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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 714

Changes affecting tourism entities under the room tax

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 31, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 13, 2016

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 16, 2016

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 15, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 301

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 31, 2016: “Published 3-31-2016”

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.

This bill changes the definition, and membership of the governing body, of a tourism entity under the room tax.

Under the bill, and subject to two exceptions, a tourism entity is defined as a nonprofit organization that came into existence before January 1, 2015, spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and development, and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality. If no such organization exists, the bill authorizes a municipality to contract with a nonprofit entity that has either of the following sets of attributes:

Read the full summary

1. An organization that spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and development and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality.

2. An organization that was incorporated before January 1, 2015, spends 100 percent of the room tax revenues it receives from a municipality on tourism promotion and development, and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality.

The bill also expands the allowable required membership of the governing body of a tourism entity. Current law requires the membership to include at least one owner or operator of a lodging facility that collects room tax and that is located in the municipality for which the room tax is collected. Under the bill, a tourism entity's membership must include either the current required membership or at least four owners or operators of lodging facilities that are located in the tourism zone for which the room tax is collected. Under current law, a tourism zone is an area made up of two or more municipalities that, those municipalities agree, is a single destination as perceived by the traveling public.

Who's behind it

3 representatives are its ⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (5)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Tourism vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 0 · Feb 8, 2016

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 Tourism, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 14, 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

  1. Mar 31, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 31, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 301.

  3. Mar 29, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 15, 2016

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 14, 2016

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 17, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 17, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 16, 2016

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  9. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Feb 8, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Feb 8, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  12. Jan 28, 2016

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  13. Jan 27, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Jan 19, 2016 to Jan 27, 2016

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  15. Jan 13, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Tourism.

  16. Jan 13, 2016

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 13, 2016 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Rohrkaste, Vorpagel and Allen; cosponsored by Senator Roth

  2. Jan 13, 2016 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Tourism

  3. Jan 19, 2016 · Assembly

    Representative Murphy added as a coauthor

  4. Jan 27, 2016 · Assembly

    Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor

  5. Jan 27, 2016 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Jan 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Representative Loudenbeck added as a coauthor

  7. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Feb 8, 2016 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Tourism, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  9. Feb 8, 2016 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-16-2016 by Committee on Rules

  11. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  12. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  16. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Representative Spreitzer added as a coauthor

  17. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  20. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  21. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  22. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-15-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  23. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Mar 23, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2016

  30. Mar 29, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-29-2016

  31. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-30-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 301

  32. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-31-2016

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