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Bills from the 2017–18 session

Senate Bill 836

Complaints against railroad police officers. (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

    Feb 21, 2018

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly 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 Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs. 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.

Under current law, railway companies may employ railroad police officers who have general police powers, including the power to arrest, relating to violations of state law or local ordinance that occur on railroad cars or railway company property.

Railroad conductors also have the power to arrest passengers on rail cars.

Read the full summary

Under this bill, any person believing a railroad employee has improperly exercised police authority may file a complaint with the Department of Justice. DOJ is required to investigate each complaint and refer justified complaints to the district attorney of the county in which the alleged improper exercise of authority occurred.

Who's behind it

Kathleen Vinehout, a Democrat, 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.

What happened

  1. Mar 28, 2018

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 15, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Mar 9, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Feb 21, 2018

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

  5. Feb 21, 2018

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 21, 2018 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Vinehout; cosponsored by Representatives Berceau and Crowley

  2. Feb 21, 2018 · Senate

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

  3. Mar 9, 2018 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Mar 15, 2018 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. 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.

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