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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 848

Operation of autonomous vehicles on highways and providing a penalty

Topics: Motor vehicle, Transportation, Department of: Roads, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles

Stopped in committee

It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 16, 2026

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It sat with the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 831. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill creates an Autonomous Driving Safety Board, attached to the Department of Transportation, that may authorize the operation of autonomous vehicles on specific highways in this state.

Under the bill, a person proposing to operate an autonomous vehicle in this state must submit an application for a permit to the board. If the board approves the permit, the permit holder may not operate an autonomous vehicle under the permit unless they 1) title and register with DOT each autonomous vehicle to be operated, 2) provide DOT with proof of financial responsibility for any damages, injury, or death caused by the operation of an autonomous vehicle, and 3) provide the board with information detailing how emergency services personnel should interact with autonomous vehicles for which the permit is issued. A permit holder may operate autonomous vehicles only on highways approved by the board.

Read the full summary

The bill provides that the board may temporarily suspend a permit if the board determines that the operation of an autonomous vehicle is an unreasonable risk to public safety. The board must then conduct a hearing to determine if the permit should be suspended or revoked, based on a determination that a permit condition has been violated or that continued operation of autonomous vehicles under the permit would be an unreasonable risk to public safety.

The bill requires a permit holder to annually submit to the board a report summarizing results and observations related to safety, traffic operations, interaction with roadway infrastructure, comments from the public, and other information the permit holder deems relevant.

Who's behind it

4 representatives are its ⁠. All 4 are Republicans.

1 more lawmaker ⁠.

See all 5 names

Authors (4)

Signed on in support (1)

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 3, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  3. Jan 16, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  4. Jan 16, 2026

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Maxey, Gustafson, Kitchens and Murphy; cosponsored by Senator Cabral-Guevara

  2. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation

  3. Feb 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 23, 2026 · 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.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor