Assembly Bill 731
Qualification of newspapers to receive compensation for publication of legal notice
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 17, 2018. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Dec 7, 2017
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2018
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Mar 20, 2018
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2017 Wisconsin Act 282
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 17, 2018: “Published 4-17-2018”
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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.
This bill modifies the criteria by which a newspaper may receive compensation for the publication of a legal notice. The bill also makes several technical changes to the structure of the provisions that govern the qualification of newspapers able to receive compensation or a fee for publishing a legal notice. These changes include moving the definitions for bona fide paid circulation and newspaper into the definitions section of the chapter that governs the publication of legal notices.
Currently, when a legal notice is required to be published, the notice must be published in a newspaper likely to give notice in the area or to the person affected by the notice. A newspaper that publishes a legal notice may not receive compensation for publishing the notice unless the newspaper is a qualified newspaper. To be a qualified newspaper, the newspaper must have a bona fide paid circulation, satisfy certain requirements related to continuity of publication, and file a certificate with the county clerk stating its place of publication and that it qualifies under current law. Under current law and under the bill, a “bona fide paid circulation” means a paid circulation of a newspaper in which the publisher sells 50 percent or more of the circulation of the newspaper and the publisher has actual subscribers at each publication of not less than 1,000 copies in first and second class cities or 300 copies in third and fourth class cities, villages, or towns. In addition, to be a qualified newspaper, the newspaper must have been published regularly and continuously in the area for at least two of the five years immediately preceding the date of publication of the notice (durational requirement).
Read the full summary Show less
This bill broadens the scope of qualified newspapers to include both of the following: 1) a newspaper that has had a bona fide paid circulation, is a successor to a newspaper that satisfies the durational requirement, and has resumed publication following succession within 30 days; and 2) a newspaper that has had a bona fide paid circulation, has merged or consolidated with one or more newspapers, and one of the newspapers has been continuously published at regular intervals of at least once each week for at least 50 issues each year for at least one year prior to the publication of the notice.
Also under this bill, if no newspaper in a city, village, or town satisfies the bona fide paid circulation and durational requirements under current law and created under the bill, a newspaper that is published regularly and continuously in the city, village, or town and that meets the other qualifications for receiving a fee may be awarded or entitled to a fee for publishing a legal notice if publication in the newspaper is likely to give notice in the area or to the affected person.
Finally, the bill modifies the definition for newspaper. Under current law, a newspaper is defined, in part, as “a publication that is published at regular intervals and at least once a week, containing reports of happenings of recent occurrence of a varied character, such as political, social, moral and religious subjects, designed to inform the general reader.” Under the bill, the publication must contain, on average, 25 percent news content per issue. The bill defines news content to mean “written information and images, other than advertisements, that are printed in a publication.”
Who's behind it
11 lawmakers are its . 10 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.
2 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (11)
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (2)
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Rural Development and Mining vote to recommend it
Passed, 12 to 0 · Jan 24, 2018
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 Rural Development and Mining, Ayes 12, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 15, 2018
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 17, 2018
The new law was published.
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Apr 17, 2018
The governor signed it. It became 2017 Wisconsin Act 282.
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Apr 12, 2018
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 20, 2018
The Senate passed it too.
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Mar 15, 2018
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Mar 12, 2018
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Feb 21, 2018
The Senate received it.
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Feb 20, 2018
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 20, 2018
The Assembly passed it.
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Jan 24, 2018
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jan 24, 2018
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 12 to 0.
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Jan 4, 2018
The committee held a public hearing.
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Dec 7, 2017
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rural Development and Mining.
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Dec 7, 2017
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Dec 7, 2017 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kitchens, Ballweg, Berceau, Duchow, Mursau, Novak, Quinn, Rohrkaste, Steffen, Wichgers and E. Brooks; cosponsored by Senator Cowles
- Dec 7, 2017 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Rural Development and Mining
- Jan 4, 2018 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 18, 2018 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 24, 2018 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Rural Development and Mining, Ayes 12, Noes 0
- Jan 24, 2018 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 1:37 PM on 2-20-2018 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 26
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Representative Barca added as a coauthor
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 21, 2018 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Mar 12, 2018 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Mar 12, 2018 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 15, 2018 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 15, 2018 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-20-2018 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 20, 2018 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Mar 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 21, 2018 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 23, 2018 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2018
- Apr 12, 2018 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-12-2018
- Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 4-16-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 282
- Apr 17, 2018 · Assembly
Published 4-17-2018
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