Wisconsin 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: To Executive 1 R cosponsors

AB 24 — Relating to: closure of and forbidding gatherings in places of worship.

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

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

This bill died with 2021-2022 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.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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

13 added · 25 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the updated version of Assembly Bill 24, a new provision has been added that explicitly prohibits local health officers from closing places of worship or restricting gatherings there, even in the context of controlling outbreaks of the coronavirus. This change is significant because it limits the authority of local health officials to take actions that might be necessary for public health during a pandemic. Essentially, the amendment reinforces the protection of religious gatherings from health-related restrictions.

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- 2022 LEGISLATURE LRB-1499/1 TJD:cjs ASSEMBLY BILL 24 January 29, 2021 - Introduced by RepresentativeHIESFELDT, HORLACHER, BROOKS and S CHRAA, cosponsored by Senators J ACQUE, S TROEBEL , D ARLING, FELZKOWSKI , KAPENGA , M ARKLEIN, PETROWSKI , W ANGGAARD, T ESTIN, W IMBERGER , TAFSHOLT, NASS, OOYENGA , BALLWEG and BRADLEY .
Date of enactment:
Referred to Committee on Constitution and Ethics.
Assembly Bill 24 Date of publication*:
A N A CT to create 252.03 (2g) of the statutes;
WISCONSIN ACT A N A CT to create 251.06 (5) of the statutes;relating to:
relating to:
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill prohibits local health officers from closing or forbidding gatherings in places of worship to control outbreaks and epidemics of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in gatherings in places of worship to control outbreaks and senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Currently, local health officers have the statutory authority to do what is reasonable and necessary for the prevention and suppression of disease and forbid public gatherings when necessary to control outbreaks or epidemics, among other public health powers.
epidemics of the 2019 novel coronavirus or any variant or virus derived as a mutation of the 2019 novel coronavi- SECTION 1.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
251.06 (5) of the statutes is created to rus.
S ECTION 1.
read:
252.03 (2g) of the statutes is created to read:
(b) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to 251.06 (5) (a) Notwithstanding s.
252.03 (2g) A local health officer may not order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship to control outbreaks and epidemics of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
252.03 (2), a local confer any authority on a local health officer to close or health officer may not take any action to close or forbid restrict capacity in places of worship or any other entities.
(END)
* Section 991.11,ISCONSINSTATUTE:
Effective date of acts.
“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.”
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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 5-17-2022 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  3. Placed on calendar 5-11-2021 by Committee on Rules

  4. Referred to committee on Rules

  5. Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-23-2021

  6. Presented to the Governor on 4-21-2021 by directive of the Speaker

  7. Report correctly enrolled on 4-15-2021

  8. Received from Senate concurred in

  9. Ordered immediately messaged

  10. Read a third time and concurred in

  11. Rules suspended

  12. Ordered to a third reading

  13. Read a second time

  14. Placed on calendar 4-14-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

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

  16. Available for scheduling

  17. Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  18. Received from Assembly

  19. Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Read a third time and passed, Ayes 61, Noes 33, Paired 2

  21. Rules suspended

  22. Ordered to a third reading

  23. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  24. Read a second time

  25. Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  26. Placed on calendar 3-23-2021 by Committee on Rules

  27. Referred to committee on Rules

  28. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Constitution and Ethics, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  29. Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Constitution and Ethics, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  30. Executive action taken

  31. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Thiesfeldt

  32. Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor

  33. Representative Allen added as a coauthor

  34. Representative Tittl added as a coauthor

  35. Public hearing held

  36. Representative Plumer added as a coauthor

  37. Representative Edming added as a coauthor

  38. Representative Ramthun added as a coauthor

  39. Read first time and referred to Committee on Constitution and Ethics

  40. Introduced by Representatives Thiesfeldt, Horlacher, Brooks and Schraa; cosponsored by Senators Jacque, Stroebel, Darling, Felzkowski, Kapenga, Marklein, Petrowski, Wanggaard, Testin, Wimberger, Stafsholt, Nass, Kooyenga, Ballweg and Bradley

Sponsors

  • Schraa · Primary
  • Robert Brooks · Primary
  • Horlacher · Primary
  • Thiesfeldt · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 128 not signed on · 17 voted No

Sponsors (4)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (128)

128 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 128 →

"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

PASSAGE

Passed 61 Yea · 33 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 37100
Democrat 21600
Unaffiliated 221600
Total 613300
% of votes cast 65%35%0%0%
How each member voted (94)
Member Party Vote
BALDEH — Nay
BOWEN — Nay
BRANDTJEN — Yea
CABRAL-GUEVA — Yea
CABRERA — Nay
CONLEY — Nay
CONSIDINE — Nay
EDMING — Yea
GOYKE — Nay
HEBL — Nay
HINTZ — Nay
HORLACHER — Yea
KATSMA — Yea
KERKMAN — Yea
KUGLITSCH — Yea
LOUDENBECK — Yea
MAGNAFICI — Yea
MEYERS — Nay
MOORE OMOKUN — Nay
MYERS — Nay
OHNSTAD — Nay
OLDENBURG — Yea
PETRYK — Yea
PLUMER — Yea
POPE — Nay
RAMTHUN — Yea
RIEMER — Nay
ROZAR — Yea
SANFELIPPO — Yea
SCHRAA — Yea
SHELTON — Nay
SKOWRONSKI — Yea
STEINEKE — Yea
TAUCHEN — Yea
THIESFELDT — Yea
VORPAGEL — Yea
VRUWINK — Nay
SPEAKER — Yea
Anderson, Clinton Democrat Nay
Andraca, Deb Democrat Nay
Billings, Jill Democrat Nay
Doyle, Steve Democrat Nay
Drake, Dora Democrat Nay
Emerson, Jodi Democrat Nay
Haywood, Kalan Democrat Nay
Hesselbein, Dianne Democrat Nay
Hong, Francesca Democrat Nay
McGuire, Tip Democrat Nay
Neubauer, Greta Democrat Nay
Ortiz-Velez, Sylvia Democrat Yea
Sinicki, Christine Democrat Nay
Snodgrass, Lee Democrat Nay
Spreitzer, Mark Democrat Nay
Stubbs, Shelia Democrat Yea
Subeck, Lisa Democrat Nay
Vining, Robyn Democrat Nay
Allen, Scott Republican Yea
Armstrong, David Republican Yea
August, Tyler Republican Yea
Born, Mark Republican Yea
Brooks, Robert Republican Yea
Callahan, Calvin Republican Yea
Dallman, Alex Republican Yea
Dittrich, Barbara Republican Yea
Duchow, Cindi Republican Yea
Gundrum, Rick Republican Yea
Jagler, John Republican Yea
James, Jesse Republican Yea
Kitchens, Joel Republican Yea
Knodl, Daniel Republican Yea
Krug, Scott Republican Yea
Kurtz, Tony Republican Yea
Moses, Clint Republican Yea
Murphy, David Republican Yea
Mursau, Jeffrey Republican Yea
Neylon, Adam Republican Yea
Novak, Todd Republican Yea
Petersen, Kevin Republican Yea
Pronschinske, Treig Republican Yea
Rodriguez, Jessie Republican Yea
Rodriguez, Jessie Republican Nay
Snyder, Patrick Republican Yea
Sortwell, Shae Republican Yea
Spiros, John Republican Yea
Steffen, David Republican Yea
Summerfield, Rob Republican Yea
Swearingen, Rob Republican Yea
Tittl, Paul Republican Yea
Tranel, Travis Republican Yea
Tusler, Ron Republican Yea
VanderMeer, Nancy Republican Yea
Wichgers, Chuck Republican Yea
Wittke, Robert Republican Yea
Zimmerman, Shannon Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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 24?
AB 24 is sponsored by Schraa, Brooks, Robert (Republican), Horlacher, and Thiesfeldt.
What is the current status of AB 24?
This bill died with 2021-2022 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 24?
Track AB 24 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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