LRB-3683/1
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2011 - 2012 LEGISLATURE
January 9, 2012 - Introduced by Representatives Ballweg, Loudenbeck, Bernier,
Brooks, Danou, Endsley, Jacque, Kestell, Knilans, Krug, Marklein, Milroy,
Nygren, A. Ott, Ringhand, Ripp, Spanbauer, Thiesfeldt, Tranel, Van Roy,
Wynn, Petryk, Jorgensen, Kerkman
and LeMahieu, cosponsored by Senators
Olsen, Holperin, Erpenbach, Hansen, Jauch, Lasee, Lassa, Leibham, Schultz,
Taylor
and T. Cullen. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AB465,1,8 1An Act to repeal 350.12 (3j) (d); to renumber 350.12 (3j) (b); to renumber and
2amend
25.29 (1) (d) 1., 350.12 (3) (a) (intro.) and 350.12 (4) (bg) 2.; to amend
3350.12 (1), 350.12 (3j) (a) 2., 350.12 (3j) (e) 2. and 350.12 (3m) (d); and to create
425.29 (1) (d) 1. a., 25.29 (1) (d) 1. b., 350.12 (3j) (b) 1., 350.12 (3j) (b) 3., 350.12
5(3j) (b) 4., 350.12 (3j) (bg) and 350.12 (4) (bg) 2. b. of the statutes; relating to:
6snowmobile registration, trail use sticker requirements, calculating the
7estimated snowmobile gas tax payment, and funding for supplemental
8snowmobile trail aids.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law prohibits a person from operating a snowmobile in this state unless
the snowmobile is covered by a public-use or private-use registration issued by the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or is exempt from registration. A person
who owns a snowmobile is generally exempt from snowmobile registration
requirements in this state if the snowmobile is covered by a valid registration in
another state or country. A public-use registration is valid for two years and a
private-use registration is valid until ownership of the snowmobile is transferred.
This bill eliminates the two-year registration period for a public-use registration
and provides that a public-use registration is valid until ownership of the

snowmobile is transferred. The bill also lowers the public-use registration fee from
$30 to $15.
Under current law, a person who owns a snowmobile that is not registered in
this state or is exempt from registration must display a trail use sticker issued by
DNR on the snowmobile. The fee for this sticker is $34.25. This bill requires all
snowmobiles to display a trail use sticker, regardless of whether the snowmobile is
registered in this state. The bill provides that the fee for a trail use sticker issued
for a snowmobile that is registered in this state is $14.25 if the snowmobile is owned
by a snowmobile club member and $34.25 if the owner does not belong to a
snowmobile club.
Under current law, DNR provides funding from the snowmobile account in the
conservation fund for snowmobile regulation purposes including aids to counties for
activities such as snowmobile trail development and maintenance and law
enforcement. Currently, these activities are funded by snowmobile fees and by
moneys transferred from the transportation fund to the conservation fund. The
amount of this transfer equals the estimated snowmobile gas tax formula. The
estimated snowmobile gas tax formula amount is based on an estimate of the amount
of excise tax paid on gasoline by operators of all snowmobiles registered in this state.
Beginning with fiscal year 2013-14, this bill bases the estimated snowmobile gas tax
formula on an estimate of the excise tax paid on gasoline by operators of registered
snowmobiles in this state who are issued a trail use sticker.
Current law also requires DNR to calculate an amount equal to the number of
trail use stickers issued by DNR in the previous fiscal year multiplied by $32 and to
credit this amount to an appropriation account that funds aids to counties for
activities such as trail development and maintenance. This bill changes the basis
on which DNR must calculate the amount to be credited to that appropriation. Under
the bill, DNR must credit an amount equal to the number of trail use stickers issued
in the previous fiscal year to owners of snowmobiles that are exempt from
registration multiplied by $34.25.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB465, s. 1 1Section 1. 25.29 (1) (d) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 25.29 (1) (d) 1. (intro.)
2and amended to read:
AB465,3,53 25.29 (1) (d) 1. (intro.) An For fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13, an amount
4calculated by multiplying the number of snowmobiles registered under s. 350.12 or
5350.122 on the last day of March of the previous fiscal year by 50 gallons and

1multiplying that product by the excise tax imposed under s. 78.01 (1) on the last day
2of March of the previous fiscal year. For fiscal year 2013-14, and for each fiscal year
3thereafter, an amount calculated by multiplying the sum of the following by 50
4gallons and multiplying that product by the excise tax imposed under s. 78.01 on the
5last day of March of the previous fiscal year:
AB465, s. 2 6Section 2. 25.29 (1) (d) 1. a. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,3,97 25.29 (1) (d) 1. a. The number of trail use stickers issued under s. 350.12 (3j)
8during the 12-month period before the last day of March of the previous fiscal year
9to owners of snowmobiles that are registered under s. 350.12 (3).
AB465, s. 3 10Section 3. 25.29 (1) (d) 1. b. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,3,1211 25.29 (1) (d) 1. b. The number of snowmobiles registered under s. 350.122 on
12the last day of March of the previous fiscal year.
AB465, s. 4 13Section 4. 350.12 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB465,3,1814 350.12 (1) Registration requirement. After January 1, 1970, no person shall
15operate, and no owner shall give permission for the operation of any snowmobile
16within this state unless the operation of the snowmobile complies with sub. (3) (a)
17(intro.) 1. or (5) (cm) or is exempt from registration. No political subdivision shall
18have authority to register or license snowmobiles.
AB465, s. 5 19Section 5. 350.12 (3) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 350.12 (3) (a)
201. and amended to read:
AB465,4,1421 350.12 (3) (a) 1. Except as provided under subs. (2) and (5) (cm), no person may
22operate and no owner may give permission for the operation of any snowmobile
23within this state unless the snowmobile is registered for public use or private use
24under this paragraph or s. 350.122 or as an antique under par. (b) and has the
25registration decals displayed as required under sub. (5) or s. 350.122 or unless the

1snowmobile has a reflectorized plate attached as required under par. (c) 3. A
2snowmobile that is not registered as an antique under par. (b) may be registered for
3public use. A snowmobile that is not registered as an antique under par. (b) and that
4is used exclusively on private property, as defined under s. 23.33 (1) (n), may be
5registered for private use. A snowmobile public-use registration certificate is valid
6for 2 years beginning on the July 1 prior to the date of application if registration is
7made prior to April 1 and beginning on the July 1 subsequent to the date of
8application if registration is made after April 1 and ending on June 30, 2 years
9thereafter. A snowmobile
or private-use registration certificate is valid from the
10date of issuance until ownership of the snowmobile is transferred. The fee for the
11issuance or renewal of a public-use registration certificate is $30 $15, except that the
12fee is $5 if it is a snowmobile owned and operated by a political subdivision of this
13state. There is no fee for the issuance of a private-use registration certificate or for
14the issuance of a registration certificate to the state.
AB465, s. 6 15Section 6. 350.12 (3j) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB465,4,1916 350.12 (3j) (a) 2. Except as provided in par. (d), no No person who is the owner
17of a snowmobile may operate, or give permission for another person to operate, a
18snowmobile on a public snowmobile corridor in this state unless a trail use sticker
19issued under this subsection is displayed on the snowmobile.
AB465, s. 7 20Section 7. 350.12 (3j) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 350.12 (3j) (b) 2.
AB465, s. 8 21Section 8. 350.12 (3j) (b) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,4,2522 350.12 (3j) (b) 1. In this paragraph, "snowmobile club" means an association
23organized in this state the members of which are members of the Association of
24Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs and that meets at least 3 times per year, that has at
25least 10 members, and that promotes responsible snowmobiling.
AB465, s. 9
1Section 9. 350.12 (3j) (b) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,5,42 350.12 (3j) (b) 3. The fee for a trail use sticker issued for a snowmobile that is
3registered under sub. (3) and that is owned by a person who is a member of a
4snowmobile club is $14.25.
AB465, s. 10 5Section 10. 350.12 (3j) (b) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,5,86 350.12 (3j) (b) 4. The fee for a trail use sticker issued for a snowmobile that is
7registered under sub. (3) and that is owned by a person who is not a member of a
8snowmobile club is $34.25.
AB465, s. 11 9Section 11. 350.12 (3j) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,5,1210 350.12 (3j) (bg) A trail use sticker issued for a snowmobile for which a fee is
11charged under this subsection may be issued only by the department and persons
12appointed by the department and expires on June 30 of each year.
AB465, s. 12 13Section 12. 350.12 (3j) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
AB465, s. 13 14Section 13. 350.12 (3j) (e) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB465,5,1815 350.12 (3j) (e) 2. Any person, including the department, who issues a trail use
16sticker shall collect in addition to the fee under par. (b) 2., 3., or 4. an issuing fee of
1775 cents. The agent may retain 50 cents of the issuing fee to compensate the agent
18for the agent's services in issuing the sticker.
AB465, s. 14 19Section 14. 350.12 (3m) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB465,5,2320 350.12 (3m) (d) Estimate. On July 1 of each even-numbered year, the
21department shall estimate as accurately as possible the total registration trail use
22sticker
receipts for a 2-year period and adjust the estimate periodically to reflect
23actual receipts.
AB465, s. 15 24Section 15. 350.12 (4) (bg) 2. of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act
2532
, is renumbered 350.12 (4) (bg) 2. a. and amended to read:
AB465,6,10
1350.12 (4) (bg) 2. a. For fiscal year years 2011-12, and for each fiscal year
2thereafter 2012-13, the department shall calculate an amount equal to the number
3of trail use stickers issued under sub. (3j) in the previous fiscal year multiplied by
4$32 and shall credit this amount to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5)
5(cw). From the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (cw), the department shall
6make payments to the department or a county for the purposes specified in par. (b).
7The department shall make payments under par. (bm) for trail maintenance costs
8that were incurred in the previous fiscal year and that exceed the maximum specified
9under par. (b) 1. before making payments for any of the other purposes specified in
10par. (b).
AB465, s. 16 11Section 16. 350.12 (4) (bg) 2. b. of the statutes is created to read:
AB465,6,2112 350.12 (4) (bg) 2. b. For fiscal year 2013-14, and for each fiscal year thereafter,
13the department shall calculate an amount equal to the number of trail use stickers
14issued under sub. (3j) in the previous fiscal year to owners of snowmobiles that are
15exempt from registration under sub. (2) multiplied by $34.25 and shall credit this
16amount to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (cw). From the
17appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (cw), the department shall make payments
18to the department or a county for the purposes specified in par. (b). The department
19shall make payments under par. (bm) for trail maintenance costs that were incurred
20in the previous fiscal year and that exceed the maximum specified under par. (b) 1.
21before making payments for any of the other purposes specified in par. (b).
AB465, s. 17 22Section 17. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB465,6,2423 (1) (a) In this subsection, "snowmobile club" has the meaning given in section
24350.12 (3j) (b) 1. of the statutes, as created by this act.
AB465,7,4
1(b) Notwithstanding the fees specified under section 350.12 (3j) (b) of the
2statutes, as affected by this act, in fiscal year 2012-13, the following fees apply for
3a trail use sticker issued for a snowmobile that has a registration under section
4350.12 (3) of the statutes, as affected by this act, that expires on June 30, 2013:
AB465,7,6 51. If the snowmobile is owned by a person who is a member of a snowmobile
6club, there is no fee.
AB465,7,8 72. If the snowmobile is owned by a person who is not a member of a snowmobile
8club, the fee is $19.25.
AB465, s. 18 9Section 18. Effective date.
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