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Bills from the 2021–22 session

Senate Bill 74

Regulation of home inspectors, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 29, 2021. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 5, 2021

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 16, 2021

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Mar 17, 2021

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2021 Wisconsin Act 17

Latest entry in the official record, May 26, 2021: “Representative Drake added as a cosponsor”

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 does the following related to regulation of home inspectors:

1. Modifies the definition of what is considered to be a “defect,” for purposes of a report submitted by a home inspector to a client. The bill also makes modifications to what the report is required to contain, including by adding a number of required elements and statements for the report, such as a summary page with required statements, and requiring defects to be labeled as defects if they satisfy the legal definition of defect.

Read the full summary

2. Requires, in order to be granted a home inspector registration, that an individual complete 40 hours of instruction. Current law generally requires a person to be registered with the Department of Safety and Professional Services to act as a home inspector, use the title “home inspector,” or represent himself or herself to be a home inspector.

3. Exempts newly registered home inspectors from continuing education requirements for the first two renewals of a registration. Current DSPS rules exempt newly registered home inspectors from continuing education requirements for the first renewal of a registration.

4. Provides for reciprocal registration of home inspectors licensed in other states who have comparable or more stringent requirements.

5. Repeals a provision allowing DSPS to use an alternative professional discipline procedure for home inspectors.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. 2 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

9 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 12 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (9)

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 was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Insurance vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Mar 12, 2021

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 Insurance, Licensing and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 26, 2021

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  2. Mar 29, 2021

    The new law was published.

  3. Mar 29, 2021

    The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 17.

  4. Mar 25, 2021

    Sent to the governor.

  5. Mar 17, 2021

    The Assembly passed it too.

  6. Mar 17, 2021

    “Read” (the official wording)

  7. Mar 17, 2021

    The Assembly received it.

  8. Mar 16, 2021

    The Senate passed it.

  9. Mar 16, 2021

    The Senate adopted it.

  10. Mar 12, 2021

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

  11. Feb 17, 2021 to Feb 24, 2021

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  12. Feb 17, 2021

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Feb 16, 2021

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  14. Feb 5, 2021

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry.

  15. Feb 5, 2021

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 5, 2021 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Bernier, Bewley and Cowles; cosponsored by Representatives Brooks, Gundrum, Allen, Moses, Ortiz-Velez and Skowronski

  2. Feb 5, 2021 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry

  3. Feb 16, 2021 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Feb 17, 2021 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 17, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Callahan added as a cosponsor

  6. Feb 24, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Brostoff added as a cosponsor

  7. Mar 9, 2021 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  8. Mar 12, 2021 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  9. Mar 12, 2021 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  10. Mar 12, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Bernier and Nass

  11. Mar 12, 2021 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-16-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  12. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Read a second time

  13. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  14. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  16. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  17. Mar 16, 2021 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  19. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Read

  20. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  21. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  22. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  24. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  25. Mar 17, 2021 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Mar 17, 2021 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  27. Mar 18, 2021 · Senate

    LRB correction (Senate Amendment 1)

  28. Mar 24, 2021 · Senate

    LRB correction

  29. Mar 24, 2021 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  30. Mar 25, 2021 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-25-2021

  31. Mar 29, 2021 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-26-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 17

  32. Mar 29, 2021 · Senate

    Published 3-27-2021

  33. May 26, 2021 · Senate

    Representative Drake added as a cosponsor

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