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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 396

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 5, 2019

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Judiciary. 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.

This bill allows the Department of Workforce Development or an individual 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 does not allow such an action for damages to be brought against a local governmental unit or against an employer that employs 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 individual 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

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 current fair employment law, an individual who alleges 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.

Who's behind it

36 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 36 are Democrats.

14 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 50 names

Authors (36)

Signed on in support (14)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

What happened

  1. Apr 1, 2020

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Sep 17, 2019

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Sep 5, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.

  4. Sep 5, 2019

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 5, 2019 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Sinicki, Zamarripa, Vruwink, Vining, C. Taylor, Subeck, Stuck, Stubbs, Spreitzer, Shankland, Sargent, Riemer, Pope, Ohnstad, Neubauer, L. Myers, Milroy, B. Meyers, McGuire, Kolste, Hintz, Hesselbein, Hebl, Haywood, Gruszynski, Goyke, Fields, Emerson, Doyle, Crowley, Considine, Cabrera, Brostoff, Bowen, Billings and Anderson; cosponsored by Senators Hansen, Bewley, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Johnson, Larson, Miller, Ringhand, Risser, Schachtner, Shilling, Smith, L. Taylor and Wirch

  2. Sep 5, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. Sep 17, 2019 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. 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.

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.

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