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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 300

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: eliminating the 13-week limit on the garnishment of earnings of certain debtors.

Creditor Crime victim Debt and debtors Garnishment

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, stopped here
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill eliminates the 13-week limit imposed on the garnishment of earnings of certain debtors. Under current law, a creditor may file a garnishment notice with a court and pay a fee to a garnishee for the purpose of collecting an unsatisfied judgment for money damages from earnings owed to the debtor by the garnishee. Current law limits the number of weeks in which the earnings of a debtor, other than a debtor who is an employee of the state or a political subdivision of the state, may be garnisheed to 13 weeks.

Under current law, a court-ordered assignment of a debtor’s earnings for support or maintenance in a family law matter takes priority over an earnings garnishment. The bill provides that a court-ordered earnings garnishment to satisfy an order for restitution in a criminal matter takes priority over other earnings garnishments but does not have priority over an assignment in a family law matter.

The bill makes various other changes, including changes to account for the increased length of time a garnishment may continue. For example, the bill requires a creditor to provide additional notices to a debtor when a garnishment extends beyond a 13-week period.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Hutton (R) , Wanggaard (R)

13 cosponsors

Dittrich (R) , Gundrum (R) , Kaufert (R) , Kitchens (R) , Knodl (R) , Maxey (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , O'Connor (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Steffen (R) , Tusler (R) , Wichgers (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 5

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

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

Passed 5–3 Sep 17, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

Passed 5–3 Sep 17, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. May 30, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Hutton and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Tusler, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kaufert, Kitchens, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Steffen and Wichgers

  2. May 30, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  3. Sep 3, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Sep 5, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Hutton

  5. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  7. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  8. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  11. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  13. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  14. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  16. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  17. Jan 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  18. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-15-2026 by Committee on Rules

  19. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Tusler

  20. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  21. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  22. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  23. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  24. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  25. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended

  26. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  27. Feb 23, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  28. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Assembly Amendment 1 concurred in

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  31. Mar 19, 2026 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  32. Apr 2, 2026 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  33. Apr 6, 2026 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026

  34. May 12, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  35. May 13, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82