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AB978: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5568/2
EHS:skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 978
January 30, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Green
and
B. Jacobson
, cosponsored by Senators
Stafsholt
and
Quinn
. Referred to Committee on Sporting Heritage.
AB978,1,3
1
An Act
to amend
20.370 (9) (hv) and 23.47 (2);
to create
23.176 and 23.47 (1)
2
(e) of the statutes;
relating to:
hiking permits, granting rule-making
3
authority, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill prohibits a person from traveling by foot on a groomed hiking trail on state-owned land unless the Department of Natural Resources has issued the person a hiking permit. The bill requires such a person to carry proof of the hiking permit at all times while traveling by foot on a groomed hiking trail on state-owned land and to exhibit this proof to DNR or its wardens or other law enforcement officers on demand. The bill specifies that a hiking permit does not authorize a person to hike in an area on state-owned land where hiking is prohibited.
The bill excludes from this prohibition vehicle admission areas, where, under current law, a vehicle admission receipt is generally required in order for a vehicle to enter. Vehicle admission areas include all state parks, the Richard Bong state recreation area, the Wisconsin Dells natural area, the Point Beach state forest, certain recreational areas in other state forests, certain designated use zones within recreation areas, and most roadside parks. Under the bill, a hiking permit is not required to travel by foot on a groomed hiking trail on state-owned land if doing so is incidental to an activity that the person is authorized to do under a DNR approval or registration, the person is authorized to do so on a state trail under a state trail pass, or the person is authorized to do so as part of an organized and authorized event.
Under the bill, DNR must issue a hiking permit to a person who applies for the permit and who pays the required fees, and the permit is valid for the calendar year in which it is issued. The bill authorizes DNR to directly issue the permits, appoint persons who are not DNR employees as its agents to issue the permits, or contract with persons who are not DNR employees to operate a statewide automated system for issuing permits. The bill sets the fee for the permit at $20 for an adult, $10 for a child 12 years of age or older, and $0 for a child under the age of 12, with a 75 cent issuing fee for each permit issued to a person age 12 or older. The bill allows a DNR agent to retain 50 cents of such an issuing fee. The bill also requires DNR to establish a system under which DNR pays each agent 50 cents for each time that the agent processes a transaction through the statewide automated system.
For further information see the state 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:
AB978,1
1
Section
1
.
20.370 (9) (hv) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB978,2,5
2
20.370
(9)
(hv)
Fee amounts for statewide automated issuing system.
All
3
moneys received from the deductions made under ss.
23.176 (4) (d),
23.47 (3) (e)
,
4
and 29.024 (6) (ag) to be used for payments to a person contracted under ss.
23.176
5
(3) (f) 3.,
23.47 (3) (c)
,
and 29.024 (6) (a) 4. as required by the contract.
AB978,2
6
Section
2
.
23.176 of the statutes is created to read:
AB978,2,7
7
23.176
Hiking permit.
(1)
Definitions.
In this section:
AB978,2,10
8
(a) “Proof” means the original hiking permit issued by the department or an
9
agent appointed under sub. (3) (f) 2. or any alternative form of proof designated by
10
rule under s. 23.47 (1).
AB978,2,11
11
(b) “Vehicle admission area” has the meaning given in s. 27.01 (7) (a) 3.
AB978,3,6
12
(2)
Permit required.
(a) Except as provided under par. (c), no person may
13
travel by foot on a groomed hiking trail on land owned by the state, excluding a
14
vehicle admission area, unless the department or an agent appointed under sub. (3)
1
(f) 2. has issued to the person a hiking permit. A person shall carry proof of the
2
hiking permit at all times while the person travels by foot on a groomed hiking trail
3
on land owned by the state, unless otherwise required by this chapter or unless
4
otherwise authorized or required by an agent of the state. The person shall exhibit
5
the proof to the department or its wardens or other law enforcement officers on
6
demand.
AB978,3,8
7
(b) A hiking permit issued under this section does not authorize a person to
8
hike in an area on land owned by the state where hiking is prohibited.
AB978,3,11
9
(c) A person is not prohibited from traveling by foot on a groomed hiking trail
10
on land owned by the state without a hiking permit under par. (a) if any of the
11
following apply:
AB978,3,13
12
1. Doing so is incidental to another activity that the person is authorized to do
13
under an approval or registration issued by the department.
