Skip to content
Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 445

An exception to commercial building code requirements for the installation or operation of a stairway chair lift in a church constructed before 1919

Became law

The governor signed it on Feb 6, 2020. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 13, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 15, 2020

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Jan 21, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 91

Latest entry in the official record, Feb 6, 2020: “Published 2-6-2020”

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Subject to certain limitations discussed below, this bill provides an exception to the commercial building code that allows the owner of a church constructed before January 1, 1919, to install and operate a stairway chair lift in the church if all of the following are satisfied:

1. Each floor level connected by the stairway in which the stairway chair lift is installed has at least one other stairway or other type of fire escape that provides safe egress.

Read the full summary

2. The installation and operation of the stairway chair lift complies with the requirements under state statutes and rules promulgated by the Department of Safety and Professional Services related to elevators and other conveyances, other than requirements related to a minimum required stairway width.

Under current law, DSPS has general authority to promulgate rules necessary to ensure that public buildings and places of employment are safe. Those rules are commonly called the commercial building code.

The bill also provides that, if the chief of the local fire department or, if the city, village, or town in which the church is located does not have a local fire department, DSPS determines that the installation or operation of a stairway chair lift as allowed under the bill may create an unsafe condition, the chief or DSPS may require the owner of the church, as a condition of installing or operating the stairway chair lift, to comply with other measures determined by the chief or DSPS to be necessary for safety.

Who's behind it

7 representatives are its ⁠. All 7 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 10 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (3)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 0 · Jan 13, 2020

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 Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 17, 2020

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Feb 6, 2020

    The new law was published.

  2. Feb 6, 2020

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 91.

  3. Feb 3, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Jan 21, 2020

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Jan 17, 2020

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  6. Jan 16, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Jan 15, 2020

    The Senate received it.

  8. Jan 15, 2020

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Jan 13, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Jan 13, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 0.

  11. Oct 24, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Sep 13, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

  13. Sep 13, 2019

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 13, 2019 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Novak, Horlacher, Kulp, Plumer, Thiesfeldt, Tusler and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Kooyenga and L. Taylor

  2. Sep 13, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Housing and Real Estate

  3. Oct 24, 2019 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 7, 2020 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Jan 13, 2020 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Housing and Real Estate, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  6. Jan 13, 2020 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Jan 13, 2020 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-15-2020 by Committee on Rules

  8. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  11. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  12. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Jan 15, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  14. Jan 16, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  15. Jan 16, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  16. Jan 17, 2020 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  17. Jan 17, 2020 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 1-21-2020 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  18. Jan 21, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  19. Jan 21, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Jan 21, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. Jan 21, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  22. Jan 21, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  24. Jan 27, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 1-27-2020

  25. Feb 3, 2020 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 2-3-2020

  26. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 2-5-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 91

  27. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Published 2-6-2020

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

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