Assembly Bill 29
Limiting the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest someone for sleeping or camping in a county park, authorizing local ordinances to prohibit overnight sleeping or camping in a county park, and providing a penalty. (FE)
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 10, 2015
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. 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
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 would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under this bill, and subject to a number of exceptions, no state or local law enforcement officer may arrest a person, without a warrant, who is suspected of sleeping in an area of a county park in which the county has prohibited overnight sleeping or overnight camping. The exceptions include situations where the law enforcement officer knows the person is wanted for arrest on charges unrelated to sleeping or camping in a county park or the officer reasonably believes the person is a threat to public health or safety for reasons unrelated to sleeping or camping in a county park.
The bill authorizes a political subdivision to enact and enforce an ordinance prohibiting a person from sleeping in a county park in an area designated by the political subdivision as an area in which overnight sleeping or camping is prohibited, but the ordinance must specify that the penalty for violating such an ordinance is a forfeiture of not less than $10 nor more than $200, plus costs. The ordinance must also specify that a person who is convicted of violating such an ordinance and does not pay the forfeiture may be sentenced to a term of not more than 90 days in the county jail or county house of corrections.
Read the full summary Show less
If a political subdivision has in effect on the effective date an ordinance that is inconsistent with the provisions contained in the bill, the ordinance does not apply and may not be enforced.
Who's behind it
10 lawmakers are its . All 10 are Democrats.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Mandela Barnes · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Cory Mason · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Leon Young · Democrat, Assembly
- JoCasta Zamarripa · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Nikiya Harris Dodd · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill. Taking a bill up right away needs two-thirds of the members, a higher bar than passing it, so that vote can draw more yeses than the final one.
Assembly vote to take it up right away
Failed, 36 to 63 · Apr 14, 2015
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 63”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 26, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 25, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 10, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Feb 10, 2015
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 10, 2015 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kessler, Barnes, Bowen, Brostoff, Johnson, Young, C. Taylor, Mason, Zamarripa and Subeck; cosponsored by Senators L. Taylor, C. Larson and Harris Dodd
- Feb 10, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Feb 25, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 26, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 26, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Apr 14, 2015 · Assembly
Refused to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety and take up, Ayes 36, Noes 63
- Apr 13, 2016 · Assembly
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
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
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
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