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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 704

Operation of motorboats by minors

Became law

The governor signed it on Feb 28, 2020. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 2, 2020

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Jan 21, 2020

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 19, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 115

Latest entry in the official record, Feb 28, 2020: “Published 2-29-2020”

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.

Under current law, no person under the age of 10 may operate a motorboat. No person who is 10 or 11 years old may operate a motorboat unless he or she is accompanied by a parent or guardian or by a person who is at least 18 years of age and who is designated by a parent or guardian. No person who is between 12 to 15 years old may operate a motorboat unless he or she holds a valid boating safety certificate issued or honored by the Department of Natural Resources or is accompanied by a parent or guardian or by a person who is at least 18 years of age and who is designated by a parent or guardian.

Under this bill, the parent, guardian, or adult accompanying a minor operating a motorboat must hold a valid boating safety certificate issued or honored by DNR or must have been born before January 1, 1989.

Read the full summary

Under current law, no person who was born on or after January 1, 1989, and who is 16 years of age or older may operate a motorboat unless the person holds a valid boating safety certificate issued or honored by DNR.

The bill provides that a person who was born on or after January 1, 1989, and is at least 16 may operate a motorboat only if that person holds a valid boating safety certificate issued or honored by DNR or is accompanied by a person who holds a valid boating safety certificate issued or honored by DNR or was born before January 1, 1989.

Who's behind it

5 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 5 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (5)

Signed on in support (3)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Forestry vote to recommend it

Passed, 11 to 1 · Jan 16, 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 Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Ayes 11, Noes 1”. 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. Feb 28, 2020

    The new law was published.

  2. Feb 28, 2020

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 115.

  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 13, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Jan 22, 2020

    The Senate received it.

  8. Jan 21, 2020

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Jan 16, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Jan 16, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 1.

  11. Jan 7, 2020

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Jan 3, 2020 to Jan 6, 2020

    1 more representative and 1 senator signed on in support.

  13. Jan 2, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

  14. Jan 2, 2020

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 2, 2020 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives August, Loudenbeck, Skowronski, Ballweg and Duchow; cosponsored by Senator Nass

  2. Jan 2, 2020 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation

  3. Jan 3, 2020 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  4. Jan 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Senator Marklein added as a cosponsor

  5. Jan 7, 2020 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Jan 15, 2020 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Jan 16, 2020 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Ayes 11, Noes 1

  8. Jan 16, 2020 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  9. Jan 16, 2020 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-21-2020 by Committee on Rules

  10. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  13. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  14. Jan 21, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Jan 22, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  16. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  17. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  18. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  19. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  20. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  21. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  23. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  24. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  26. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  27. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

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

  28. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 2-28-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 115

  29. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Published 2-29-2020

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