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Bills from the 2017–18 session

Assembly Bill 662

Use of wireless telephones while driving 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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Nov 22, 2017

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 28, 2018: “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.

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.

This bill prohibits, with certain exceptions, any person from driving while using a cellular or other wireless telephone (cellular phone). The exceptions include certain hands-free and emergency-related use.

Current law prohibits inattentive driving of a motor vehicle, which means that a driver of a motor vehicle may not be engaged or occupied with an activity, other than driving the vehicle, that interferes with the safe driving of the vehicle. Persons who violate this prohibition may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $400. Under current law, a person driving under an instruction permit or a probationary license is prohibited from driving a motor vehicle while using a cellular phone, except to report an emergency. Also, a person is prohibited from driving a motor vehicle while using a cellular phone in a highway construction zone, except to report an emergency. Persons who violate either of these prohibitions may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for a first offense, and not less than $50 nor more than $100 for a second or subsequent offense within one year.

Read the full summary

This bill prohibits any person from driving while using a cellular phone. Except in certain cases involving persons driving under an instruction permit or a probationary license, the prohibition does not apply to any of the following: 1) operators of authorized emergency vehicles; 2) use of certain emergency alert or vehicle monitoring devices; 3) use of global positioning system devices; 4) certain amateur radio operators; 5) certain use of hands-free telephones; and 6) use in response to an emergency. Persons who violate this prohibition may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $400.

Who's behind it

12 lawmakers are its ⁠. 11 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 14 names

Authors (12)

Signed on in support (2)

What it would cost

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

What happened

  1. Mar 28, 2018

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Dec 21, 2017

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Nov 22, 2017

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

  4. Nov 22, 2017

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Nov 22, 2017 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Barca, Spiros, Anderson, Ohnstad, Fields, Hebl, Berceau, Considine, Pope, Sargent, Spreitzer and Subeck; cosponsored by Senators Vinehout and L. Taylor

  2. Nov 22, 2017 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Dec 21, 2017 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 28, 2018 · 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.

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

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

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