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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 218

Inheritance by a parent who abandons a child

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 2, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 14, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 19, 2016

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 16, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 224

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 2, 2016: “Published 3-2-2016”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

Under current law, if a child dies intestate, the parents of the deceased child inherit the child's estate if the child was not married and did not have any children of his or her own. This bill prohibits a parent who abandoned a deceased child, as determined by a court, from inheriting the child's estate by intestate succession.

Under the bill, a parent abandoned a deceased child if, for at least one year before the child's death and without cause, the parent failed to communicate with the child, care for the child, and provide for the child's maintenance and support. A parent who is prohibited from inheriting from a deceased child due to abandonment is not considered an heir of the child.

Who's behind it

6 representatives are its ⁠. All 6 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 9 names

Authors (6)

Signed on in support (3)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Children and Families vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 1 · Nov 10, 2015

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 Children and Families, Ayes 11, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 4 to 1 · Feb 11, 2016

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 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 2, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 2, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 224.

  3. Feb 29, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 16, 2016

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 11, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 1.

  6. Feb 4, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Jan 22, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  8. Jan 20, 2016

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  9. Jan 19, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  10. Jan 19, 2016

    The Assembly passed it.

  11. Nov 10, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Nov 10, 2015

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 1.

  13. Oct 15, 2015

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  14. Jun 3, 2015

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. May 14, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.

  16. May 14, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. May 14, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Kleefisch, Kitchens, A. Ott, Knodl, Edming and Tittl; cosponsored by Senator Harris Dodd

  2. May 14, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Children and Families

  3. Jun 3, 2015 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 15, 2015 · Assembly

    Representative Johnson added as a coauthor

  5. Oct 28, 2015 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Nov 10, 2015 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 11, Noes 1

  7. Nov 10, 2015 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Jan 14, 2016 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-19-2016 by Committee on Rules

  9. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  10. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  12. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  13. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Jan 19, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  15. Jan 20, 2016 · Senate

    Senator Kapenga added as a cosponsor

  16. Jan 22, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  17. Feb 4, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  18. Feb 11, 2016 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  19. Feb 11, 2016 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  20. Feb 11, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  21. Feb 15, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-16-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  22. Feb 16, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  23. Feb 16, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  24. Feb 16, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  25. Feb 16, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  26. Feb 16, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  27. Feb 17, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  28. Feb 25, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2016

  29. Feb 29, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 2-29-2016

  30. Mar 2, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-1-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 224

  31. Mar 2, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-2-2016

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

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary