Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 11 R · 2 D cosponsors

AB 669 — Relating to: a liability exemption for motor vehicle sellers after sale.

Last action — Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

Vetoed by Governor Tony Evers (Democratic) on March 29, 2024.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

27 added · 51 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendments to Bill AB 669 establish that sellers of motor vehicles are generally not liable for any damages or violations that occur after they have legally transferred possession to the buyer, as long as they have signed over the title. This means that individual sellers will have immunity from civil and criminal liability, which can help encourage private sales of vehicles without fear of future repercussions. However, this immunity does not apply to car dealers or if harm resulted from the seller's deliberate actions. These changes aim to simplify the process and provide legal protections for private vehicle sellers in Wisconsin.

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- 2024 LEGISLATURE LRB-2472/1 KRP:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 669 November 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives UCHOW , ARMSTRONG , EHNKE , D ITTRICH, EMERSON , KITCHENS , MAGNAFICI, M URPHY , MURSAU , N EDWESKI, O C ONNOR , RTIZ-VELEZ, RODRIGUEZ and W ICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators F ELZKOWSKI, BALLWEG, NASS and TAYLOR.
Date of enactment:
Referred to Committee on Consumer Protection.
Assembly Bill 669 Date of publication*:
A N A CT to amend 342.15 (3);
WISCONSIN ACT A N A CT to amend 342.15 (3);
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under this bill, a seller of a motor vehicle who holds legal title to the motor vehicle and has transferred possession of the motor vehicle to a buyer is immune from civil and criminal liability and is not responsible for local ordinance violations committed involving the motor vehicle after the seller has signed the motor vehicle title and given it to the buyer.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in s.
The bill also applies the immunity to a circumstance in which the buyer and seller intend for ownership of the motor vehicle to be transferred to the buyer, even when certain formalities of the transfer of ownership have not occurred.
218.0101 (23) (a) 2.
The immunity provided under the bill does not apply if death or injury was caused by the seller's willful or wanton acts or omissions.
senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
The immunity under the bill also does not apply to motor vehicle or wholesale dealers.
(c) “Seller” does not include a motor vehicle dealer or wholesale dealer.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
342.15 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
342.15 (3) of the statutes is amended to (d) “Wholesale dealer” has the meaning given in s.
342.15(3) Except as provided in s.
read:
342.16 and as between the parties, a transfer by an owner is not effective until the provisions of this section have been complied - 2024 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2472/1 KRP:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 669 SECTION 1 with.
218.0101 (38).
An owner who has delivered possession of the vehicle to the transferee and has complied with the provisions of this section is not liable as owner for any damages thereafter resulting from operation of the vehicle.
342.15 (3) Except as provided in s.
Nothing in this section limits the immunity from liability described under s.
342.16 and as (2) Except as provided under sub.
(3), a seller of a between the parties, a transfer by an owner is not effective motor vehicle who holds legal title to the motor vehicle until the provisions of this section have been complied and who has transferred possession of the motor vehicle with.
An owner who has delivered possession of the to a buyer is immune from civil and criminal liability and vehicle to the transferee and has complied with the provi- is not responsible for local ordinance violations commit- sions of this section is not liable as owner for any dam- ted involving the motor vehicle under any of the follow- ages thereafter resulting from operation of the vehicle.
ing circumstances:
Nothing in this section limits the immunity from liability (a) The seller has signed the motor vehicle title and described under s.
given the title to the buyer.
(b) Regardless of whether full compliance with s.
vehicle seller after sale.
vehicle seller after 342.15 has been attained, the buyer and seller intend to sale.
transfer ownership of the motor vehicle to the buyer.
340.01 (35).
(3) Immunity under this section does not apply if 340.01 (35).
(b) “Motor vehicle dealer” has the meaning given in s.
death or injury was caused by willful or wanton acts or (b) “Motor vehicle dealer” has the meaning given in omissions by the seller.
218.0101 (23) (a) 2.
* Section 991.11,ISCONSISTATUTES:
(c) “Seller” does not include a motor vehicle dealer or wholesale dealer.
Effective date of acts.
(d) “Wholesale dealer” has the meaning given in s.
“Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor’s partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.”
218.0101 (38).
(2) Except as provided under sub.
(3), a seller of a motor vehicle who holds legal title to the motor vehicle and who has transferred possession of the motor vehicle to a buyer is immune from civil and criminal liability and is not responsible for local ordinance violations committed involving the motor vehicle under any of the following circumstances:
(a) The seller has signed the motor vehicle title and given the title to the buyer.
(b) Regardless of whether full compliance with s.
342.15 has been attained, the buyer and seller intend to transfer ownership of the motor vehicle to the buyer.
(3) Immunity under this section does not apply if death or injury was caused by willful or wanton acts or omissions by the seller.
(END)
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Action History

  1. Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

  2. Placed on calendar 5-14-2024 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  3. Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-29-2024

  4. Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2024

  5. Report correctly enrolled on 3-15-2024

  6. Received from Senate concurred in

  7. Ordered immediately messaged

  8. Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 22, Noes 10

  9. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  10. Ordered to a third reading

  11. Read a second time

  12. Placed on calendar 3-12-2024 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  14. Available for scheduling

  15. Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Transportation and Local Government, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Executive action taken

  17. Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation and Local Government

  18. Received from Assembly

  19. Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Read a third time and passed

  21. Rules suspended

  22. Ordered to a third reading

  23. Read a second time

  24. Placed on calendar 1-18-2024 by Committee on Rules

  25. Referred to committee on Rules

  26. Report passage recommended by Committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  27. Executive action taken

  28. Representative Ortiz-Velez withdrawn as a coauthor

  29. Public hearing held

  30. Representative Emerson withdrawn as a coauthor

  31. Representative Rettinger added as a coauthor

  32. Read first time and referred to Committee on Consumer Protection

  33. Introduced by Representatives Duchow, Armstrong, Behnke, Dittrich, Emerson, Kitchens, Magnafici, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Rodriguez and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Felzkowski, Ballweg, Nass and Taylor

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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14 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 118 not signed on · 8 voted No

Sponsors (14)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (118)

118 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 118 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

CONCURRENCE

Passed 22 Yea · 10 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 3200
Republican 19000
Democrat 0800
Total 221000
% of votes cast 69%31%0%0%
How each member voted (32)
Member Party Vote
BALLWEG — Yea
STROEBEL — Yea
COWLES — Yea
AGARD — Nay
JOHNSON — Nay
Carpenter, Tim Democrat Nay
Hesselbein, Dianne Democrat Nay
Larson, Chris Democrat Nay
Pfaff, Brad Democrat Nay
Roys, Kelda Democrat Nay
Smith, Jeff Democrat Nay
Spreitzer, Mark Democrat Nay
Wirch, Robert Democrat Nay
Bradley, Julian Republican Yea
Cabral-Guevara, Rachael Republican Yea
Felzkowski, Mary Republican Yea
Feyen, Dan Republican Yea
Hutton, Rob Republican Yea
Jacque, André Republican Yea
Jagler, John Republican Yea
James, Jesse Republican Yea
Kapenga, Chris Republican Yea
Knodl, Daniel Republican Yea
LeMahieu, Devin Republican Yea
Marklein, Howard Republican Yea
Nass, Steve Republican Yea
Quinn, Romaine Republican Yea
Stafsholt, Rob Republican Yea
Testin, Patrick Republican Yea
Tomczyk, Cory Republican Yea
Wanggaard, Van Republican Yea
Wimberger, Eric Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors AB 669?
AB 669 is sponsored by Duchow, Cindi (Republican), Armstrong, David (Republican), Behnke, Elijah (Republican), Dittrich, Barbara (Republican), Emerson, Jodi (Democrat), Kitchens, Joel (Republican), Magnafici, Murphy, David (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), Nedweski, Amanda (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia (Democrat), Rodriguez, Jessie (Republican), and Wichgers, Chuck (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 669?
This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “To Executive” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 669?
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