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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 502

Transfer of the authority to represent the public interest in proceedings under the Children's Code

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 4, 2020. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 7, 2019

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Nov 12, 2019

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 19, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 134

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 4, 2020: “Published 3-4-2020”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

Current law requires that the interests of the public in proceedings under the Children's Code relating to a child in need of protection or services or an unborn child in need of protection or services be represented by the district attorney or, if designated by the county board of supervisors, the corporation counsel. Current law provides that the county board may transfer this authority to or from the district attorney, but only if the action is effective on September 1 of an odd-numbered year and the board notifies the Department of Administration of that change by January 1 of that odd-numbered year. This bill removes the requirement that these actions occur in the odd-numbered year and the requirement that the change be effective on September 1. Instead, under the bill, the board must notify DOA of the change no later than January 1 of the calendar year during which the change takes effect.

Who's behind it

18 representatives are its ⁠. 14 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 24 names

Authors (18)

Signed on in support (6)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Local Government vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 0 · Nov 6, 2019

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 Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 14, 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. Mar 4, 2020

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 4, 2020

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 134.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 14, 2020

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

  6. Feb 14, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Nov 12, 2019

    The Senate received it.

  8. Nov 12, 2019

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Nov 6, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Nov 6, 2019

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

  11. Oct 16, 2019

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Oct 7, 2019

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Local Government.

  13. Oct 7, 2019

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 7, 2019 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Vos, Wittke, August, Kerkman, Neubauer, McGuire, Brooks, Kuglitsch, Skowronski, Spiros, Plumer, Born, Dittrich, Tusler, Ramthun, Thiesfeldt, Ohnstad and Sinicki; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Craig, Nass, Wirch, Stroebel and Petrowski

  2. Oct 7, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government

  3. Oct 16, 2019 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Oct 29, 2019 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Local Government, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  6. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Nov 7, 2019 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 11-12-2019 by Committee on Rules

  8. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  9. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  10. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  11. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  12. Nov 12, 2019 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  13. Nov 12, 2019 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  14. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  15. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  16. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  17. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-19-2020 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  18. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  19. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  24. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  25. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020 by directive of the Speaker

  26. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 134

  27. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Published 3-4-2020

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