LRB-4746/1
RAC:cjs
2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
March 1, 2016 - Introduced by Representatives Spreitzer, Kahl, Kolste, Ohnstad,
Sinicki, Wachs and C. Taylor. Referred to Committee on State Affairs and
Government Operations.
AB965,1,2 1An Act to create 13.082, 13.45 (8) and 13.45 (9) of the statutes; relating to:
2legislative consideration of bills and committee activity.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides that neither the assembly nor the senate may consider while
in session on the floor more than 40 bills on a legislative day or 100 bills during a
calendar week. There is one exception, however: the limits do not apply to bills
withdrawn by motion or petition from a committee or bills taken up by unanimous
consent, except that in no event may the assembly or the senate consider while in
session on the floor more than 50 bills on a legislative day or 120 bills during a
calendar week.
The bill further provides, with some exceptions, that not more than 20 percent
of assembly committees and not more than 20 percent of senate committees may
meet on the same day and not more than 40 percent of assembly committees and not
more than 40 percent of senate committees may meet during the same calendar
week.
Finally, the bill provides that no assembly or senate committee may hold a
public hearing or conduct an executive session on more than eight bills on the same
day or more than 12 bills during the same calendar week and, unless authorized by
unanimous consent of committee members, no assembly or senate committee may

conduct an executive session on a bill on a day on which its house is in session on the
floor.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB965,1 1Section 1. 13.082 of the statutes is created to read:
AB965,2,4 213.082 Consideration of bills. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), neither the
3assembly nor the senate may consider while in session on the floor more than 40 bills
4on a legislative day or 100 bills during a calendar week.
AB965,2,8 5(2) The limits under sub. (1) do not apply to bills withdrawn by motion or
6petition from a committee or bills taken up by unanimous consent, except that in no
7event may the assembly or the senate consider while in session on the floor more than
850 bills on a legislative day or 120 bills during a calendar week.
AB965,2 9Section 2. 13.45 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
AB965,2,1210 13.45 (8) Frequency of committee meetings. (a) Not more than 20 percent of
11committees in the assembly and not more than 20 percent of committees in the
12senate may meet on the same day.
AB965,2,1413 (b) Not more than 40 percent of committees in the assembly and not more than
1440 percent of committees in the senate may meet during the same calendar week.
AB965,2,1615 (c) For purposes of calculating the percentages in pars. (a) and (b), all of the
16following shall apply:
AB965,2,1817 1. A meeting of a joint legislative committee is considered a committee meeting
18in both the assembly and senate.
AB965,2,2119 2. A meeting of a task force or special committee established in the assembly
20or senate is considered a meeting in the assembly or senate, whichever house is
21appropriate.
AB965,3,4
1(d) For purposes of calculating the percentages in pars. (a) and (b), meetings
2of the assembly committee on rules, the committee on assembly organization, the
3committee on senate organization, and the joint committee on legislative
4organization are not included.
AB965,3 5Section 3. 13.45 (9) of the statutes is created to read:
AB965,3,116 13.45 (9) Committee public hearings and executive sessions. (a) No
7committee in the assembly or senate, including any task force or special committee
8established in either house, may hold a public hearing or conduct an executive
9session on more than 8 bills on the same day or more than 12 bills during the same
10calendar week. This paragraph does not apply to the joint committee on finance or
11the joint survey committee on tax exemptions.
AB965,3,1412 (b) 1. Except by unanimous consent of committee members, no committee in the
13assembly, including any assembly task force or special committee, may conduct an
14executive session on a bill on a day on which the assembly is in session on the floor.
AB965,3,1715 2. Except by unanimous consent of committee members, no committee in the
16senate, including any senate task force or special committee, may conduct an
17executive session on a bill on a day on which the senate is in session on the floor.
AB965,3,1818 (End)
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