AB 980

This bill prohibits a person from traveling by bicycle on a groomed mountain biking trail or other trail, except highways, that is open for the use of bicycles on state-owned land unless a bicycling permit is permanently affixed in a highly visible location on the forward half of the bicycle or the person is carrying proof of a valid temporary bicycle permit receipt, which the person must exhibit to DNR or its wardens or other law enforcement officers on demand. Under the bill, a temporary bicycle permit receipt means a receipt issued by DNR or its agent that shows that an application and the required fees for a bicycle permit have been submitted.

The bill excludes from this prohibition vehicle admission areas, where, under current law, a vehicle admission receipt is generally required in order for a vehicle to enter. Vehicle admission areas include all state parks, the Richard Bong state recreation area, the Wisconsin Dells natural area, the Point Beach state forest, certain recreational areas in other state forests, certain designated use zones within recreation areas, and most roadside parks. Under the bill, a person who is authorized to bicycle on state-owned land under a separate trail pass or as part of an organized event is not required to have a bicycle permit. The bill specifies that a bicycling permit does not authorize a person to bicycle in an area on state-owned land where bicycling is prohibited.

Under the bill, DNR must issue a bicycling permit and temporary bicycling permit receipt to a person who applies for the permit and who pays the required fees, and the permit is valid for the calendar year in which it is issued. The bill authorizes DNR to directly issue the permits and receipts or appoint persons who are not DNR employees as its agents to issue the permits and receipts. The bill sets the fee for the permit at $40 for an adult, $20 for a child age 12 or older, and $0 for a child under the age of 12, with a 75 cent issuing fee for each permit issued to a person 12 years of age or older. The bill allows a DNR agent to retain 50 cents of such an issuing fee as compensation for issuing temporary bicycling permit receipts.