Senate Bill 642
The definition of an oral communication for purposes of authorizing or prohibiting an interception of an oral communication
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
Feb 28, 2014
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly 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 Senate Committee on Judiciary and 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law generally prohibits a person from aurally recording or otherwise using a device to intercept another person's (speaker's) oral communications unless a court has authorized the interception or unless the person is a party to the communication or the speaker or another party to the communication has given permission for the interception. Current law defines "oral communication" in part as any oral communication uttered by a person exhibiting an expectation that the communication is not subject to interception under circumstances justifying the expectation.
In State v. Duchow , 2008 WI 57, 310 Wis. 2d 1, 749 N.W.2d 913, 05-2175, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the definition of "oral communication" incorporates a reasonable expectation of privacy, and that, absent a reasonable expectation of privacy, a person is not prohibited from aurally recording or otherwise using a device to intercept a speaker's oral communication.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill redefines "oral communication" as one uttered by a person who has a reasonable expectation the communication is private or who is exhibiting an expectation that the communication is not subject to interception under circumstances justifying the expectation.
Who's behind it
Law Revision Committee is its .
See all the details Hide the names
Author (1)
- Law Revision Committee
What happened
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Apr 8, 2014
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 28, 2014
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor.
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Feb 28, 2014
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 28, 2014 · Senate
Introduced by Law Revision Committee
- Feb 28, 2014 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Labor
- Apr 8, 2014 · Senate
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
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