Wisconsin 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 4 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 29 — Relating to: allowing district attorneys, deputy district attorneys, and assistant district attorneys to engage in the private practice of law for certain civil purposes.

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

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

This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” 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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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

43 added · 8 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest revision of Senate Bill 29 allows full-time district attorneys and their deputies to provide legal services for free to people with limited means or to non-profit organizations, as long as these services don’t conflict with county interests. Previously, they could only work on civil cases they were involved in before taking office. This change is significant because it opens up new opportunities for attorneys to contribute to their communities without the concern of earning a fee, potentially increasing access to legal assistance for those in need.

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- 2020 LEGISLATURE LRBa0132/1 CMH:kjf SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 29 April 8, 2019 - Offered by SenatANGGAARD.
- 2020 LEGISLATURE LRB-1443/1 CMH:kjf SENATE BILL 29 February 8, 2019 - Introduced by Senators W ANGGAARD , JACQUE, FEYEN, OLSEN, C ARPENTER, COWLES , STROEBEL and M ARKLEIN, cosponsored by Representatives H ORLACHER , HEBL, BALLWEG , BRANDTJEN, EDMING , KNODL, N OVAK, QUINN, RAMTHUN , RODRIGUEZ, SPREITZE, STEFFEN, STUCK, C.TAYLOR, T HIESFELD, TUSLER and V RUWINK.
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
1.
A N A CT to amend 978.06 (5) (a);
Page 2, line 9:
and to create 978.001 (1k) of the statutes;
delete the material beginning with “fee" and ending with “expectation of a" on line 10.
relating to:
allowing district attorneys, deputy district attorneys, and assistant district attorneys to engage in the private practice of law for certain civil purposes.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, a full-time district attorney, deputy district attorney, or assistant district attorney generally may not engage in the private practice of law.
Current law provides an exception that allows the attorney to complete work in a civil case with which he or she was involved before taking office, so long as that work is not in conflict with any interests of the district attorney's county.
This bill creates another exception so that a full-time district attorney, deputy district attorney, or assistant district attorney may also provide legal services to a person of limited means or to a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization if the attorney provides the services without fee and the services are not in conflict with the interests of the district attorney's county.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
978.001 (1k) of the statutes is created to read:
- 2020 Legislature - 2 - LRB-1443/1 CMH:kjf SENATE BILL 29 S ECTION 1 978.001 (1k) “Pro bono publico legal services" means legal services performed for a person of limited means or for a charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organization.
S ECTION 2.
978.06 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
978.06 (5) (a) No full-time district attorney, deputy district attorney or assistant district attorney may engage in a private practice of law, but he or she is authorized to complete all civil cases, not in conflict with the interest of the county or counties of his or her prosecutorial unit, in which he or she is counsel, pending in court before he or she takes office and is authorized to provide, without fee or expectation of a fee, pro bono publico legal services, unless the civil case or the pro bono publico legal service is in conflict with the interest of the county or counties of his or her prosecutorial unit.
A part-time district attorney, deputy district attorney or assistant district attorney may engage in a private practice of law.
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Action History

  1. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. Available for scheduling

  3. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  4. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  5. Executive action taken

  6. Public hearing held

  7. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard

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

  9. Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Jacque, Feyen, Olsen, Carpenter, Cowles, Stroebel and Marklein; cosponsored by Representatives Horlacher, Hebl, Ballweg, Brandtjen, Edming, Knodl, Novak, Quinn, Ramthun, Rodriguez, Spreitzer, Steffen, Stuck, C. Taylor, Thiesfeldt, Tusler and Vruwink

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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8 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 124 not signed on

Sponsors (8)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (124)

124 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.

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

Subjects

civil-rights labor
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 29?
SB 29 is sponsored by Feyen, Dan (Republican), Wanggaard, Van (Republican), Olsen, Carpenter, Tim (Democrat), Cowles, Stroebel, Marklein, Howard (Republican), and Jacque, André (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 29?
This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” 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 SB 29?
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