Assembly Bill 656
The regulation of wakesurfing and wakeboarding
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
-
Introduced, passed
Nov 9, 2023
-
Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
-
Assembly vote, not reached
-
Senate vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 15, 2024: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.
Embed this on your site
Paste this code into your page. The card shows the latest record each time it loads. Preview the card
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill regulates wakesurfing and wakeboarding. The bill defines wakesurfing as surfing a motorboat's wake, regardless of whether the person is being pulled by a tow rope attached to the motorboat that is producing the wake or operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake that is, or is intended to be, surfed by another person. The bill defines wakeboarding as being towed on a board with or without foot bindings by a motorboat across the vessel's wake or operating a motorboat in a manner that creates a wake while towing a person on a board with or without foot bindings.
Under current law, various regulations apply to water skiing, aquaplaning, “ or similar activity,” and under current law, wakesurfing and wakeboarding likely fall under “aquaplaning” or “similar activity.” The bill explicitly provides that “aquaplaning” includes wakesurfing and wakeboarding, and thereby applies the same safety regulations that apply to water skiing and aquaplaning to wakesurfing and wakeboarding. These regulations include requiring an observer or a wide-angle mirror on the motorboat, restricting wakesurfing and wakeboarding to between sunrise and sunset, prohibiting intoxicated wakesurfing and wakeboarding, requiring a motorboat used for wakesurfing or wakeboarding to stay more than 100 feet away from any occupied anchored boat, personal watercraft, or marked swimming area or public boat landing, and prohibiting a person engaged in wakesurfing or wakeboarding from being within 100 feet, or allowing a tow rope to be within 100 feet, of a personal watercraft.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also adds restrictions that apply specifically to wakeboarding and wakesurfing. Current law prohibits the operation of a motorboat on a lake open to public access that is 50 acres or less. The bill prohibits wakesurfing and wakeboarding on a body of water of 50 acres or less or that is less than 400 feet wide, regardless of public access. The bill prohibits wakesurfing or wakeboarding within 200 feet of a shoreline or dock, pier, boathouse, or other structure located completely or partly on the water, though the bill allows a local ordinance to be less strict, but not more strict, than this prohibition. The bill also requires that a person surfing a wake or being towed on a board must wear a personal flotation device.
The bill applies the same penalties to wakesurfing and wakeboarding violations that apply to water skiing violations under current law.
Who's behind it
7 representatives are its . 5 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Authors (7)
- Alex Dallman · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- John Spiros · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Swearingen · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Wittke · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Mary Felzkowski · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
What happened
-
Apr 15, 2024
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Nov 9, 2023
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation.
-
Nov 9, 2023
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Swearingen, Plumer, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spiros, Wittke and Dallman; cosponsored by Senators Felzkowski, Nass, Roys and Testin
- Nov 9, 2023 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation
- Nov 17, 2023 · Assembly
Senator Roys withdrawn as a cosponsor
- Apr 15, 2024 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
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