Assembly Bill 148
Nitrate testing pilot program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)
Stopped in committee
It had a but no committee vote, 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
Apr 3, 2019
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It sat with the Assembly Committee on Environment.
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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 requires the Department of Health Services to award grants of up to $2,500 to eligible private well owners, which recipients must use to cover remediation costs with a primary purpose of providing potable water for human consumption to either a residential or nonprofit business property if the owner has a well that has nitrate levels exceeding ten parts per million. Eligible costs include well testing, installation of an appropriate filtration system, replacement of the well, or replacement of the water supply. The bill also requires DHS to distribute up to a total of $500,000 to counties that apply to participate in the testing program to provide reimbursement for the actual costs of administering the testing and reporting requirements.
Under the bill, private well owners may contact a local health department to have nitrate levels tested. If the well owner's county has chosen to participate in the testing program, upon request from a private well owner, the local health department shall collect the necessary samples and do all of the following: 1) submit the samples for testing to the state laboratory of hygiene or another state certified laboratory, as determined by DHS; 2) report the test results to DHS and the private well owner, together with a recommendation for one or more of the remediation approaches set forth in the bill, if appropriate, and, if the testing indicates nitrate levels exceeding ten parts per million, a statement of the fees charged for the testing and a recommendation that the well owner receive reimbursement for those costs;
Read the full summary Show less
and 3) notify the private well owner that the owner may contact DHS within 30 days to request a grant for a different approach than was recommended by the local health department.
A private well owner is eligible to apply for a grant under the bill if the report provided to DHS by a local health department indicates that nitrate levels in the owner's well water exceed ten parts per million. A private well owner may receive only one grant per parcel. DHS may not set an income limitation for grant eligibility.
Also, under the bill, DHS is required to give preference to applicants who have a household member who is pregnant, breast-feeding, under three years old, or over the age of 65.
Who's behind it
12 lawmakers are its . All 12 are Republicans.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (12)
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- Amy Loudenbeck · Republican, Assembly
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Loren Oldenburg · Republican, Assembly
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
What happened
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Apr 1, 2020
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Sep 3, 2019
The committee held a public hearing.
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May 24, 2019 to Sep 3, 2019
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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May 2, 2019
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 3, 2019
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Environment.
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Apr 3, 2019
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 3, 2019 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kurtz, Krug, Brandtjen, Kitchens, Kulp, Murphy, Plumer, Quinn, Skowronski, Thiesfeldt, Zimmerman and Tusler; cosponsored by Senators Testin, Cowles, Marklein and Olsen
- Apr 3, 2019 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Environment
- May 2, 2019 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- May 24, 2019 · Assembly
Representative Loudenbeck added as a coauthor
- Aug 28, 2019 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kurtz
- Sep 3, 2019 · Assembly
Representative Oldenburg added as a coauthor
- Sep 3, 2019 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Apr 1, 2020 · 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.
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