April 4, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Tucker, Green, Piwowarczyk, Brill, Krug, Tranel, Maxey, B. Jacobson, Callahan, Kreibich, Penterman, Wichgers, Novak, Behnke, Goeben, Murphy, Knodl, Snyder, Dallman, Dittrich, Spiros, Gundrum, Tusler and Melotik, cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Wanggaard, Quinn, Feyen, Nass and Bradley. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.
AB161,1,2
1An Act to create 995.80 of the statutes; relating to: governmental restrictions
2based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict 1) the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle, or 2) the use or sale of any other device on the basis of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the device.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB161,13Section 1. 995.80 of the statutes is created to read: AB161,1,54995.80 Regulation based on energy source. (1) Definitions. In this 5section: AB161,2,26(a) “Local governmental unit” means a political subdivision of this state, a 7special purpose district in this state, an agency or corporation of a political
1subdivision or special purpose district, or a combination or subunit of any of the 2foregoing. AB161,2,43(b) “Motor vehicle” means a self-propelled device designed to transport 4persons or property from one place to another. AB161,2,75(c) “State agency” means an association, authority, board, department, 6commission, independent agency, institution, office, society, or other body in state 7government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law. AB161,2,98(2) Limits on regulation. No state agency and no local governmental unit 9may do any of the following: AB161,2,1210(a) 1. Restrict the use or sale of a motor vehicle on the basis of the energy 11source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for 12powering other functions of the motor vehicle. AB161,2,15132. This paragraph does not affect any policy established by a state agency or 14local governmental unit related to the purchase of motor vehicles for the use of the 15state agency or local governmental unit. AB161,2,2016(b) Restrict the use or sale of a device other than a motor vehicle on the basis 17of the energy source that is used to power the device or that is consumed by the 18device. Under this paragraph, a device is powered by an energy source or consumes 19an energy source if any significant function of the device uses that energy source or 20consumes that energy source to accomplish the function.
