Senate Bill 159
Requirements for lighting on police vehicles
Topics: Motor vehicle: Equipment, Police
Became law
The governor signed it on Nov 3, 2025. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Mar 27, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Oct 14, 2025
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Oct 14, 2025
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 39
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2026: “Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 179. 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
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.
Current law provides that a police vehicle may be equipped with flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue and red lights. On a marked police vehicle, the blue light must be mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be mounted on the driver side of the vehicle.
This bill provides that, on a marked police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light must be mounted on the roof of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be mounted on the roof of the driver side of the vehicle. For lights mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights must be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights must be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. The bill also authorizes the use of a combination of blue and red lights mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle if the vehicle is already equipped with roof or interior lights as required by the bill.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . All 3 are Republicans.
16 more lawmakers .
See all 19 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (16)
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Treig Pronschinske · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · May 8, 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 Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. 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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Nov 3, 2025
The new law was published.
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Nov 3, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 39.
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Oct 30, 2025
Sent to the governor.
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Oct 14, 2025
The Assembly passed it too.
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Oct 14, 2025
“Read” (the official wording)
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Oct 14, 2025
The Assembly received it.
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Oct 14, 2025
The Senate passed it.
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Oct 14, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 8, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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May 6, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Mar 27, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
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Mar 27, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 27, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Feyen and Nass; cosponsored by Representatives B. Jacobson, Behnke, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk and Pronschinske
- Mar 27, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government
- May 6, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- May 8, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Representative Miresse added as a cosponsor
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Read
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 15, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Oct 16, 2025 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Oct 30, 2025 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 10-30-2025
- Nov 3, 2025 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 10-31-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 39
- Nov 3, 2025 · Senate
Published 11-1-2025
- Jan 23, 2026 · Senate
Representative Doyle added as a cosponsor
- Mar 6, 2026 · Senate
Representative Brown added as a cosponsor
- Mar 10, 2026 · Senate
Representative Billings added as a cosponsor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Senate
Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote