Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: Introduced 3 R cosponsors

SB 6 — Relating to: impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses.

Last action — Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

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

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Advancing 38% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    1 primary, 10 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (3 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

An Act to create 345.13 of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

86 added · 13 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Senate Bill 6 changes how vehicles can be impounded for certain traffic offenses, specifying that law enforcement agencies must create their own policies for vehicle impoundment. This means that while the bill allows for immediate vehicle impoundment for serious offenses like driving without a license and high-speed racing, each police department will set its own rules on how this is carried out. Additionally, the amendment clarifies that costs associated with the impoundment, including storage fees, will be included as part of the consideration. This matters because it creates a clearer framework for enforcement and ensures that agencies have guidelines to follow, which can lead to more consistent practices across different jurisdictions.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0012/1 EVM:klm SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 6 February 10, 2025 - Offered by SenaACQUE .
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-0047/1 EVM:cdc SENATE BILL 6 January 24, 2025 - Introduced by Senators J ACQUE , WANGGAARD and T OMCZYK , cosponsored by Representatives PENTERMAN , M URPHY , B.
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
ACOBSON , KNODL , O'C ONNOR , PIWOWARCZYK , SPAUDE and T USLER.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
A N A CT to create 345.13 of the statutes;
relating to:
impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under this bill, in addition to the penalties available under current law for the following offenses, the vehicle used in the offense may be immediately impounded and remain impounded for 90 days or, for a violation occurring on a highway under the jurisdiction of a political subdivision, a shorter period established by the political subdivision:
Page 2, line 1:
Operating a vehicle without a license, with certain exceptions, or with a revoked operating privilege.
delete XIfY and substitute XSubject to sub.
(1m), ifY.
Page 2, line 13:
Speeding at a rate higher than 25 miles per hour above the speed limit.
after that line insert:
X(1m) Each person in charge of a law enforcement agency shall establish a policy regarding the law enforcement agency[s impoundment of vehicles under sub.
(1).Y.
Page 3, line 16:
Fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
after XcostsY insert X, including storage costs,Y.
4.
Racing on a highway.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
S ECTION 1.
345.13 of the statutes is created to read:
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-0047/1 EVM:cdc SENATE BILL 6 SECTION 1 345.13 Impoundment.
(1) If a law enforcement officer arrests, or issues a citation to, a person for a violation of any of the following, or an ordinance in conformity with any of the following, the officer may immediately impound the vehicle used in the violation:
(a) A 2nd or subsequent violation of s.
343.05.
This paragraph does not apply to a vehicle operated by a person who holds an expired operator’s license that expired not more than 3 months before the violation.
(b) A violation of s.
343.44 (1) (b) to (d).
(c) A violation of a speed restriction established under s.
346.57 for which the speed was greater than 25 miles per hour above the speed restriction established under s.
346.57 or 349.11.
(d) A violation of s.
346.04 (2t) or (3).
(e) A violation of s.
346.94 (2).
(2) Except as provided in sub.
(3), an impoundment under sub.
(1) shall be for 90 days.
A city, village, town, or county may establish by ordinance an impoundment period under this subsection that is less than 90 days for offenses occurring on a highway under the jurisdiction of the city, village, town, or county.
(3) (a) The owner of a vehicle impounded under sub.
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(1) may request release of the vehicle at any time.
The law enforcement agency impounding the vehicle shall release the vehicle upon the request of the owner if the law enforcement agency is satisfied that the requester is the owner of the vehicle and the vehicle was not being operated with the owner’s consent at the time of the violation.
(b) A person claiming that a vehicle owned by the person was improperly - 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRB-0047/1 EVM:cdc SENATE BILL 6 SECTION 1 impounded under sub.
(1) or that the person otherwise has a right to immediate possession of a vehicle impounded under sub.
(1) may petition the circuit court for the county in which the vehicle was seized for the vehicle’s release.
The court shall hold a hearing no more than 30 days after the petition is filed, except that the hearing may be postponed by no more than 10 days by agreement or for good cause.
If the petitioner’s right to the immediate possession of the vehicle is proved to the court’s satisfaction, the court shall order the vehicle released.
(c) If, within the period of impoundment for the violation, a person is found not guilty of the violation upon which an impoundment under sub.
(1) is based or the citation alleging the violation is dismissed, the impounded vehicle shall be released immediately.
(d) If, within the period of impoundment for the violation, a person is found guilty of the violation upon which an impoundment under sub.
(1) is based, the court may increase or decrease the period of impoundment.
(4) If a person is found guilty of the violation upon which an impoundment under sub.
(1) is based, the court shall impose and collect from the person the costs that the law enforcement agency reasonably incurs or expects to incur for the impoundment of the vehicle.
The court shall disburse any amounts collected under this subsection to the law enforcement agency that incurred or expects to incur the costs for the impoundment of the vehicle.
(5) A law enforcement agency that has impounded a vehicle under sub.
(1) may dispose of the vehicle by following the same procedure as provided for disposing of an abandoned vehicle under s.
342.40 if the impounded vehicle remains - 2026 Legislature - 4 - LRB-0047/1 EVM:cdc SENATE BILL 6 S ECTION 1 unclaimed for more than 90 days after the completion of the period of impoundment or the release of the vehicle.
SECTION 2.
Initial applicability.
(1) This act first applies to violations committed on the effective date of this subsection.
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Action History

  1. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. Senate Amendment 3 offered by Senator Jacque

  3. Available for scheduling

  4. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  5. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  6. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  7. Executive action taken

  8. Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Jacque

  9. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  10. Public hearing held

  11. Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  12. Introduced by Senators Jacque, Wanggaard and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Penterman, Murphy, B. Jacobson, Knodl, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Spaude and Tusler

Sponsors

  • Penterman · Cosponsor
  • Murphy · Cosponsor
  • B. Jacobson · Cosponsor
  • Knodl · Cosponsor
  • O'Connor · Cosponsor
  • Piwowarczyk · Cosponsor
  • Spaude · Cosponsor
  • Tusler · Cosponsor
  • André Jacque · Primary
  • Van Wanggaard · Cosponsor
  • Cory Tomczyk · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 10 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (10)

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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.

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Votes

Subjects

public-safety transportation
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 6 do?
An Act to create 345.13 of the statutes;
Who sponsors SB 6?
SB 6 is sponsored by Penterman, Murphy, B. Jacobson, Knodl, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Spaude, Tusler, Jacque, André (Republican), Wanggaard, Van (Republican), and Tomczyk, Cory (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 6?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 24, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 6?
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