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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 364

Snowmobile noise and the operation of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and utility terrain vehicles near highways

Became law

The governor signed it on Dec 6, 2021. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 25, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Oct 20, 2021

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 26, 2021

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 103

Latest entry in the official record, Dec 6, 2021: “Published 12-4-2021”

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.

This bill makes several changes to operation restrictions for snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs).

Under current law generally, a person may not operate a snowmobile on a highway unless it is designated for snowmobile use but may operate a snowmobile adjacent to a highway, subject to certain restrictions. A person operating a snowmobile adjacent to any U.S. numbered highway or any state or county highway must remain at least 10 feet from the roadway. In addition, a person operating a snowmobile adjacent to a highway at night must travel in the same direction as the vehicular traffic in the nearest lane unless the person is operating on a snowmobile trail that is at least 40 feet from the roadway or is separated from the roadway by a headlamp barrier.

Read the full summary

The bill retains the 10-foot requirement, eliminates the 40-foot requirement, and provides that a person operating a snowmobile adjacent to a highway at night must travel in the same direction as the vehicular traffic in the nearest lane unless the person is operating the snowmobile on a designated and marked snowmobile trail. The bill also modifies the definition of “snowmobile trail” to include a marked corridor in a highway right-of-way.

Current law requires a person who is operating an ATV, UTV, or snowmobile during hours or darkness, or in a highway right-of-way during daylight hours, to display a lighted head lamp. The bill requires the person, while operating an ATV, UTV, or snowmobile during hours of darkness or adjacent to a roadway, to dim the head lamp when an oncoming all-terrain vehicle, utility terrain vehicle, snowmobile, or motor vehicle is within 500 feet.

Current law prohibits modifying a snowmobile to amplify or increase vehicle noise above the level emitted by the snowmobile as originally manufactured. The bill also prohibits operation of a snowmobile than has been so modified. Current law also provides that snowmobile exhaust and engine noise may not exceed 88 decibels. The bill lowers the noise limit to 82 decibels.

Who's behind it

13 senators are its ⁠. 8 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats.

22 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 35 names

Authors (13)

Signed on in support (22)

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 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 22, 2021

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 22, 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 Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Dec 6, 2021

    The new law was published.

  2. Dec 6, 2021

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 103.

  3. Dec 2, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Oct 26, 2021

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. Oct 21, 2021

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Oct 20, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Oct 20, 2021

    The Senate passed it.

  8. Oct 20, 2021

    The Senate adopted it.

  9. Sep 22, 2021

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  10. Sep 22, 2021

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  11. Sep 7, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Jun 24, 2021 to Aug 26, 2021

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  13. May 25, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

  14. May 25, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. May 25, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Petrowski, Felzkowski, Ballweg, Bewley, Cowles, Erpenbach, Feyen, Jacque, Pfaff, Ringhand, Stroebel, Testin and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Swearingen, Mursau, Callahan, Edming, Hesselbein, Kitchens, Kurtz, B. Meyers, Milroy, Moses, Novak, Oldenburg, Rozar, Spiros, Summerfield, Thiesfeldt, Tusler, VanderMeer, Zimmerman and Spreitzer

  2. May 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government

  3. Jun 24, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Knodl added as a cosponsor

  4. Jul 15, 2021 · Senate

    LRB correction

  5. Aug 26, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Penterman added as a cosponsor

  6. Sep 2, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Petrowski

  7. Sep 7, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  8. Sep 22, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Sep 22, 2021 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  10. Sep 22, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  11. Sep 22, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  12. Oct 19, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-20-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  14. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  15. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  17. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  18. Oct 20, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Oct 20, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  20. Oct 21, 2021 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  21. Oct 21, 2021 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-26-2021 by Committee on Rules

  22. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  23. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  24. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  26. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Oct 26, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Oct 27, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  29. Nov 2, 2021 · Senate

    LRB correction (Senate Amendment 1)

  30. Nov 2, 2021 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  31. Dec 2, 2021 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 12-2-2021

  32. Dec 6, 2021 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-3-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 103

  33. Dec 6, 2021 · Senate

    Published 12-4-2021

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