Senate Bill 674
Traffic violations when emergency or roadside response vehicles are present and providing a penalty. (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.
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Introduced, passed
Jan 9, 2020
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill increases the penalties for certain traffic violations that are committed where an authorized emergency vehicle or tow truck giving a visible signal is present and law enforcement officers, fire fighters, or emergency medical personnel or tow truck operators are at risk from traffic (emergency or roadside response area).
Under current law, the amount of any applicable minimum and maximum fine or forfeiture is doubled for specified traffic violations committed where persons working in a highway maintenance or construction area or utility area are at risk from traffic. These traffic violations include failing to follow certain traffic signs and signals, failing to follow certain orders of traffic officers, exceeding certain maximum speed limits, and driving recklessly. Under the bill, the minimum and maximum fine or forfeiture for these covered violations is also doubled when committed in an emergency or roadside response area. Also under the bill, if an operator commits one of the covered violations in a highway maintenance or construction area, utility work area, or emergency or roadside response area and the violation results in an injury to another, the operator may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than nine months, or both.
Read the full summary Show less
Current law prohibits inattentive driving of a motor vehicle in general and in several specific manners. Among the specific prohibitions is a prohibition of using a wireless telephone while driving a motor vehicle in a construction zone. A person who violates this particular prohibition may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for the first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the second or subsequent conviction within a year.
The bill specifically prohibits using a wireless telephone while driving a motor vehicle in an emergency or roadside response area. The penalty for a violation of this prohibition is the same as is provided for the offense described above.
Also under current law, local authorities may post temporary reduced speed limits on highways under construction or repair. The bill allows law enforcement officers, fire fighters, or emergency medical responders to post temporary reduced speed limits in response to an emergency.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.
Who's behind it
6 senators are its . 3 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans.
24 more lawmakers .
See all 30 names Hide the names
Authors (6)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Patty Schachtner · Democrat, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (24)
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Amy Loudenbeck · Republican, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Timothy Ramthun · Republican, Assembly
- Katrina Shankland · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Don Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Apr 1, 2020
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 25, 2020 to Mar 25, 2020
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Feb 11, 2020
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 24, 2020
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 9, 2020
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs.
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Jan 9, 2020
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 9, 2020 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Testin, Carpenter, Bewley, Marklein, Olsen and Schachtner; cosponsored by Representatives Shankland, Loudenbeck, Spiros, Anderson, Bowen, Considine, Dittrich, Emerson, Fields, Hebl, James, Kitchens, Kulp, Milroy, Mursau, Novak, Plumer, Sinicki, Subeck, Tusler and Vruwink
- Jan 9, 2020 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs
- Jan 24, 2020 · Senate
Representative Spreitzer added as a cosponsor
- Feb 11, 2020 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 25, 2020 · Senate
Representative Ramthun added as a cosponsor
- Mar 25, 2020 · Senate
Representative Ohnstad added as a cosponsor
- Apr 1, 2020 · Senate
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate