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Bills from the 2023–24 session

Assembly Bill 47

Public access to actions by Parole Commission

Became law

The governor signed it on Aug 4, 2023. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 20, 2023

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 77 to 20

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Jun 7, 2023

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2023 Wisconsin Act 31

Latest entry in the official record, Aug 4, 2023: “Published 8-5-2023”

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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, the Parole Commission is the authority for granting discretionary release to parole to a person who committed a felony before December 31, 1999. This bill changes the open meetings requirement for the Parole Commission, provides specific notice requirements for meetings of the Parole Commission, and requires information about parole decisions to be posted on the Department of Corrections Internet site.

Eliminating the exception to the open meetings law Current law requires that every meeting of a governmental body be held in a place reasonably accessible to members of the public and open to all citizens at all times. Current law provides exceptions to the open meetings requirement. One exception is for the consideration of specific applications of release to probation, extended supervision, or parole. The bill eliminates that exception so that the Parole Commission is subject to the open meetings requirement when considering specific applications for release.

Read the full summary

Notice requirements Current law regulates public notice of all meetings of a governmental body. In addition to any requirements specific to a governmental body, the notice must be posted in at least three public places likely to give notice to affected persons, posted in one such public place and on the governmental body's Internet site, or published in a news medium likely to give notice to affected persons. The bill requires that the Parole Commission provide notice of all meetings on the DOC Internet site.

Posting requirements The bill requires DOC to post certain information about the actions of the Parole Commission on its Internet site for public access. Under the bill, DOC must post any guidance documents that the Parole Commission uses when making parole decisions. DOC must post individuals granted parole, denied parole, and returned to prison following the revocation of parole. DOC must also post monthly and annual totals of the number of persons granted parole, denied parole, and returned to prison following the revocation of parole. The annual totals must be presented by the crime for which the individual was convicted; the sex, race, and age of the individual; and the locality in which the individual was convicted.

Who's behind it

17 representatives are its ⁠. All 17 are Republicans.

12 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 29 names

Authors (17)

Signed on in support (12)

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.

Assembly Committee on State Affairs vote to recommend it

Passed, 10 to 3 · Mar 13, 2023

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 State Affairs, Ayes 10, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 77 to 20 · Mar 22, 2023 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (77)

Didn't vote (2)

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

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 2 · May 23, 2023

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 2 · May 23, 2023

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

Official motion: “Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Jun 5, 2023

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 28 to 5 · Jun 7, 2023

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

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

What happened

  1. Aug 4, 2023

    The new law was published.

  2. Aug 4, 2023

    The governor signed it. It became 2023 Wisconsin Act 31.

  3. Aug 2, 2023

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Jun 7, 2023

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. Jun 7, 2023

    The Assembly adopted it.

  6. Jun 7, 2023

    The Senate passed it too, 28 to 5.

  7. Jun 7, 2023

    The Senate adopted it.

  8. Jun 5, 2023

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  9. May 23, 2023

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 2.

  10. May 23, 2023

    “Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  11. Mar 23, 2023

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  12. Mar 23, 2023

    The Senate received it.

  13. Mar 22, 2023

    The Assembly passed it, 77 to 20.

  14. Mar 16, 2023

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  15. Mar 13, 2023

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  16. Mar 13, 2023

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 3.

  17. Mar 13, 2023

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  18. Mar 1, 2023

    The committee held a public hearing.

  19. Feb 20, 2023

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

  20. Feb 20, 2023

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 20, 2023 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Spiros, Duchow, Schraa, Allen, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Donovan, Edming, Knodl, Michalski, Murphy, O'Connor, Rettinger, Rozar, Schutt, Steffen and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Bradley, James, Ballweg, Cabral-Guevara, Cowles, Jacque, Marklein, Nass and Stroebel

  2. Feb 20, 2023 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs

  3. Mar 1, 2023 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 8, 2023 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Mar 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Representative Bodden added as a coauthor

  6. Mar 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on State Affairs, Ayes 10, Noes 3

  7. Mar 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Mar 14, 2023 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 3-22-2023 by Committee on Rules

  9. Mar 16, 2023 · Assembly

    Senator Hutton added as a cosponsor

  10. Mar 22, 2023 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  11. Mar 22, 2023 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Mar 22, 2023 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  13. Mar 22, 2023 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 77, Noes 20

  14. Mar 22, 2023 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Mar 23, 2023 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  16. Mar 23, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  17. May 16, 2023 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard

  18. May 23, 2023 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  19. May 23, 2023 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 2

  20. May 23, 2023 · Senate

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 2

  21. May 23, 2023 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  22. Jun 5, 2023 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  23. Jun 5, 2023 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 6-7-2023 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  26. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  27. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 28, Noes 5

  29. Jun 7, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  30. Jun 7, 2023 · Assembly

    Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate substitute amendment 1 adopted)

  31. Jun 7, 2023 · Assembly

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 concurred in

  32. Jun 7, 2023 · Assembly

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  33. Jun 9, 2023 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 6-9-2023

  34. Aug 2, 2023 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 8-2-2023

  35. Aug 4, 2023 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 8-4-2023. 2023 Wisconsin Act 31

  36. Aug 4, 2023 · Assembly

    Published 8-5-2023

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