Assembly Bill 319
Conveying interests in local government land for construction of natural gas lines. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Feb 4, 2016. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Aug 26, 2015
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 3, 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 148
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 generally prohibits the condemnation of real property owned by the state, a municipality, or a county. However, an exception applies for high-voltage transmission lines constructed by electric public utilities and cooperative associations. Under current law, if such a utility or cooperative association receives a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from the Public Service Commission (PSC) for a high-voltage transmission line constructed over, on, or under land owned by a county, city, village, town, public board, or commission, the owner of the land must convey to the utility or cooperative association, at fair market value, the interest in land necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the line.
Current law imposes a 90-day deadline for the parties to agree on the fair market value, except that the parties can agree to extend the deadline by an additional 90 days. The deadline begins to run when the utility or cooperative association notifies the landowner that the PSC has issued a CPCN for the line. If the parties cannot reach agreement before the deadline expires, current law requires the circuit court of the county in which the land is located to appoint an arbitrator to determine fair market value. Current law requires the interest in the land to be conveyed to the utility or cooperative association upon commencement of the arbitration proceeding. The arbitrator's determination is binding on the parties, unless a court modifies or vacates the determination under limited circumstances specified under the Wisconsin Arbitration Act. Those circumstances include fraud, partiality, misconduct, and material miscalculating.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill expands the exception regarding condemnation described above to include natural gas distribution and transmission lines constructed by natural gas public utilities. Under the bill, if a natural gas public utility receives a certificate from the PSC authorizing construction of such a line over, on, or under land owned by a county, city, village, town, public board, or commission, the owner of the land must convey to the utility, at fair market value, the interest in land necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the line. The deadlines for agreeing to fair market value, as well as the arbitration requirements, which are described above also apply to the parties.
Who's behind it
7 lawmakers are its . 6 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.
2 more lawmakers .
See all 9 names Hide the names
Authors (7)
- Robb Kahl · Democrat, Assembly
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- John Macco · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (2)
- Eric Genrich · Democrat, Assembly
- Roger Roth · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There were 3 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities vote to recommend it
Passed, 14 to 1 · Oct 27, 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 Energy and Utilities, Ayes 14, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Workforce Development vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 6, 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 Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Jan 19, 2016
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 3, Noes 2”. 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 148.
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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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Jan 19, 2016
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Jan 6, 2016
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Nov 18, 2015
Sent to the Senate Committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs.
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Nov 12, 2015
Sent to the Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government.
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Nov 3, 2015
The Senate received it.
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Nov 3, 2015
The Assembly passed it.
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Oct 27, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Oct 27, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 14 to 1.
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Oct 22, 2015
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 22, 2015
The committee held a public hearing.
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Sep 16, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Aug 26, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities.
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Aug 26, 2015
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Aug 26, 2015 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Weatherston, Kuglitsch, Kahl, Macco, Murphy, Quinn and Steffen; cosponsored by Senator Roth
- Aug 26, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Energy and Utilities
- Sep 16, 2015 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 22, 2015 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Oct 22, 2015 · Assembly
Representative Genrich added as a coauthor
- Oct 27, 2015 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Oct 27, 2015 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Energy and Utilities, Ayes 14, Noes 1
- Oct 27, 2015 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Oct 28, 2015 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 11-3-2015 by Committee on Rules
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 3, 2015 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Nov 12, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Elections and Local Government
- Nov 18, 2015 · Senate
Withdrawn from committee on Elections and Local Government and rereferred to committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)
- Jan 5, 2016 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 6, 2016 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jan 6, 2016 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jan 19, 2016 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- 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 148
- 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