Assembly Bills

Links	Summary/Status
SS AB 12 Committee History	Attorney Fees Summary: Requires courts to consider 14 criteria when awarding reasonable attorney fees and caps court awarded attorneys fees at three times compensatory damages. Status: Introduced Oct. 11, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Public hearing held Oct. 21; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SS AB 13 Committee History	Attorney Fees Summary: Provides immunity from liability to drug and device manufacturers and sellers under certain circumstances Status: Introduced Oct. 11, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SS AB 14 Committee History	Interest Rates on Judgments Summary: Under current law, Wisconsin has one of the highest pre- and post-judgment interest rates in the nation at 12 percent. This bill sets the interest rate on judgments for tort cases and consumer protection cases at one percent plus the prime rate as reported by the Federal Reserve Board until the amount is paid. Status: Introduced Oct. 11, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Public hearing held Oct. 21; Passage as amended recommended (5-3) Nov. 1. Laid on the table Nov. 3, 2011.
SS AB 22 Committee History	Trespasser Liability Summary: Codifies existing common law as it pertains to the duty of care that possessors of land owe to trespassers and to prevent courts from adopting the new Restatement Third Torts, which expands liability for possessors of land. Status: Introduced Oct. 18, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Public hearing held Oct. 21; Passage as amended recommended (7-1) Nov. 1; Laid on the table Nov. 3, 2011.
AB 40 Finance History	State Budget Summary: State finances and appropriations. Status: Introduced March 1, 2011. Referred to Joint Committee on Finance; Statewide public hearings held by Joint Finance; Passed the Assembly (60-38) June 14; Passed the Senate (19-14) June 16; Presented to the Governor June 24; Approved by the Governor with partial veto June 26; Published July 7
AB 147 Severson History	Statements of Condolence by Healthcare Provider Summary: Provides that a statement or conduct of a health care provider that expresses apology, benevolence, compassion, condolence, fault, liability, remorse, responsibility, or sympathy to a patient or patient’s relative or representative is not admissible into evidence or subject to discovery in any civil action or administrative hearing regarding the health care provider as evidence of liability or as an admission against interest. Status: Introduced May 23, 2011. Referred to Assembly committee on Health; Public hearing held June 1; Passage recommended (7-3) Sept. 7; Passed the Assembly (62-33, paired 2) Nov. 1; Referred to Senate committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations;
AB 223 Finance History	Administrative Agency Actions Summary: Eliminates financial and entity size limitations for prevailing parties to be eligible to receive costs in administrative agency actions, allowing an award of costs to any trust or person, other than the state, that is a prevailing party unless the court finds the agency was substantially justified in taking its position or if such an award would be unjust under the circumstances. Status: Introduced Aug. 18,, 2011. Referred to Assembly committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Public hearing held Sept. 29;
AB 286 Kleefisch History	Employment Discrimination – Felony Convictions Summary: Permits an employer to refuse to employ or to bar or terminate from employment an individual who has been convicted of a felony and who has not been pardoned for that felony and preempting cities, villages, towns, and counties from adopting provisions concerning employment discrimination based on arrest or conviction record that prohibit activity that is allowed under the state fair employment law. Status: Introduced Sept. 29, 2011. Referred to Assembly committee on Labor and Workforce Development; Public hearing held Oct. 12; Passage recommended (6-3) Dec. 7
AB 289 Litjens History	Employment Discrimination – Compensatory/Punitive Damages Summary: Eliminates compensatory and punitive damages for acts of employment discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing. Status: Introduced Sept. 29, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics; Public hearing held Oct. 27;
AB 436 Taylor History	Employment Applications-Conviction Records Summary: Prohibits consideration of the conviction record of an applicant for employment before the applicant has been selected for an interview. Status: Introduced Dec. 20, 2011; Referred to the committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections.
AB 459 Richards History	Punitive Damages Summary: Eliminates the limitation on the amount of punitive damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff. Status: Introduced Jan. 4, 2012; Referred to the committee on Judiciary and Ethics.
AB 495 Strachota History	Liability Summary: Duties and liabilities of ski area operators. Status: Introduced Jan. 25, 2012; Referred to the committee on Tourism, Recreation and State Properties; Public hearing held Feb. 8

