Assembly Bill 78
Impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE)
Topics: Forfeiture, Motor vehicle: Regulation, Motor vehicle: Theft, Ordinance, Police
Became law
The governor signed it on Oct 31, 2025. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Feb 28, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Mar 13, 2025
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Oct 14, 2025
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 46
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2026: “Representative Emerson added as a coauthor”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 65. That version died when the session ended.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
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.
Who's behind it
21 representatives are its . 19 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.
7 more lawmakers .
See all 28 names Hide the names
Authors (21)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Jessie Rodriguez · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (7)
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
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 3 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 15 to 0 · Mar 11, 2025
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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 1 · Apr 15, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Oct 13, 2025
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
What happened
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Jan 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026
4 more representatives signed on in support.
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Oct 31, 2025
The new law was published.
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Oct 31, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 46.
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Oct 29, 2025
Sent to the governor.
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Oct 14, 2025
“Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)
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Oct 14, 2025
The Assembly adopted it.
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Oct 14, 2025
The Senate passed it too.
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Oct 14, 2025
The Senate adopted it.
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Oct 13, 2025
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Apr 15, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.
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Mar 24, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Mar 14, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Mar 13, 2025
The Senate received it.
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Mar 13, 2025
The Assembly passed it.
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Mar 13, 2025
The Assembly adopted it.
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Mar 11, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 15 to 0.
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Mar 5, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 28, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Feb 28, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- 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
- Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Mar 5, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to calendar of 3-13-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Donovan
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 13, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Mar 14, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Mar 24, 2025 · Senate
Senator Carpenter added as a cosponsor
- Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Apr 15, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in as amended
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate Amendment 1 adopted)
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Senate Amendment 1 concurred in
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Action ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 10-15-2025
- Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 10-29-2025
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 10-31-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 46
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Published 11-1-2025
- Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Doyle added as a coauthor
- Mar 6, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Brown added as a coauthor
- Mar 10, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Billings added as a coauthor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Emerson added as a coauthor
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote