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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 679

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: weight limits for vehicles transporting grain, feed, or commercial fertilizer. (FE)

Bus and truck — Taxation or registration Commercial feed Fertilizer Financial institution Grain marketing Road Transportation department of — Vehicles

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates special highway weight limits for certain vehicles transporting grain, feed, or commercial fertilizer.

Under current law generally, no person may operate on a highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles that exceeds certain statutory weight limits without a permit issued by the Department of Transportation or a local highway authority. The allowable weight for a vehicle operating without a permit varies based on the number of axles on the vehicle, with a maximum total weight of 80,000 pounds. Currently, higher weight limits are provided for certain vehicles transporting specific agricultural products, with a maximum total weight of 90,000 pounds.

The bill authorizes DOT to issue permits, for a fee of $325, for the transport of grain, feed, or commercial fertilizers at a weight not to exceed 91,000 pounds. The permit is valid for the transportation of grain, feed, or commercial fertilizer only on highways that are within the state trunk highway system and only on a route specified by the department. Other highways may be used with written approval of the officers in charge of maintenance of the other highways. DOT may suspend the permit during a spring thaw.

Under current law, if any bill introduced in either house of the legislature directly or indirectly establishes an exception to vehicle weight limitations, DOT must prepare a report, containing specified information, relating to the bill within six weeks after the bill is introduced and before any vote is taken on the bill. This bill directs DOT not to prepare such a report on this bill.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: B. Jacobson (R) , Goodwin (D) , Maxey (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Spiros (R) , Tranel (R)

7 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Behnke (R) , Brown (D) , Emerson (D) , Smith (D) , Tomczyk (R) , Tucker (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 27

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 6, Noes 0

Passed 6–0 Feb 3, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 6, Noes 0

Passed 6–0 Feb 3, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 4, Noes 1

Passed 4–1 Mar 2, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 13, Noes 0

Passed 13–0 Mar 11, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

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

Passed 3–2 Mar 16, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Nov 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives B. Jacobson, O'Connor, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Penterman, Spiros, Tranel and Goodwin; cosponsored by Senator Tomczyk

  2. Nov 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Dec 1, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Behnke added as a coauthor

  4. Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative B. Jacobson

  6. Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Tucker added as a coauthor

  7. Feb 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative B. Jacobson

  8. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  9. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  10. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  11. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  12. Feb 6, 2026 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  13. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative B. Jacobson

  14. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026

  15. Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Anderson added as a coauthor

  16. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  17. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted

  18. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  21. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Feb 20, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Local Government

  24. Mar 2, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  25. Mar 2, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  26. Mar 2, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  27. Mar 6, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Brown added as a coauthor

  28. Mar 10, 2026 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  29. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  30. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  31. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  32. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  33. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  34. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  35. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  36. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  37. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  38. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  39. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  40. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  41. Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Emerson added as a coauthor

  42. Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 2)

  43. Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-24-2026

  44. Apr 1, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-1-2026

  45. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-2-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 161

  46. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-3-2026