Senate Bills

Links	Summary/Status
SS SB 12 Committee History	Attorney Fees Summary: Requires courts to consider 14 criteria when awarding reasonable attorney fees and caps court awarded attorneys fees at three times compensatory damages. Status: Introduced Oct. 11, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Public hearing held Oct. 19; Passage as amended recommended (3-2); Passed the Senate (17-15) Oct. 27; Passed the Assembly Nov. 4.; Signed by the Governor as 2011 Wis. Act 92 on Dec. 7, 2011.
SS SB 13 Committee History	Product Liability Summary: Provides immunity from liability to drug and device manufacturers and sellers under certain circumstances. Status:Introduced on Oct. 11, 2011. Referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
SS SB 14 Committee History	Interest Rates on Judgements Summary: Under current law, Wisconsin has one of the highest pre- and post-judgment interest rates in the nation at 12 percent. This bill sets the interest rate on judgments for tort cases and consumer protection cases at one percent plus the prime rate as reported by the Federal Reserve Board until the amount is paid. Status: Introduced Oct. 11, 2011; Referred to the committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; KPublic hearing held Oct. 26; Passage as amended recommended Nov. 1; Passed the Senate (17-16) Nov. 2; Passed the Assembly (59-36, paired 2) Nov. 3; Signed by the Governor as 2011 Wis. Act 69 on Nov. 18, 2011.
SS SB 22 Committee History	Trespasser Liability Summary: Codifies existing common law as it pertains to the duty of care that possessors of land owe to trespassers and to prevent courts from adopting the new Restatement Third Torts, which expands liability for possessors of land. Status: Introduced Oct. 18, 2011; Public hearing held Oct. 26, 2011; Passage as amended recommended (5-0) Nov. 1; Passed the Senate Nov. 2; Passed the Assembly (80-15, paired 2) Nov. 3; Presented to the Governor Dec. 5; Signed by the Governor as 2011 Wis. Act 93 on Dec. 7.
SB 27 Sullivan History	State Budget Summary: State finances and appropriations. Status: Introduced Mar. 1, 2011; Referred to Joint Committee on Finance; Statewide public hearings held by Joint Finance April 7-13; Laid on the table May 16.
SB 103 Galloway History	Statements of Condolence by Healthcare Provider Summary: Provides that a statement or conduct of a health care provider that expresses apology, benevolence, compassion, condolence, fault, liability, remorse, responsibility, or sympathy to a patient or patient’s relative or representative is not admissible into evidence or subject to discovery in any civil action or administrative hearing regarding the health care provider as evidence of liability or as an admission against interest. Status: Introduced May 24, 2011; Referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Public hearing held June 2; Passage as amended recommended (3-2) July 6;
SB 202 Grothman History	Employment Discrimination – Compensatory/Punitive Damages Summary:Eliminates compensatory and punitive damages for acts of employment discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing. Status: Introduced Sept. 27, 2011. Referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Public hearing held Oct. 19; Passage recommended (3-2) Oct. 26; Passed the Senate (17-16) Nov. 3; Concurred in by the Assembly Feb. 21
SB 207 Darling History	Employment Discrimination – Felony Convictions Summary: Permits an employer to refuse to employ or to bar or terminate from employment an individual who has been convicted of a felony and who has not been pardoned for that felony and preempting cities, villages, towns, and counties from adopting provisions concerning employment discrimination based on arrest or conviction record that prohibit activity that is allowed under the state fair employment law. Status: Introduced Sept. 28, 2011. Referred to committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs; Public hearing held Oct. 24; Passage as amended recommended (4-1) Nov. 2;
SB 342 Taylor History	Punitive Damages Summary: Eliminates the limitation on the amount of punitive damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff.. Status: Introduced Dec. 19, 2011; Referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations;
SB 373 Taylor History	Product Liability Summary: 2011 Wisconsin Act 2 (Act 2) made a number of changes to the law governing civil actions involving product liability claims brought under a theory of strict liability and to civil actions against manufacturers, distributors, sellers, and promoters of products. This bill makes several changes to certain provisions enacted under Act 2. Status: Introduced Jan. 10, 2012; Referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Public hearing held Jan. 19
SB 388 Grothman History	Liability Summary: Duties and liabilities of ski area operators. Status: Introduced Jan. 19, 2012; Referred to the committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations; Public hearing held Feb. 8; Passage as amended recommended (3-2) Mar. 2; Passed by the Senate Mar. 7; Referred to the Assembly.

Updated Mar. 9, 2012