Assembly Bill 604
Authorizing the circuit court to order a person who engages in discrimination in employment on the basis of military service to pay compensatory and punitive damages. (FE)
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Jan 7, 2014
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2014: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Labor. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of military service, which is defined as service in the U.S. armed forces, the state defense force, the national guard of any state, or any other reserve component of the U.S. armed forces. Also, current law specifies that employment discrimination on the basis of military service includes discriminating against an individual because the individual is or applies to be a member of the U.S. armed forces, the state defense force, the national guard of any state, or any reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or because the individual performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform military service. Current law provides, however, that it is not employment discrimination on the basis of military service to refuse to hire, employ, or license an individual or to bar or terminate an individual from employment or licensure because the individual has been less than honorably discharged from military service and the circumstances of the discharge substantially relate to the circumstances of the particular job or licensed activity.
Under current law, a person alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of military service may file a complaint with the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) seeking action that will effectuate the purpose of the employment discrimination law, including reinstating the complainant, providing back pay, and paying costs and attorney fees. Current law, however, does not authorize DWD to award compensatory or punitive damages to a complainant.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill permits DWD or a person who has been discriminated against on the basis of military service to bring an action in circuit court to recover compensatory and punitive damages caused by the act of discrimination, plus reasonable costs and attorney fees incurred in the action, after the completion of all administrative proceedings before DWD and the Labor and Industry Review Commission concerning the violation. Those damages are in addition to any back pay or other amounts awarded in the administrative proceeding. The bill, however, does not permit an action for damages to be brought against any local governmental unit or against any employer employing fewer than 15 individuals.
Under the bill, if the circuit court finds that a defendant has discriminated on the basis of military service, the circuit court must order the defendant to pay to the person discriminated against compensatory and punitive damages in an amount that the circuit court finds appropriate, subject to the limitations, as follows:
1. If the defendant employs 100 or fewer employees, $50,000.
2. If the defendant employs more than 100 but fewer than 201 employees, $100,000.
3. If the defendant employs more than 200 but fewer than 501 employees, $200,000.
4. If the defendant employs more than 500 employees, $300,000.
Who's behind it
27 lawmakers are its . All 27 are Democrats.
2 more lawmakers .
See all 29 names Hide the names
Authors (27)
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Penny Bernard Schaber · Democrat, Assembly
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Eric Genrich · Democrat, Assembly
- Evan Goyke · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Gordon Hintz · Democrat, Assembly
- Andy Jorgensen · Democrat, Assembly
- Robb Kahl · Democrat, Assembly
- Cory Mason · Democrat, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Sandy Pasch · Democrat, Assembly
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Stephen Smith · Democrat, Assembly
- Amy Sue Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
- Dana Wachs · Democrat, Assembly
- Mandy Wright · Democrat, Assembly
- Leon Young · Democrat, Assembly
- JoCasta Zamarripa · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (2)
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- John Lehman · Democrat, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill. Taking a bill up right away needs two-thirds of the members, a higher bar than passing it, so that vote can draw more yeses than the final one.
Assembly vote to take it up right away
Failed, 36 to 57 · Feb 20, 2014
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Labor and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 57”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 8, 2014
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 5, 2014
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 29, 2014
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 7, 2014
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Labor.
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Jan 7, 2014
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Smith, Milroy, Sinicki, C. Taylor, Mason, Berceau, Hebl, Ohnstad, Goyke, Wachs, Wright, Bewley, Ringhand, Hintz, Zepnick, Young, Pasch, Barca, Jorgensen, Zamarripa, Vruwink, Doyle, Bernard Schaber, Genrich, Sargent, Billings and Kahl; cosponsored by Senators Lehman and Lassa
- Jan 7, 2014 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Labor
- Jan 29, 2014 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 5, 2014 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 20, 2014 · Assembly
Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Labor and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 57
- Apr 8, 2014 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote