Senate Bill 718
Free state park admission for veterans and gold star families. (FE)
Topics: Family, Motor vehicle, State park, Veteran
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.
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Introduced, passed
Dec 2, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It sat with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 744. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
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. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, no person may operate a vehicle in any state park or in certain other recreational areas on state land unless the vehicle displays a vehicle admission receipt.
This bill provides that a vehicle admission receipt is not required for any vehicle occupied by a person who is a veteran under federal law or who qualifies under federal law for a gold star lapel button (commonly known as gold star family), which signifies that the recipient is the immediate family member of a member of the U.S. armed forces who died while serving during a time of conflict.
Who's behind it
10 senators are its . 9 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.
26 more lawmakers .
See all 36 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Dora Drake · Democrat, Senate
- Jodi Habush Sinykin · Democrat, Senate
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (26)
- Clint Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Margaret Arney · Democrat, Assembly
- Mike Bare · Democrat, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Karen DeSanto · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jenna Jacobson · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Tara Johnson · Democrat, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Sarah Keyeski · Democrat, Senate
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Greta Neubauer · Democrat, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Priscilla Prado · Democrat, Assembly
- Amaad Rivera-Wagner · Democrat, Assembly
- Ann Roe · Democrat, Assembly
- Joe Sheehan · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Angela Stroud · Democrat, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Angelito Tenorio · Democrat, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 19, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 28, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 5, 2026 to Jan 27, 2026
3 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
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Jan 5, 2026
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Dec 2, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.
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Dec 2, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Dec 2, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Hesselbein, Habush Sinykin, Drake, Ratcliff, L. Johnson, Smith, Jacque, Carpenter, Larson and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Sinicki, Rivera-Wagner, Miresse, Prado, Joers, DeSanto, Subeck, Palmeri, Stubbs, Udell, Sheehan, Kaufert, Roe, McCarville, Snodgrass, Bare, Tenorio, Arney, Behnke, Neubauer and Stroud
- Dec 2, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs
- Jan 5, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 5, 2026 · Senate
Senator Keyeski added as a coauthor
- Jan 20, 2026 · Senate
Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor
- Jan 26, 2026 · Senate
Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor
- Jan 27, 2026 · Senate
Representative Johnson added as a cosponsor
- Jan 28, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Mar 19, 2026 · Senate
Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
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.
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. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate