Senate Bill 196
Restricting the use of drones and providing a penalty. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 9, 2014. It's .
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Introduced, passed
May 23, 2013
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 18, 2014
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Mar 20, 2014
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2013 Wisconsin Act 213
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 9, 2014: “Published 4-9-2014”
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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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill restricts the use of drones. The bill defines a drone as a powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic vehicle lift, and can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely.
Under the bill, no law enforcement agency may use a drone that is equipped with video or audio recording equipment to collect evidence or information in a criminal investigation without first obtaining a search warrant. The bill allows a law enforcement agency to use a drone without a search warrant if it is necessary to do so for certain emergency purposes, including to locate an escaped prisoner, to aid in a search and rescue mission, or to prevent imminent harm to a person or the imminent destruction of evidence. Under the bill, evidence obtained by a drone in violation of the law is not admissible in a criminal proceeding.
Read the full summary Show less
Under the bill, a person who sells, possesses, or uses a weaponized drone is guilty of a Class H felony, and may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned for up to six years, or both. The bill prohibits a person, except a law enforcement officer who has a search warrant or is acting for a permissible emergency purpose, from using a drone that is equipped with video or audio recording equipment to photograph, record, or otherwise observe another individual in a place where the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Anyone who does so is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, and may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned for up to nine months, or both.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.
Who's behind it
7 senators are its . 4 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans.
22 more lawmakers .
See all 29 names Hide the names
Authors (7)
- Jon Erpenbach · Democrat, Senate
- Glenn Grothman · Republican, Senate
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (22)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler August · Republican, Assembly
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Born · Republican, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- David Craig · Republican, Senate
- Mary Czaja · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Steve Kestell · Republican, Assembly
- Amy Loudenbeck · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- John Murtha · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Joe Sanfelippo · Republican, Assembly
- Katrina Shankland · Democrat, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Travis Tranel · Republican, Assembly
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.
Senate Committee on Government Operations vote on an amendment
Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 13, 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 1 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Government Operations vote on an amendment
Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 13, 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 Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Government Operations vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 13, 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 Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 9, 2014
The new law was published.
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Apr 9, 2014
The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 213.
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Apr 7, 2014
Sent to the governor.
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Apr 1, 2014
“Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)
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Mar 21, 2014
The Senate adopted it.
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Mar 20, 2014
The Assembly passed it too.
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Mar 20, 2014
The Assembly adopted it.
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Feb 20, 2014
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 18, 2014
The Assembly received it.
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Feb 18, 2014
The Senate passed it.
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Feb 18, 2014
The Senate adopted it.
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Feb 13, 2014
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
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Feb 13, 2014
“Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Feb 13, 2014
“Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Jan 15, 2014
The committee held a public hearing.
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May 23, 2013
Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications.
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May 23, 2013
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- May 23, 2013 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Petrowski, Erpenbach, Risser, Grothman, Hansen, Schultz and L. Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives August, Kessler, Craig, C. Taylor, Ballweg, Berceau, Born, Czaja, Hebl, Kestell, Loudenbeck, Murphy, Murtha, Ohnstad, A. Ott, Pope, Sanfelippo, Shankland, Spiros, Thiesfeldt, Tittl and Tranel
- May 23, 2013 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications
- Nov 5, 2013 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Petrowski
- Jan 15, 2014 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 30, 2014 · Senate
Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Petrowski
- Feb 13, 2014 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 13, 2014 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Feb 13, 2014 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Feb 13, 2014 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Feb 13, 2014 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 17, 2014 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-18-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Senate Amendment 2 adopted
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 18, 2014 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 18, 2014 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2014 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Mar 18, 2014 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 10:23 AM on 3-20-2014 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 28
- Mar 19, 2014 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative August
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in as amended
- Mar 20, 2014 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 21, 2014 · Senate
Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 21, 2014 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 31, 2014 · Senate
Placed on calendar 4-1-2014 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Apr 1, 2014 · Senate
Assembly Amendment 1 concurred in
- Apr 1, 2014 · Senate
Action ordered immediately messaged
- Apr 3, 2014 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Apr 7, 2014 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 4-7-2014
- Apr 9, 2014 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2014. 2013 Wisconsin Act 213
- Apr 9, 2014 · Senate
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote