LRB-5602/1
ZDW:amn
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
February 1, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Mursau, Edming, O'Connor,
Oldenburg, Schmidt and Tranel, cosponsored by Senators Marklein,
Ballweg, Cowles, James and Testin. Referred to Committee on Sporting
Heritage.
AB1039,1,9 1An Act to repeal 23.33 (11) (am) 3. c.; to renumber 23.33 (1) (ja), 23.33 (1) (jc),
223.33 (1) (jd) and 23.33 (1) (je); to renumber and amend 23.33 (11m); to
3amend
23.33 (3) (a), 23.33 (4) (d) 3. b., 23.33 (11) (am) 3. (intro.), 23.33 (11) (am)
44., 340.01 (3) (a), 340.01 (3) (b), 340.01 (3) (c), 340.01 (3) (d), 340.01 (3) (dg),
5340.01 (3) (dh) and 340.01 (3) (dm) (intro.); and to create 23.33 (1) (jb), 23.33
6(1) (jf), 23.33 (1) (jg), 23.33 (1) (jh), 23.33 (4) (d) 8., 23.33 (11m) (b), 23.33 (13) (g)
7and 340.01 (37r) of the statutes; relating to: operation of all-terrain and utility
8terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and snowmobiles and revision of the
9Department of Transportation highway maintenance manual.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes numerous changes to laws relating to all-terrain vehicles
(ATVs), utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs), and
snowmobiles.
Careless operation of an ATV or UTV
Current law prohibits a person from operating an ATV or UTV in any careless
way that endangers the person or property of another. The bill prohibits a person
from operating an ATV or UTV in any careless, reckless, or negligent manner so as

to impair the life, person, or property of another. Under the bill, for a violation of this
prohibition that results in impairment of the property of another, the court may hold
the defendant liable for treble damages, to be recovered by the person responsible for
maintenance of the property, and may order the defendant to restore, rebuild, repair,
or replace the property.
ATV and UTV operation on bridges
Under current law generally, a person may not operate an ATV or UTV on a
highway. However, a person may operate an ATV or UTV on the shoulder or roadway
of a highway to cross a bridge that is no more than 1,000 feet long if the operation
complies with a local ordinance that applies to the bridge. Current law requires that
such an ordinance requires a person to stop his or her ATV or UTV before crossing
the bridge. The bill eliminates the 1,000-foot limitation and the requirement that
a person stop before crossing the bridge.
Ordinances authorizing ATV and UTV operation on highways
Under current law, a city, village, or town (municipality) may enact an
ordinance to authorize the operation of ATVs and UTVs on a highway with a speed
limit of 35 miles per hour or less that is located within the territorial boundaries of
the municipality, regardless of whether the municipality has jurisdiction over the
highway. The bill eliminates the requirement that the highway have a speed limit
of 35 miles per hour or less.
Emergency operation of ATVs and UTVs
The bill provides that ATVs and UTVs may be operated on any roadway if the
operation is for emergency purposes during a period of emergency declared by the
governmental agency having jurisdiction over the roadway.
Authorized emergency vehicles
Under current law, “authorized emergency vehicle” is defined to include
vehicles operated by various entities, such as law enforcement officers, fire
departments, conservation wardens, and ambulance services. The bill expands the
definition of “authorized emergency vehicle” to include ATVs, UTVs, and
snowmobiles operated by these same entities and to include off-highway
motorcycles operated by law enforcement officers and conservation wardens.
Patrol vehicles
The bill creates definitions for “patrol all-terrain vehicle,” “ patrol utility
terrain vehicle,” “patrol off-highway motorcycle,” and “patrol snowmobile,” which
are ATVs, UTVs, OHMs, and snowmobiles that are owned or leased by a city, village,
town, county, state agency, federal agency, federally recognized American Indian
tribe, or public safety corporation, used for law enforcement, fire fighting, or
emergency medical response, and equipped with required sirens and lights. The bill
exempts patrol ATVs, UTVs, OHMs, and snowmobiles from certain operation
limitations such speed and proximity to highways while responding to emergencies
or violations of the law, subject to specified use of sirens and lights.
Revision to highway maintenance manual
Under current law, no state trunk highway or connecting highway may be
designated as an ATV route without DOT approval. DOT standards for ATV route

approval are detailed in DOT's Highway Maintenance Manual (HMM), which
includes policies, technical information, administrative direction, and operational
information for administration of DOT's highway maintenance program. The HMM
currently provides that requests for ATV routes or trails to use short segments of
state trunk highways for the purpose of connecting to businesses may not be
approved. The bill requires DOT to revise the HMM to remove these provisions.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB1039,1 1Section 1. 23.33 (1) (ja) of the statutes is renumbered 23.33 (1) (ji).
AB1039,2 2Section 2. 23.33 (1) (jb) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1039,3,103 23.33 (1) (jb) “Patrol all-terrain vehicle” means an all-terrain vehicle that is
4owned or leased by a city, village, town, county, state agency, federal agency, federally
5recognized American Indian tribe, or public safety corporation, used for law
6enforcement, fire fighting, or emergency medical response, and equipped with a siren
7and one or more flashing, oscillating, or rotating red lights, or red and white lights
8or, if the all-terrain vehicle is operated by a law enforcement officer, a blue light or
9a blue and white light, and a red light or a red and white light, all of which are
10flashing, oscillating, or rotating.
AB1039,3 11Section 3. 23.33 (1) (jc) of the statutes is renumbered 23.33 (1) (jj).
AB1039,4 12Section 4. 23.33 (1) (jd) of the statutes is renumbered 23.33 (1) (jk).
AB1039,5 13Section 5. 23.33 (1) (je) of the statutes is renumbered 23.33 (1) (jL).
AB1039,6 14Section 6. 23.33 (1) (jf) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1039,4,415 23.33 (1) (jf) “Patrol off-highway motorcycle” means an off-highway
16motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), that is owned or leased by a city, village,
17town, county, state agency, federal agency, federally recognized American Indian
18tribe, or public safety corporation, used for law enforcement, fire fighting, or
19emergency medical response, and equipped with a siren and one or more flashing,

1oscillating, or rotating red lights, or red and white lights or, if the off-highway
2motorcycle is operated by a law enforcement officer, a blue light or a blue and white
3light, and a red light or a red and white light, all of which are flashing, oscillating,
4or rotating.
AB1039,7 5Section 7. 23.33 (1) (jg) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1039,4,136 23.33 (1) (jg) “Patrol snowmobile” means a snowmobile, as defined in s. 340.01
7(58a), that is owned or leased by a city, village, town, county, state agency, federal
8agency, federally recognized American Indian tribe, or public safety corporation,
9used for law enforcement, fire fighting, or emergency medical response, and
10equipped with a siren and one or more flashing, oscillating, or rotating red lights, or
11red and white lights or, if the snowmobile is operated by a law enforcement officer,
12a blue light or a blue and white light, and a red light or a red and white light, all of
13which are flashing, oscillating, or rotating.
AB1039,8 14Section 8. 23.33 (1) (jh) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1039,4,2215 23.33 (1) (jh) “Patrol utility terrain vehicle” means a utility terrain vehicle that
16is owned or leased by a city, village, town, county, state agency, federal agency,
17federally recognized American Indian tribe, or public safety corporation, used for law
18enforcement, fire fighting, or emergency medical response, and equipped with a siren
19and one or more flashing, oscillating, or rotating red lights, or red and white lights
20or, if the utility terrain vehicle is operated by a law enforcement officer, a blue light
21or a blue and white light, and a red light or a red and white light, all of which are
22flashing, oscillating, or rotating.
AB1039,9 23Section 9. 23.33 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1039,4,2524 23.33 (3) (a) In any careless way , reckless, or negligent manner so as to
25endanger impair the life, person, or property of another.
AB1039,10
1Section 10. 23.33 (4) (d) 3. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1039,5,62 23.33 (4) (d) 3. b. A person may operate an all-terrain vehicle or utility terrain
3vehicle on the roadway or shoulder of any highway to cross a bridge that is 1,000 feet
4in length or less
if the operation is in compliance with a county ordinance adopted
5under sub. (11) (am) 3. that applies to that bridge and a city, village, or town
6ordinance adopted under sub. (11) (am) 3. that applies to that bridge.
AB1039,11 7Section 11. 23.33 (4) (d) 8. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1039,5,108 23.33 (4) (d) 8. On any roadway if the operation is for emergency purposes
9during a period of emergency declared by the governmental agency having
10jurisdiction over the roadway.
AB1039,12 11Section 12. 23.33 (11) (am) 3. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1039,5,1812 23.33 (11) (am) 3. (intro.) A county, city, village, or town may enact an ordinance
13to authorize the operation of all-terrain vehicles and utility terrain vehicles on a
14highway bridge that is not part of the national system of interstate and defense
15highways, that is 1,000 feet in length or less, and that is located within the territorial
16boundaries of the county, city, village, or town regardless of whether the county, city,
17village, or town has jurisdiction over the highway. Any such ordinance shall require
18a person crossing a bridge to do all of the following:
AB1039,13 19Section 13. 23.33 (11) (am) 3. c. of the statutes is repealed.
AB1039,14 20Section 14. 23.33 (11) (am) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1039,6,221 23.33 (11) (am) 4. A city, village, or town may enact an ordinance to authorize
22the operation of all-terrain vehicles and utility terrain vehicles on a highway that
23is not part of the national system of interstate and defense highways , that has a
24speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less,
and that is located within the territorial

1boundaries of the city, village, or town regardless of whether the city, village, or town
2has jurisdiction over the highway.
AB1039,15 3Section 15. 23.33 (11m) of the statutes is renumbered 23.33 (11m) (a) and
4amended to read:
AB1039,6,105 23.33 (11m) (a) Subsections (3) (em), (6) (cd), (ch), (cp), and (i), and (6r) do not
6apply to the operator of an all-terrain vehicle or utility terrain vehicle owned or
7leased by a city, village, town, county, state agency, federal agency, federally
8recognized American Indian tribe, public safety corporation, or public utility while
9the operator is engaged in an emergency or in the pursuit of an actual or suspected
10violator of the law
.
AB1039,16 11Section 16. 23.33 (11m) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
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