Assembly Bill 335
Grants to law enforcement agencies for body cameras. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 17, 2022. It's .
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Introduced, passed
May 18, 2021
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jun 16, 2021
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 22, 2022
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2021 Wisconsin Act 185
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 17, 2022: “Published 3-18-2022”
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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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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.
Current law does not require law enforcement agencies to use body cameras on law enforcement officers, but current law regulates what a law enforcement agency must do if it uses a body camera on a law enforcement officer. Under current law, if a law enforcement agency uses a body camera on an officer, the agency must have a written policy regarding the use and storage of the cameras and any limitations on which officers will wear them and on situations and encounters that may be recorded and the agency is subject to the records retention provisions regarding data from the camera.
This bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase body cameras to use on law enforcement officers whose primary duties are patrolling duties. A law enforcement agency that receives a grant must, for at least three years after receiving the grant funds, use body cameras on all such law enforcement officers and require the officers to activate the camera in situations in which the officer has contact with a member of the public while enforcing laws or investigating conduct. Such situations include traffic stops, arrests, searches, interrogations, or interviews.
Read the full summary Show less
Under the bill, law enforcement agencies may apply for the grants. The application must contain a proposed plan to spend the grant money, including the estimated cost per body camera and the number of body cameras needed; a statement indicating that the law enforcement agency will match the amount of the grant it receives; and the amount of time the law enforcement agency anticipates it will need after receiving the grant money to comply with the requirement that all of its patrol officers use a body camera. The agency also must agree to maintain the equipment for at least three years after the grant is awarded. If available grant funds are not sufficient to award grants to all eligible applicants, DOJ may consider fairness among different population areas and need based on crime rates when awarding the grants.
The bill also requires DOJ to consult with vendors of body cameras, within 90 days after the bill is enacted, to find cost-saving measures that a law enforcement agency may use when applying for a grant. The bill also requires DOJ and the Department of Administration to develop options for reducing the cost of storing data from body cameras used by law enforcement agencies.
Who's behind it
23 lawmakers are its . 19 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.
9 more lawmakers .
See all 32 names Hide the names
Authors (23)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Samba Baldeh · Democrat, Assembly
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara · Republican, Senate
- Marisabel Cabrera · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Dallman · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- John Macco · Republican, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Warren Petryk · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Steineke · Republican, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Bob Wittke · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (9)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Roger Roth · Republican, Senate
- Don Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
- Eric Wimberger · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 4 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment
Passed, 15 to 0 · Jun 8, 2021
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 15 to 0 · Jun 8, 2021
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly vote on an amendment
Passed, 58 to 38 · Jun 16, 2021
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Assembly Amendment 3 laid on table, Ayes 58, Noes 38”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 16, 2022
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 17, 2022
The new law was published.
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Mar 17, 2022
The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 185.
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Mar 15, 2022
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 22, 2022
The Senate passed it too.
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Feb 16, 2022
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
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Oct 28, 2021
The committee held a public hearing.
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Aug 5, 2021
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Jun 16, 2021
The Senate received it.
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Jun 16, 2021
The Assembly passed it.
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Jun 16, 2021
The Assembly adopted it.
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Jun 11, 2021
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jun 8, 2021
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jun 8, 2021
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 15 to 0.
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Jun 8, 2021
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jun 3, 2021
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 27, 2021
The committee held a public hearing.
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May 25, 2021
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 18, 2021
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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May 18, 2021
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- May 18, 2021 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Steineke, Stubbs, Armstrong, Baldeh, Cabral-Guevara, Cabrera, Dallman, Dittrich, Edming, Gundrum, Kitchens, Krug, Kurtz, Macco, Milroy, Mursau, Novak, Petryk, Schraa, Spiros, Steffen, Wittke and Zimmerman; cosponsored by Senators Roth, Wimberger, Wanggaard, L. Taylor, Feyen and Pfaff
- May 18, 2021 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- May 25, 2021 · Assembly
Representative Allen added as a coauthor
- May 27, 2021 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jun 1, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Steineke and Stubbs
- Jun 3, 2021 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jun 3, 2021 · Assembly
Representative Ohnstad added as a coauthor
- Jun 8, 2021 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jun 8, 2021 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Jun 8, 2021 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Jun 8, 2021 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 9, 2021 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 6-16-2021 by Committee on Rules
- Jun 11, 2021 · Assembly
Representative Vruwink added as a coauthor
- Jun 14, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Steineke
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 2 adopted
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 3 offered by Representatives Bowen, McGuire, Emerson, Ohnstad, Cabrera, Conley, Drake, Shelton, Pope, Anderson, Riemer, Baldeh, Sinicki, L. Myers and Hebl
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 3 laid on table, Ayes 58, Noes 38
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Jun 16, 2021 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 16, 2021 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Aug 5, 2021 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Oct 28, 2021 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 18, 2022 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-22-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Feb 28, 2022 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-28-2022
- Mar 15, 2022 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-15-2022
- Mar 17, 2022 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-17-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 185
- Mar 17, 2022 · Assembly
Published 3-18-2022
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote