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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 966

Water diversion or elevation projects in towns

Topics: Natural Resources, Department of: Environmental protection, Town, Waterways and water power

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 6, 2026

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 881. That version was vetoed.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under this bill, except in the case of an emergency, the Department of Natural Resources may not initiate, authorize, or issue a permit for a project located in a town that involves the use of stationary or portable pumps or other mechanisms that divert water to locations where water is not naturally occurring or that raise water elevation above what is naturally occurring unless the town board of the town in which the activity will occur approves the project by resolution. This limits DNR’s general authority under current law to regulate and control the level and flow of water in navigable waters and to divert the flow of water of a body of water for the purpose of flood control and prevention, including when such a diversion creates an artificial water body.

Who's behind it

Romaine Quinn, a Republican, is its ⁠.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 6 names

Author (1)

Signed on in support (5)

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Senate Committee on Insurance vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 9, 2026

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 Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 9, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  3. Mar 2, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Feb 9, 2026 to Feb 13, 2026

    1 more representative and 1 senator signed on in support.

  5. Feb 6, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry.

  6. Feb 6, 2026

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Quinn; cosponsored by Representatives Tucker, Born and Kurtz

  2. Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry

  3. Feb 9, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Stafsholt added as a coauthor

  4. Feb 13, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor

  5. Mar 2, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Mar 9, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Mar 9, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  8. Mar 9, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. 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.

More in the glossary

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

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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary