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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 27

The maximum speed limit on freeways and expressways. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on May 20, 2015. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 9, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 76 to 22

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed May 6, 2015

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 19

Latest entry in the official record, May 20, 2015: “Published 5-21-2015”

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, the maximum speed limit on any freeway or expressway in this state is 65 miles per hour. A "freeway" is defined as any state trunk highway with four or more lanes of traffic separated by a barrier or median (a paved or landscaped strip between opposing traffic) that gives preference to through traffic by limiting access to only interchanges. An "expressway" is also defined as any state trunk highway, but only a state trunk highway that the Department of Transportation (DOT) determines has four or more lanes of traffic separated by a barrier or median that gives preference to through traffic by use of interchanges or by limiting at-grade access to selected public roads and driveways.

This bill increases the maximum speed limit on freeways and expressways from 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour. This speed limit of 70 miles per hour does not take effect until DOT posts the limit by official traffic signs.

Who's behind it

29 lawmakers are its ⁠. 28 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

10 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 39 names

Authors (29)

Signed on in support (10)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 14 to 1 · 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 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 14, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 76 to 22 · Mar 17, 2015 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (76)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 76, Noes 22”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · May 1, 2015

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · May 1, 2015

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · May 4, 2015

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 20, 2015

    The new law was published.

  2. May 20, 2015

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 19.

  3. May 19, 2015

    Sent to the governor.

  4. May 13, 2015

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. May 6, 2015

    The Assembly adopted it.

  6. May 6, 2015

    The Senate passed it too.

  7. May 6, 2015

    The Senate adopted it.

  8. May 4, 2015

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  9. May 1, 2015

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  10. May 1, 2015

    “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  11. Apr 23, 2015

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

  12. Mar 17, 2015

    The Senate received it.

  13. Mar 17, 2015

    4 more representatives signed on in support.

  14. Mar 17, 2015

    The Assembly passed it, 76 to 22.

  15. Mar 5, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  16. Mar 5, 2015

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 14 to 1.

  17. Feb 17, 2015

    The committee held a public hearing.

  18. Feb 17, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  19. Feb 9, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  20. Feb 9, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 9, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Tittl, August, Ballweg, Brandtjen, R. Brooks, Craig, Czaja, Gannon, Horlacher, Hutton, Jagler, Jarchow, Kapenga, Kerkman, Kleefisch, Knodl, Knudson, Kooyenga, Kuglitsch, Milroy, Mursau, J. Ott, Quinn, Ripp, Rohrkaste, Skowronski, Thiesfeldt, Vorpagel and Weatherston; cosponsored by Senators LeMahieu, Wanggaard, Farrow, Gudex, Lasee, L. Taylor, Tiffany, Vukmir and Lazich

  2. Feb 9, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Feb 16, 2015 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Spiros

  4. Feb 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Feb 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Feb 26, 2015 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Spiros

  7. Mar 3, 2015 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Mar 5, 2015 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 14, Noes 1

  9. Mar 5, 2015 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Mar 12, 2015 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2015 by Committee on Rules

  11. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  13. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  14. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 76, Noes 22

  15. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Representatives Mason, Allen, Young and Johnson added as coauthors

  16. Mar 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Mar 17, 2015 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  18. Apr 23, 2015 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs

  19. Apr 28, 2015 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Petrowski

  20. Apr 30, 2015 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  21. May 1, 2015 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  22. May 1, 2015 · Senate

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  23. May 1, 2015 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  24. May 4, 2015 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  25. May 4, 2015 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-6-2015 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  26. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Read a second time

  27. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  28. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  30. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended

  31. May 6, 2015 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. May 6, 2015 · Assembly

    Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted)

  33. May 13, 2015 · Assembly

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 concurred in

  34. May 13, 2015 · Assembly

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  35. May 19, 2015 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 5-19-2015

  36. May 19, 2015 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 5-19-2015

  37. May 20, 2015 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 5-20-2015. 2015 Wisconsin Act 19

  38. May 20, 2015 · Assembly

    Published 5-21-2015

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

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