Senate Bill 159
Sales and transfers of firearms 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
May 14, 2015
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly 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 Senate Committee on Judiciary 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law provides that various conditions, including a background check of a prospective purchaser, must be met before a federally licensed firearms dealer may transfer a handgun after a sale. This bill generally prohibits a person from selling or transferring a firearm unless the sale or transfer occurs through a federally licensed firearms dealer and involves a background check of the prospective transferee. Under this bill, the following are excepted from that prohibition: a sale or transfer to a firearms dealer, a sale or transfer for which the waiting period for the purchase of a handgun under current law does not apply, a transfer that is by gift, bequest, or inheritance to a family member, or a transfer that is intended to be temporary and that has a purpose that is not illegal. A person who is convicted of violating the prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and must be fined not less than $500 nor more than $10,000, may be imprisoned for not more than nine months, and may not possess a firearm for a period of two years.
Who's behind it
7 senators are its . All 7 are Democrats.
25 more lawmakers .
See all 32 names Hide the names
Authors (7)
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- Nikiya Harris Dodd · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (25)
- Mandela Barnes · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- Eric Genrich · Democrat, Assembly
- Evan Goyke · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Robb Kahl · Democrat, Assembly
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Debra Kolste · Democrat, Assembly
- Beth Meyers · Democrat, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Daniel Riemer · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Amanda Stuck · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Leon Young · Democrat, Assembly
- JoCasta Zamarripa · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jun 12, 2015
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jun 3, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jun 1, 2015
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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May 14, 2015
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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May 14, 2015
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- May 14, 2015 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Harris Dodd, Hansen, Carpenter, C. Larson, Ringhand, Risser and L. Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Berceau, Barnes, Goyke, Johnson, Sargent, Billings, Bowen, Genrich, Hebl, Hesselbein, Kahl, Kessler, Kolste, Meyers, Ohnstad, Pope, Riemer, Spreitzer, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Young, Zamarripa and Zepnick
- May 14, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Jun 1, 2015 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jun 3, 2015 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jun 12, 2015 · Senate
Representative Considine added as a cosponsor
- Apr 13, 2016 · Senate
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
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