Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB65 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-2000/1
3	3	EVM:emw&skw
4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 65
5	5	February 21, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WANGGAARD and TOMCZYK,
6	6	cosponsored by Representatives DONOVAN, RODRIGUEZ, ALLEN, DITTRICH,
7	7	DUCHOW, GOODWIN, GUNDRUM, KNODL, MAXEY, MELOTIK, MURPHY, MURSAU,
8	8	NOVAK, O'CONNOR, ORTIZ-VELEZ, PENTERMAN, PIWOWARCZYK, STEFFEN,
9	9	TITTL, TUSLER and WICHGERS. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public
10	10	Safety.
11	11	AN ACT to amend 349.115 (1) and 349.115 (3); to create 349.115 (1m) of the
12	12	statutes; relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless
13	13	driving offenses.
14	14	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
15	15	Under current law, a political subdivision may enact an ordinance authorizing
16	16	law enforcement officers to impound vehicles used in reckless driving offenses if the
17	17	person cited for reckless driving is the owner of the vehicle and the person has a
18	18	prior reckless driving conviction for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not
19	19	been fully paid. Under this bill, such an ordinance may authorize the impoundment
20	20	of any vehicle used in a reckless driving offense regardless of ownership of the
21	21	vehicle or prior record of the operator. The bill also provides that a local ordinance
22	22	may authorize impounding such a vehicle until outstanding fines and forfeitures
23	23	owed by the vehicle[s owner are fully paid.
24	24	Also under the bill, upon impounding a vehicle under such an ordinance, the
25	25	law enforcement officer must attempt to determine if the vehicle has been reported
26	26	as stolen, and if so, the officer or the impounding political subdivision must attempt
27	27	to contact the owner. If the vehicle is reported as stolen, the vehicle must be
28	28	released to the owner without the payment of a fee or charge.
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31	31	3 2025 - 2026 Legislature
32	32	SENATE BILL 65
33	33	- 2 - LRB-2000/1
34	34	EVM:emw&skw
35	35	For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
36	36	an appendix to this bill.
37	37	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
38	38	enact as follows:
39	39	SECTION 1. 349.115 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
40	40	349.115 (1) A political subdivision may, by ordinance, authorize a law
41	41	enforcement officer to impound any vehicle used in the commission of a violation of
42	42	s. 346.62 or a local ordinance in strict conformity with s. 346.62 at the time of
43	43	issuing a citation for the offense if the person cited is the owner of the vehicle and
44	44	the person has a prior conviction for a violation of s. 346.62 or a local ordinance in
45	45	strict conformity with s. 346.62 for which a forfeiture was imposed that has not been
46	46	fully paid. The ordinance may provide for impoundment of the vehicle until the
47	47	person fully pays the prior forfeiture amount and reasonable costs of impounding
48	48	the vehicle, including towing or other transportation costs and storage costs, and
49	49	any outstanding fine or forfeiture owed by the owner of the vehicle are fully paid.
50	50	SECTION 2. 349.115 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
51	51	349.115 (1m) Upon impounding a vehicle under sub. (1), a law enforcement
52	52	officer shall make a reasonable effort to determine if the vehicle has been reported
53	53	as stolen. If the officer determines that the vehicle has been reported as stolen, the
54	54	officer or political subdivision shall make a reasonable attempt to contact the
55	55	owner. Notwithstanding sub. (2), the political subdivision shall return to its owner
56	56	a vehicle reported as stolen and impounded under sub. (1) without the payment of a
57	57	fee or charge. If a vehicle reported as stolen remains unclaimed for more than 60
58	58	days after impoundment, the political subdivision may dispose of the vehicle
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78	78	20 2025 - 2026 Legislature
79	79	SENATE BILL 65
80	80	- 3 - LRB-2000/1
81	81	EVM:emw&skw
82	82	SECTION 2
83	83	following the same procedure as provided for disposing of an abandoned vehicle
84	84	under s. 342.40.
85	85	SECTION 3. 349.115 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
86	86	349.115 (3) A Subject to sub. (1m), a political subdivision that has
87	87	impounded a vehicle under sub. (1) may dispose of the vehicle by following the same
88	88	procedure as provided for disposing of an abandoned vehicle under s. 342.40 if the
89	89	impounded vehicle remains unclaimed for more than 90 days after the disposition of
90	90	the citation for which the vehicle was impounded.
91	91	(END)
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