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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 78

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE)

Forfeiture Motor vehicle — Regulation Motor vehicle — Theft Ordinance Police

  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

Under current law, a political subdivision may enact an ordinance authorizing law enforcement officers to impound vehicles used in reckless driving offenses if the person cited for reckless driving is the owner of the vehicle and the person has a prior reckless driving conviction for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not been fully paid. Under this bill, such an ordinance may authorize the impoundment of any vehicle used in a reckless driving offense regardless of ownership of the vehicle or prior record of the operator. The bill also provides that a local ordinance may authorize impounding such a vehicle until outstanding fines and forfeitures owed by the vehicle’s owner are fully paid.

Also under the bill, upon impounding a vehicle under such an ordinance, the law enforcement officer must attempt to determine if the vehicle has been reported as stolen, and if so, the officer or the impounding political subdivision must attempt to contact the owner. If the vehicle is reported as stolen, the vehicle must be released to the owner without the payment of a fee or charge.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Duchow (R) , Goodwin (D) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Maxey (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Rodriguez (R) , Steffen (R) , Tittl (R) , Tusler (R) , Wichgers (R)

7 cosponsors

Billings (D) , Brown (D) , Carpenter (D) , Doyle (D) , Emerson (D) , Tomczyk (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 6

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 passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0

Passed 15–0 Mar 11, 2025 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 Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1

Passed 7–1 Apr 15, 2025 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 Oct 13, 2025 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. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Donovan, Rodriguez, Allen, Dittrich, Duchow, Goodwin, Gundrum, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Steffen, Tittl, Tusler and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard and Tomczyk

  2. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Mar 5, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  6. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to calendar of 3-13-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)

  7. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  8. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  9. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  10. Mar 13, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  11. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Donovan

  13. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  14. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Mar 14, 2025 · Senate

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

  16. Mar 24, 2025 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a cosponsor

  17. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  18. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1

  19. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  20. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard

  21. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

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

  22. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  23. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  25. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  26. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  27. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended

  28. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

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

  30. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Senate Amendment 1 concurred in

  31. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  32. Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 10-15-2025

  33. Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 10-29-2025

  34. Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 10-31-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 46

  35. Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly

    Published 11-1-2025

  36. Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Doyle added as a coauthor

  37. Mar 6, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Brown added as a coauthor

  38. Mar 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Billings added as a coauthor

  39. Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Emerson added as a coauthor