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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Senate Bill 48

The appointment and term of service of the secretary of natural resources and vacancies on the Natural Resources Board

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 27, 2015

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. 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 Natural Resources and Energy. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the secretary of natural resources is nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, to serve at the pleasure of the governor. Under this bill, the secretary of natural resources is nominated by the Natural Resources Board, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, for a four-year term. As the appointing body, the Natural Resources Board may remove the secretary from office at any time. The bill provides that the secretary in office when the bill takes effect serves a four-year term beginning when the bill takes effect.

Under current law, when an appointive state office that has a specific term becomes vacant, because of a resignation or removal, for example, the new appointee is appointed for the rest of the unexpired term. Under this bill, when the office of secretary of natural resources becomes vacant, the new appointee serves a full four-year term beginning when he or she is appointed.

Read the full summary

Under current law, the Natural Resources Board consists of seven members nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed, for six-year terms. As with members of other state boards, a member of the Natural Resources Board may continue to serve after the expiration of his or her term until a successor is nominated and the senate consents to the nomination. This bill provides that the position of a member of the Natural Resources Board nominated after January 1, 2016, becomes vacant upon the expiration of the member's term.

This change triggers the application of a current provision under which the governor may provisionally fill a vacancy, without the consent of the senate. The provisional appointment remains in effect until the senate acts on the appointment.

Who's behind it

10 senators are its ⁠. All 10 are Democrats.

20 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 30 names

Authors (10)

Signed on in support (20)

What happened

  1. Apr 13, 2016

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 27, 2015

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

  3. Feb 27, 2015

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 27, 2015 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Wirch, Bewley, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Hansen, Harris Dodd, C. Larson, Lassa, Miller and Vinehout; cosponsored by Representatives Hesselbein, Berceau, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Considine, Danou, Hebl, Jorgensen, Kolste, Mason, Meyers, Milroy, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Shankland, Spreitzer, Subeck and Wachs

  2. Feb 27, 2015 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy

  3. 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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

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