Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: town authority over the water elevation of an artificial water body created by a dam and recourse due to damage caused by an obstructed waterway.
Natural resources department of — Environmental protection Town — Board Waterways and water power
- Introduced, completed
- Passes Assembly, completed
- Passes Senate, stopped here
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law grants the Department of Natural Resources the authority to regulate and control the level and flow of water in all navigable waters. This bill gives a town board the authority to prescribe the maximum water elevation for an artificial water body created by a dam that includes the use of a diversion pump and and that is located in the town if the town board has determined that a certain water elevation of that water body causes the road bed of a highway in the town to be saturated.
Current law provides a procedure whereby the owner or occupant of any lands damaged by an obstruction in a natural watercourse due to negligent action by the owner, occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the obstruction is located may request and ultimately require removal of the obstruction. The bill specifies that the damage triggering this authority must be due to ground or surface water flooding.
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 7
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 Environment, Ayes 4, Noes 2
Passed 4–2 Jan 30, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 Mar 9, 2026 official source full pageNo 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 pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Tucker and Born; cosponsored by Senator Quinn
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Environment
- Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Environment, Ayes 4, Noes 2
- Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 2, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Moses added as a coauthor
- Feb 9, 2026 · Assembly
Senator Stafsholt added as a cosponsor
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 1:29 PM on 2-18-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 13
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Tucker
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Neubauer
- Feb 19, 2026 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 20, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry
- Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026
- Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
- Apr 8, 2026 · Assembly
Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-8-2026
- May 12, 2026 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- May 13, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82