Senate Bill 140
Actions in circuit court alleging discrimination in employment, unfair honesty testing, or unfair genetic testing. (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
Mar 29, 2017
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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, Mar 28, 2018: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform. 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.
This bill permits the Department of Workforce Development or a person who is alleged or was found to have been discriminated against or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing to bring an action in circuit court in addition to or in lieu of filing an administrative complaint. The bill, however, does not permit an action for damages to be brought against any local governmental unit or against any employer employing fewer than 15 individuals.
Under the bill, if the circuit court finds that a defendant has committed an act of discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing, the circuit court may award back pay and any other relief that could have been awarded in an administrative proceeding. In addition,the circuit court must order the defendant to pay to the person discriminated against compensatory and punitive damages that the circuit court finds appropriate, except that the total amount of damage awarded for future economic losses and for pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and other noneconomic losses and punitive damages is subject to the following limitations:
Read the full summary Show less
1. If the defendant employs 100 or fewer employees, no more than $50,000.
2. If the defendant employs more than 100 but fewer than 201 employees, no more than $100,000.
3. If the defendant employs more than 200 but fewer than 501 employees, no more than $200,000.
4. If the defendant employs more than 500 employees, no more than $300,000.
The bill requires DWD to annually revise these amounts based upon the change in the consumer price index in the previous year, if any positive change has occurred.
Under the current fair employment law, a person alleging discrimination in employment or unfair honesty or genetic testing may file a complaint with DWD seeking action that will effectuate the purpose of the fair employment law, including reinstating the employee, providing back pay, and paying costs and attorney fees.
The fair employment law, however, does not authorize DWD to award compensatory or punitive damages to a complainant.
Who's behind it
13 senators are its . All 13 are Democrats.
32 more lawmakers .
See all 45 names Hide the names
Authors (13)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Jon Erpenbach · Democrat, Senate
- Dave Hansen · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Miller · Democrat, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
- Jennifer Shilling · Democrat, Senate
- Kathleen Vinehout · Democrat, Senate
- Bob Wirch · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (32)
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- David Crowley · Democrat, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Eric Genrich · Democrat, Assembly
- Evan Goyke · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Debra Kolste · Democrat, Assembly
- Cory Mason · Democrat, Assembly
- Beth Meyers · Democrat, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Daniel Riemer · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Katrina Shankland · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Amanda Stuck · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Dana Wachs · 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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Mar 28, 2018
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Apr 19, 2017
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 29, 2017
Sent to the Senate Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform.
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Mar 29, 2017
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 29, 2017 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Hansen, Ringhand, Johnson, Bewley, Carpenter, Erpenbach, C. Larson, Miller, Risser, Shilling, L. Taylor, Vinehout and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Sinicki, Ohnstad, Hesselbein, Barca, Spreitzer, Meyers, Anderson, Berceau, Billings, Brostoff, Bowen, Crowley, Doyle, Fields, Genrich, Goyke, Hebl, Kessler, Kolste, Mason, Milroy, Pope, Riemer, Sargent, Shankland, Stuck, Subeck, C. Taylor, Wachs, Young, Zamarripa and Zepnick
- Mar 29, 2017 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform
- Apr 19, 2017 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 28, 2018 · 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