AB978,3,15
14
2. The person is authorized to do so on a state trail under a trail pass issued
15
by the department under s. 23.175.
AB978,3,17
16
3. The person is authorized to do so as part of an organized and authorized
17
event.
AB978,3,23
18
(3)
Issuance.
(a) The department shall issue a hiking permit to a person
19
who applies for the permit and who pays the fees required under sub. (4). The
20
application for a hiking permit shall be on the form and contain the information
21
required by the department. The department or an agent appointed under par. (f)
22
2. may not issue a hiking permit to the applicant until the applicant complies with
23
the requirements specified in this paragraph.
AB978,4,2
1
(b) A hiking permit issued under this section is valid for the calendar year in
2
which it is issued.
AB978,4,4
3
(c) Each hiking permit issued under this section shall contain the name and
4
address of the permit holder and other information required by the department.
AB978,4,6
5
(d) The department shall prepare, procure the printing of, and supply all
6
necessary forms for applications and hiking permits issued under this section.
AB978,4,8
7
(e) The department may issue customer identification numbers as part of a
8
statewide automated system for issuing permits under par. (f) 3.
AB978,4,10
9
(f) In the course of issuing permits under this section, the department may do
10
any of the following:
AB978,4,11
11
1. Directly issue the permits.
AB978,4,13
12
2. Appoint persons who are not employees of the department to issue the
13
permits as agents of the department.
AB978,4,15
14
3. Contract with persons who are not employees of the department to operate
15
a statewide automated system for issuing permits.
AB978,4,17
16
(g) The department may promulgate rules regulating the activities of persons
17
who are authorized as agents under par. (f) 2.
AB978,4,19
18
(4)
Fees.
(a) A person who applies for a hiking permit under this section
19
shall pay one of the following fees to the department, whichever is applicable:
AB978,4,20
20
1. For an adult, $20.
AB978,4,21
21
2. For a child 12 years of age or older, $10.
AB978,4,22
22
3. For a child under the age of 12, $0.
AB978,5,4
23
(b) Any person, including the department, that issues a hiking permit under
24
this section shall collect, in addition to the applicable fee under par. (a), an issuing
1
fee of 75 cents for each permit issued to a person 12 years of age or older. An agent
2
appointed under sub. (3) (f) 2. may retain 50 cents of each issuing fee for each
3
permit. Any issuing fee collected by an employee of the department shall be
4
remitted to the department together with the fee under par. (a).
AB978,5,9
5
(c) If the department enters into a contract under sub. (3) (f) 3., the
6
department may deduct a portion of each fee collected under pars. (a) and (b) for
7
payment to persons contracted to operate the statewide automated system under
8
sub. (3) (f) 3. The department shall credit all of the amounts deducted to the
9
appropriation account under s. 20.370 (9) (hv).
AB978,5,17
10
(d) The department shall establish a system under which the department
11
pays each agent appointed under sub. (3) (f) 2. a payment of 50 cents for each time
12
that the agent processes a transaction through the statewide automated system
13
contracted for under sub. (3) (f) 3. The payment under this paragraph is in addition
14
to any issuing fee retained by the agent under par. (b). The department shall make
15
the payments under this paragraph by allowing the agent to retain an amount
16
equal to the payments from the amounts that are collected by the agent and that
17
would otherwise be remitted to the department.
AB978,3
18
Section
3
.
23.47 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
AB978,5,19
19
23.47
(1)
(e) A hiking permit under s. 23.176.
AB978,4
20
Section
4
.
23.47 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB978,6,5
21
23.47
(2)
Electronic retrieval of information.
If the department
22
maintains a system under which the department stores information in an electronic
23
format that relates to individuals who have been issued approvals under ch. 29
,
24
hiking permits under s. 23.176,
or safety certificates under s. 23.33, 23.335, 30.74,
1
or 350.055, the department may issue a conservation card to any individual who
2
applies for the card for purposes of enabling the department to access information
3
about that individual in the system. The department may authorize an individual
4
to carry a conservation card or another form of identification, determined by the
5
department, in lieu of carrying proof under sub. (1).
AB978,6,6
6
(end)
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