Senate Bill 126
Immunity from civil liability for certain equine activities
Became law
The governor signed it on Nov 12, 2015. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Apr 20, 2015
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Jun 9, 2015
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 3, 2015
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2015 Wisconsin Act 66
Latest entry in the official record, Nov 12, 2015: “Published 11-12-2015”
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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
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.
Under current law, a person who participates in certain equine activities (related to horses, ponies, mules, and other equines) is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions if another person is injured or killed as a result of an inherent risk of an equine activity. An inherent risk of an equine activity is any condition that is an integral part of an equine activity, including the unpredictability of the animal's behavior, the failure of a rider to control an animal, or a collision with an object or another animal.
Current law does not extend immunity if a person provides equine equipment that he or she knew or should have known was faulty, if a person provides an equine to a person without making a reasonable effort to determine the person's ability to safely manage the equine, if a person acts in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of a person or intentionally causes the person's injury or death, or if a person fails to post required safety and warning signs.
Read the full summary Show less
Under this bill, equine-assisted learning and equine-assisted psychotherapy are equine activities for the purpose of civil liability immunity.
Who's behind it
7 senators are its . 6 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.
15 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (7)
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- Paul F. Farrow · Republican, Senate
- Terry Moulton · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Kathleen Vinehout · Democrat, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (15)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Mary Czaja · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Gannon · Republican, Assembly
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
- Samantha Kerkman · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Warren Petryk · Republican, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 3 to 2 · Jun 4, 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 Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Nov 12, 2015
The new law was published.
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Nov 12, 2015
The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 66.
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Nov 10, 2015
Sent to the governor.
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Nov 3, 2015
The Assembly passed it too.
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Oct 27, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Assembly received it.
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Jun 9, 2015
The Senate passed it.
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Jun 9, 2015
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Jun 4, 2015
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.
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Jun 2, 2015
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 20, 2015
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Apr 20, 2015
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 20, 2015 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Nass, Vinehout, Cowles, Petrowski, Moulton and Farrow; cosponsored by Representatives Kapenga, Kerkman, Jacque, Weatherston, Czaja, Edming, Quinn, Horlacher, Knodl, Petryk, Kulp, Gannon, Thiesfeldt and Tauchen
- Apr 20, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Jun 2, 2015 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jun 4, 2015 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jun 4, 2015 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Jun 4, 2015 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jun 8, 2015 · Senate
Placed on calendar 6-9-2015 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Senator Bewley added as a coauthor
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Jun 9, 2015 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 9, 2015 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Oct 27, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and 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 concurred in
- Nov 3, 2015 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 3, 2015 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Nov 9, 2015 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Nov 10, 2015 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 11-10-2015
- Nov 12, 2015 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 11-11-2015. 2015 Wisconsin Act 66
- Nov 12, 2015 · Senate
Published 11-12-2015
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote