Senate Bill 203
Issuance by municipalities of alcohol beverage operator's licenses
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 4, 2020. It's .
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Introduced, passed
May 8, 2019
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Oct 8, 2019
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2020
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2019 Wisconsin Act 166
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 4, 2020: “Published 3-4-2020”
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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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill allows a municipal governing body to delegate authority to issue operator's licenses (commonly referred to as “bartender's licenses") to a designated municipal official.
Under current law, a municipal governing body must issue an operator's license to a qualified applicant. Although a person is not required to hold an operator's license to provide alcohol beverages on retail licensed premises, a retail licensee may not be open for business unless the licensee, the designated agent of a corporate licensee, or a person who possesses an operator's license or manager's license is present and responsible for the acts of all persons providing alcohol beverages on the premises.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill allows the governing body of a municipality, by ordinance, to authorize a designated municipal official to issue operator's licenses.
Who's behind it
5 senators are its . All 5 are Republicans.
18 more lawmakers .
See all 23 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Chris Kapenga · Republican, Senate
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Duey Stroebel · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (18)
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- Joe Sanfelippo · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Public Benefits vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 26, 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 Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 4, 2020
The new law was published.
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Mar 4, 2020
The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 166.
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Feb 28, 2020
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 20, 2020
The Assembly passed it too.
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Feb 18, 2020
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Oct 8, 2019
The Assembly received it.
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Oct 8, 2019
The Senate passed it.
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Sep 26, 2019
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Sep 10, 2019
The committee held a public hearing.
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May 10, 2019 to Jun 24, 2019
1 more representative and 1 senator signed on in support.
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May 8, 2019
Sent to the Senate Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations.
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May 8, 2019
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- May 8, 2019 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Kapenga, Kooyenga, Nass, Stroebel and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Knodl, Ballweg, Duchow, Kitchens, Kurtz, Mursau, Plumer, Rohrkaste, Sanfelippo, Schraa, Skowronski, Spiros, Steffen, Subeck, Tittl and Zimmerman
- May 8, 2019 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations
- May 10, 2019 · Senate
Representative Wichgers added as a cosponsor
- Jun 24, 2019 · Senate
Senator Bewley added as a coauthor
- Sep 10, 2019 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Sep 26, 2019 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Sep 26, 2019 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Sep 26, 2019 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 4, 2019 · Senate
Placed on calendar 10-8-2019 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Oct 8, 2019 · Senate
Read a second time
- Oct 8, 2019 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 8, 2019 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Oct 8, 2019 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Oct 8, 2019 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 8, 2019 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 18, 2020 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 18, 2020 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 11:30 AM on 2-20-2020 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 21
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 21, 2020 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Feb 25, 2020 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Feb 28, 2020 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020
- Mar 4, 2020 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 166
- Mar 4, 2020 · Senate
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote