Assembly Bill 13
The return of a seized firearm to the person who owns the firearm. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Feb 4, 2016. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jan 27, 2015
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jun 9, 2015
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Jan 20, 2016
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2015 Wisconsin Act 141
Latest entry in the official record, Feb 4, 2016: “Published 2-5-2016”
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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
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 does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law specifies a process and criteria for courts and police officers to use to determine ownership of property that has been seized by a police officer and to decide if, how, and when to return the seized property. Under this bill, if a person claims the right to possess a firearm that has been seized, he or she may apply to the court for its return. If a person makes such a claim, the court must order the firearm returned if one of the following occurs: all charges connected with the seizure are dismissed; six months have elapsed since the seizure and no charges in connection with it have been filed against the person; the final disposition for all charges is reached and the person is not adjudged guilty of a crime in connection with the seizure; the person establishes that he or she had no prior knowledge of and gave no consent to the commission of the activity that led to the seizure; or the district attorney affirmatively declines to file charges connected with the seizure against the person. If the person applies to the court within eight business days after the applicable event occurs, the court must order that the firearm be returned within ten business days of the event. If the person applies to the court later than eight business days after the applicable event occurs, the court must order that the firearm be returned as soon as practically possible but no later than five business days after the order.
Who's behind it
23 lawmakers are its . All 23 are Republicans.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 29 names Hide the names
Authors (23)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler August · Republican, Assembly
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- David Craig · Republican, Senate
- Mary Czaja · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Gannon · Republican, Assembly
- Adam Jarchow · Republican, Assembly
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
- Joel Kleefisch · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Knudson · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- John Murtha · Republican, Assembly
- Adam Neylon · Republican, Assembly
- Kevin Petersen · Republican, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Keith Ripp · Republican, Assembly
- Joe Sanfelippo · Republican, Assembly
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Richard Gudex · Republican, Senate
- Frank G. Lasee · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Tiffany · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
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 4 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment
Passed, 8 to 4 · Mar 5, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 8 to 4 · Mar 5, 2015
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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly vote on an amendment
Passed, 63 to 35 · Jun 9, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Assembly Amendment 3 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 4 to 0 · Dec 18, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Feb 4, 2016
The new law was published.
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Feb 4, 2016
The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 141.
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Feb 3, 2016
Sent to the governor.
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Jan 20, 2016
The Senate passed it too.
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Dec 18, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 0.
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Oct 28, 2015
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jun 12, 2015
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Jun 10, 2015
The Senate received it.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Assembly passed it.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Assembly adopted it.
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Mar 5, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Mar 5, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 4.
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Feb 24, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 13, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 3, 2015
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 2, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 29, 2015
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 27, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Jan 27, 2015
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 27, 2015 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Knodl, Allen, August, Brandtjen, Craig, Czaja, Gannon, Jarchow, Kapenga, Kleefisch, Knudson, Mursau, Neylon, Petersen, Quinn, Ripp, Sanfelippo, Skowronski, Steffen, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Weatherston and Murtha; cosponsored by Senators Nass, Gudex, Lasee, Wanggaard and Tiffany
- Jan 27, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Jan 29, 2015 · Assembly
Representative R. Brooks added as a coauthor
- Feb 2, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 3, 2015 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 5, 2015 · Assembly
LRB correction
- Feb 13, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 24, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Knodl
- Feb 24, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 25, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Goyke and Kessler
- Feb 25, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Goyke and Kessler
- Feb 26, 2015 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 5, 2015 · Assembly
Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 4
- Mar 5, 2015 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 4
- Mar 5, 2015 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 3, 2015 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 6-9-2015 by Committee on Rules
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 3 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Goyke, Wachs, Spreitzer, Meyers, Hesselbein, Hintz, Subeck, Sargent, Considine, Berceau, Pope, Kessler and Zamarripa
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 3 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 63, Noes 35
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 10, 2015 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Jun 12, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Oct 28, 2015 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Dec 16, 2015 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Dec 18, 2015 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 0
- Dec 18, 2015 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jan 19, 2016 · Senate
Placed on calendar 1-20-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jan 20, 2016 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jan 20, 2016 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 20, 2016 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Jan 20, 2016 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Jan 20, 2016 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 21, 2016 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Jan 26, 2016 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 1-26-2016
- Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 2-3-2016
- Feb 4, 2016 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 2-4-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 141
- Feb 4, 2016 · Assembly
Published 2-5-2016
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
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