19, 2014 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  21. Feb 24, 2014 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Gudex

  22. Feb 25, 2014 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Gudex

  23. Mar 5, 2014 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  24. Mar 5, 2014 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  25. Mar 5, 2014 · Senate

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Economic Development and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  26. Mar 5, 2014 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  27. Mar 7, 2014 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-11-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  28. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Read a second time

  29. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 adopted

  30. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  31. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  32. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 33, Noes 0

  33. Mar 11, 2014 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Mar 12, 2014 · Assembly

    Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate Amendment 2 adopted)

  35. Mar 18, 2014 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  36. Mar 18, 2014 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 10:07 AM on 3-20-2014 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 28

  37. Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly

    Senate Amendment 2 concurred in

  38. Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  39. Apr 2, 2014 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 4-2-2014

  40. Apr 7, 2014 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-7-2014

  41. Apr 8, 2014 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2014. 2013 Wisconsin Act 222

  42. 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

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