Assembly Bill 961
Disclosure to law enforcement of attempted purchases of handguns by persons prohibited from possessing a firearm. (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 29, 2016
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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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill requires the attorney general to notify law enforcement if, during a background check that the Department of Justice must conduct on persons purchasing a handgun from a licensed firearms dealer, DOJ determines that the person who is attempting to purchase a handgun is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Current law allows, but does not require, the attorney general to so notify law enforcement. This bill specifies that the required notice must go to Wisconsin law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, and federal attorneys and must identify the prospective purchaser, the dealer, and the reason the prospective purchaser is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Finally, this bill creates a requirement that each Wisconsin law enforcement agency and district attorney that receives such a notice must submit an annual report to DOJ detailing actions taken or not taken and other pertinent information and that DOJ must compile into an annual report the information DOJ receives from the agencies and district attorneys.
Who's behind it
13 lawmakers are its . 12 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 16 names Hide the names
Authors (13)
- Mandela Barnes · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Jesse Kremer · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Nikiya Harris Dodd · Democrat, Senate
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 29, 2016
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Feb 29, 2016
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 29, 2016 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Barnes, Kremer, Bowen, Sargent, Johnson, Ohnstad, Brostoff, Considine, Kessler, Sinicki, Zepnick, Spreitzer and Subeck; cosponsored by Senators Harris Dodd, C. Larson and Carpenter
- Feb 29, 2016 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- 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
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