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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Senate Bill 541

Planting trees, shrubs, or hedges on the side of certain highways. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 2, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 8, 2016

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 9, 2016

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 18, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 236

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 2, 2016: “Published 3-2-2016”

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.

Under current law, a person who owns land that adjoins a highway may, with the approval of the public authority maintaining the highway, plant, cultivate, and maintain trees, shrubs, or hedges on the side of the highway contiguous to and within ten feet of that person's land. Under this bill, if the person who owns the land that adjoins a highway is a town, the town may, with the approval of the public authority maintaining the highway, authorize another person to plant trees, shrubs, or hedges on the land.

Who's behind it

Jerry Petrowski, a Republican, is its ⁠.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 3 names

Author (1)

Signed on in support (2)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 25, 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 Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 2, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 2, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 236.

  3. Feb 25, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 18, 2016

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Feb 12, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Feb 9, 2016

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Feb 9, 2016

    The Senate passed it.

  8. Feb 9, 2016

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  9. Jan 25, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  10. Jan 25, 2016

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  11. Jan 14, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Jan 8, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

  13. Jan 8, 2016

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 8, 2016 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Petrowski; cosponsored by Representative Spiros

  2. Jan 8, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs

  3. Jan 14, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 21, 2016 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  5. Jan 25, 2016 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Jan 25, 2016 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Jan 25, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 8, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-9-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  9. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Senator Miller added as a coauthor

  10. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  11. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  13. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  14. Feb 9, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  16. Feb 12, 2016 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  17. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 2:36 PM on 2-18-2016 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 29

  18. Feb 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  19. Feb 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  22. Feb 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 18, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  24. Feb 25, 2016 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  25. Feb 25, 2016 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 2-25-2016

  26. Mar 2, 2016 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-1-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 236

  27. Mar 2, 2016 · Senate

    Published 3-2-2016

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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

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