Van H. Wanggaard, Wisconsin State Senator from 21st district | www.facebook.com
Van H. Wanggaard, Wisconsin State Senator from 21st district | www.facebook.com
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the criteria for obtaining attorney fees and costs under Wisconsin's public records law when a contested record is released after a court action is filed. It supersedes a 2022 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that limited requesters' ability to recover these costs unless they achieved a judicially sanctioned change. Under the bill, a requester who files a mandamus action—a legal procedure demanding the release of records—can recover fees and costs if relief is obtained through a judicial order, a written agreement, or if the authority's voluntary release of the record is deemed substantially influenced by the lawsuit. This aligns with the standard applied under the federal Freedom of Information Act. The bill renumbers and adds provisions to the statutes effective following its enactment.
The bill was co-authored by Representative Todd Novak (Republican-51st District), Senator Chris Kapenga (Republican-33rd District), Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), Senator Romaine Robert Quinn (Republican-25th District), Senator Kelda Roys (Democrat-26th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), and Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), along 24 other co-sponsors.
Van H. Wanggaard has authored or co-authored another 61 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Wanggaard graduated from Gateway Technical College.
Wanggaard, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2015 to represent the state's 21st Senate district, replacing previous state senator John Lehman.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB194 | 04/14/2025 | Obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court |
| SB184 | 04/14/2025 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device |
| SB169 | 04/03/2025 | Privacy protections for judicial officers |
| SB159 | 03/27/2025 | Requirements for lighting on police vehicles |
| SB155 | 03/21/2025 | Requiring periodic inspections of parking structures |
| SB147 | 03/21/2025 | Interpreter action by telephone or live audiovisual means in civil or criminal proceedings |
| SB146 | 03/21/2025 | Prohibiting persons who have been convicted of a violent crime from changing their name and providing a penalty |
| SB138 | 03/21/2025 | Prostitution crime surcharge and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| SB133 | 03/14/2025 | Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE) |
| SB130 | 03/14/2025 | The distribution of certain material on the Internet |
| SB100 | 03/07/2025 | The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE) |
| SB99 | 03/07/2025 | Spinal cord injury research grants and symposia and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| SB82 | 02/26/2025 | Governmental restrictions based on the energy source of a motor vehicle or other device |
| SB66 | 02/21/2025 | Registration plate concealment devices and providing a penalty |
| SB65 | 02/21/2025 | Impoundment of vehicles used in certain reckless driving offenses. (FE) |
| SB64 | 02/21/2025 | Injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty |
| SB39 | 02/12/2025 | Establishment of a Palliative Care Council. (FE) |
| SB34 | 02/12/2025 | Withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| SB30 | 02/12/2025 | Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE) |
| SB12 | 02/03/2025 | A sales and use tax exemption for the sale of gun safes. (FE) |
| SB6 | 01/24/2025 | Impoundment of vehicles used in certain traffic offenses |
| SB5 | 01/24/2025 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty |
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