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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 374

A statewide urban search and rescue task force, regional emergency response teams, and making an appropriation. (FE)

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 Sep 28, 2021

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 97 to 0

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 104

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.

Under current law, regional structural collapse teams comprised of fire and rescue personnel from local agencies contract with the Division of Emergency Management in the Department of Military Affairs. The teams are required to respond to structural collapse incidents that meet criteria established by the division. Under current law, a team may respond only to incidents of structural collapse. This bill changes the team's designation from being a structural collapse team to an urban search and rescue task force, as designated by the National Fire Protection Association and Emergency Management Accreditation program standards. This change allows an urban search and rescue task force to respond to any incident involving structural collapse, rope rescue, vehicle extrication, machinery extrication, confined space, trench, excavation, and water operations.

Under current law, when a regional structural collapse team responds to an incident, the team must make a good faith effort to identify the party who is responsible for the structural collapse and provide that information to the Division of Emergency Management to seek reimbursement from that party. Any reimbursement to a regional structural collapse team is limited to the amounts collected by the Division of Emergency Management. Under the bill, this limitation on reimbursement is removed, and DMA must reimburse within 60 days local agencies that provided services as part of an urban search and rescue task force if agencies apply for reimbursement within 45 days of the conclusion of the task force's deployment. DMA may seek reimbursement for those services from any responsible party.

Read the full summary

Under current law, regional emergency response teams consisting of hazardous materials responders from local agencies are contracted with the Division of Emergency Management. The teams are required to respond to certain releases of hazardous materials. Under current law, the Division of Emergency Management reimburses teams for response costs only if the team has made a good faith effort to identify the person responsible for the release and that person cannot be identified, or, if that person is identified, the team has received reimbursement from that person to the extent that the person is financially able or has determined that the person does not have adequate money or other resources to reimburse the regional emergency response team. Under this bill, this limitation on reimbursement is removed, and DMA must reimburse within 60 days local agencies that provided services as part of a hazardous materials release emergency if agencies apply for reimbursement within 45 days of the conclusion of the response team's deployment.

DMA may seek reimbursement for those services from any responsible party.

Under current law, local emergency response teams that respond to hazardous materials emergencies may seek reimbursement from the Division of Emergency Management if the team has responded in accordance with DMA rules for response and if the team has made a good faith effort to identify and seek reimbursement from the person responsible for the release and that person cannot be identified, or, if that person is identified, the team has received reimbursement from that person to the extent that the person is financially able or has determined that the person does not have adequate money or other resources to reimburse the regional emergency response team. Under this bill, DMA must reimburse within 60 days local agencies that provided services if the local agency applies for reimbursement within 45 days of the conclusion of the response team's deployment.

The bill also allows DMA to reimburse a local agency for any increase in contributions for duty disability premiums because an employee incurred an injury while performing duties as a member of an urban search and rescue task force or a regional emergency response team.

Who's behind it

8 senators are its ⁠. 6 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

22 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 30 names

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (22)

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 6 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 24, 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 Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 24, 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 Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 24, 2021

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

Official motion: “Referred to joint committee on Finance by Committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Sep 24, 2021

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

Official motion: “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 97 to 0 · Sep 28, 2021 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (97)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 30 to 1 · Sep 28, 2021 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (1)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. 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 104.

  3. Dec 2, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Sep 28, 2021

    The Assembly passed it too, 97 to 0.

  5. Sep 28, 2021

    “Read” (the official wording)

  6. Sep 28, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  7. Sep 28, 2021

    The Senate passed it, 30 to 1.

  8. Sep 28, 2021

    The Senate adopted it.

  9. Sep 24, 2021

    “Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  10. Sep 24, 2021

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  11. Sep 24, 2021

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

  12. Sep 24, 2021

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  13. Sep 1, 2021 to Sep 16, 2021

    1 more representative and 2 senators signed on in support.

  14. Sep 1, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Jul 20, 2021 to Aug 26, 2021

    3 more representatives signed on in support.

  16. Jun 16, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Jun 11, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. May 25, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism.

  19. May 25, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

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

    Introduced by Senators Ballweg, Wanggaard, Bernier, Bewley, Feyen, Jacque, Nass and Ringhand; cosponsored by Representatives Loudenbeck, Dallman, Born, James, Kerkman, Milroy, Moses, Mursau, Oldenburg, Petersen, Plumer, Shankland, Sortwell, Spreitzer, Thiesfeldt and Tusler

  2. May 25, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism

  3. Jun 11, 2021 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jun 16, 2021 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Jul 19, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Ballweg

  6. Jul 20, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Snodgrass added as a cosponsor

  7. Aug 18, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Schraa added as a cosponsor

  8. Aug 26, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor

  9. Sep 1, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  10. Sep 1, 2021 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a coauthor

  11. Sep 15, 2021 · Senate

    Senator Cowles added as a coauthor

  12. Sep 16, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Knodl added as a cosponsor

  13. Sep 22, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  14. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  15. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and Constitution and Federalism, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  16. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  17. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Referred to joint committee on Finance by Committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  18. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Withdrawn from joint committee on Finance and made Available for Scheduling by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 41 (1)(e), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  19. Sep 24, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 9-28-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  20. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  21. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  22. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  24. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 30, Noes 1

  25. Sep 28, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  27. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Read

  28. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  29. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  30. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  31. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  32. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 97, Noes 0

  33. Sep 28, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Sep 29, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  35. Oct 8, 2021 · Senate

    LRB correction

  36. Oct 8, 2021 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  37. Dec 2, 2021 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 12-2-2021

  38. Dec 6, 2021 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-3-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 104

  39. 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

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

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