Senate Bill 655
Requiring landlords or tenants to apply for emergency rental assistance and participate in mediation prior to eviction and prohibiting certain rent increases
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.
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Introduced, passed
Nov 9, 2023
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 15, 2024: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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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.
Under current law, if a tenant is late in paying rent, the landlord may give the tenant a notice that requires the tenant to pay rent or vacate within at least five days after the notice is given. If the tenant fails to pay the rent by that date, the tenancy is terminated. Under certain circumstances, if a tenant is late in paying rent, the landlord may give the tenant a notice requiring the tenant to vacate within at least 14 days after the notice is given without the option to cure by paying rent. Under current law, a landlord may bring a small claims eviction action against a tenant whose tenancy has been terminated for failure to pay rent.
Under this bill, if a residential tenant fails to pay rent when due, the tenant's tenancy is terminated only if the landlord gives the tenant a notice that requires the tenant to pay rent or vacate within at least 30 days after the notice is given; the tenant fails to pay the rent; and the landlord applies for and is denied emergency rental assistance under a local, state, or federal assistance program, if such a program exists, or is ineligible for such emergency rental assistance. Under the bill, a 30-day notice must include certain information, including contact information for the emergency rental assistance provider serving the county where the tenant resides; a statement as to whether the landlord is qualified to receive emergency rental assistance under a rental assistance program, and, if eligible, that the landlord is required to apply for such funds; a statement that, if the landlord is ineligible for such funds, the tenant may be able to apply for emergency rental assistance; and a statement that the landlord may not pursue an action for eviction against the tenant for failure to pay rent if the tenant or the landlord applies for and is approved to receive emergency rental assistance, and may not pursue an action for eviction unless the landlord and tenant participate in mediation and are unable to reach a settlement or the landlord shows that the tenant has refused to participate in mediation.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also requires a court to stay the proceedings in a residential eviction action until the landlord files proof with the court that he or she has applied for and been denied emergency rental assistance under a local, state, or federal assistance program, if such a program exists, or, if the landlord is ineligible for such emergency rental assistance, that the tenant has either failed to apply or has applied for and been denied such emergency rental assistance; and until the landlord and tenant notify the court that they have participated in mediation and are unable to reach a settlement or the landlord notifies the court that the tenant has refused to participate in mediation. In addition, a court must stay residential eviction proceedings if either the tenant or the landlord has been approved to receive emergency rental assistance.
Finally, the bill prohibits a landlord that receives emergency rental assistance under a local, state, or federal assistance program from raising the tenant's rent for 12 months, except that the landlord may raise rent to cover any increase in property taxes for the tenant's rental unit.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . All 3 are Democrats.
17 more lawmakers .
See all 20 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Melissa Agard · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (17)
- Samba Baldeh · Democrat, Assembly
- Marisabel Cabrera · Democrat, Assembly
- Ryan Clancy · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- Dora Drake · Democrat, Senate
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Francesca Hong · Democrat, Assembly
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Darrin Madison · Democrat, Assembly
- Supreme Moore Omokunde · Democrat, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Kristina Shelton · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
What happened
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Apr 15, 2024
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Nov 9, 2023
Sent to the Senate Committee on Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry.
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Nov 9, 2023
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 9, 2023 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Agard, Larson and L. Johnson; cosponsored by Representatives Hong, J. Anderson, Clancy, Madison, Ratcliff, Baldeh, Cabrera, Drake, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Stubbs, Emerson, Moore Omokunde, Palmeri, Considine and Joers
- Nov 9, 2023 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry
- Apr 15, 2024 · Senate
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