Senate Bill 695
Distances between motor vehicles
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 17, 2018. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jan 19, 2018
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2018
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2018
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2017 Wisconsin Act 294
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.
Under current law, the operator of a motor vehicle may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent. Current law further specifies that, with certain exceptions, on a highway outside a business or residential district the operator of a motor truck with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds must maintain a distance of not less than 500 feet behind the vehicle immediately preceding and must leave sufficient space so that an overtaking vehicle may enter the space without danger.
This bill creates another exception to the large truck specification. In particular, under this bill, the large truck specification does not apply to platoons.
Read the full summary Show less
A “platoon” is defined in the bill as a group of individual motor vehicles traveling in a unified manner at electronically coordinated speeds.
Who's behind it
2 senators are its . All 2 are Republicans.
12 more lawmakers .
See all 14 names Hide the names
Authors (2)
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (12)
- Peter Barca · Democrat, Assembly
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- John Macco · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Adam Neylon · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
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 · Feb 6, 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 Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. 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 294.
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Apr 12, 2018
Sent to the governor.
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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 too.
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Feb 20, 2018
“Read” (the official wording)
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Feb 20, 2018
The Assembly received it.
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Feb 20, 2018
The Senate passed it.
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Feb 6, 2018
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Jan 30, 2018
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 23, 2018
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 19, 2018
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs.
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Jan 19, 2018
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 19, 2018 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Petrowski and Cowles; cosponsored by Representatives Rohrkaste, Neylon, Steffen, Kuglitsch, Horlacher, Kooyenga, Macco, Mursau, Schraa and Tauchen
- Jan 19, 2018 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs
- Jan 23, 2018 · Senate
Representative Tusler added as a cosponsor
- Jan 30, 2018 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 6, 2018 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 6, 2018 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 6, 2018 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 16, 2018 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-20-2018 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Read
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Rules suspended and taken up
- 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 concurred in
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Representative Barca added as a cosponsor
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 21, 2018 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Mar 2, 2018 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Apr 12, 2018 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 4-12-2018
- Apr 17, 2018 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 4-16-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 294
- Apr 17, 2018 · Senate
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