13.02 Regular sessions. The legislature shall meet annually.
(1) The legislature shall convene in the capitol on the first Monday of January in each odd-numbered year, at 2 p.m., to take the oath of office, select officers, and do all other things necessary to organize itself for the conduct of its business, but if the first Monday of January falls on January 1 or 2, the actions here required shall be taken on January 3.
(2) The regular session of the legislature shall commence at 2 p.m. on the first Tuesday after the 8th day of January in each year unless otherwise provided under sub. (3).
(3) Early in each biennial session period, the joint committee on legislative organization shall meet and develop a work schedule for the legislative session, which shall include at least one meeting in January of each year, to be submitted to the legislature as a joint resolution.
(4) Any measures introduced in the regular annual session of the odd-numbered year which do not receive final action shall carry over to the regular annual session held in the even-numbered year.
History: 1971 c. 15; 1973 c. 24, 333; 1987 a. 4.
Sub. (3) satisfies the Wisconsin Constitution by authorizing the legislature's own committee to set its work schedule. League of Women Voters v. Evers, 2019 WI 75, 387 Wis. 2d 511, 929 N.W.2d 209, 19-0559.
How the legislature meets, when it meets, and what descriptive titles the legislature assigns to those meetings or their operating procedures constitute parts of the legislative process with which the judicial branch has no jurisdiction or right to interfere. League of Women Voters v. Evers, 2019 WI 75, 387 Wis. 2d 511, 929 N.W.2d 209, 19-0559.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 13 - Legislative branch.
13.01 - Number of legislators.
13.035 - Designation of members.
13.04 - Legislators' eligibility to other civil office.
13.05 - Logrolling prohibited.
13.07 - Freedom of debate confirmed.
13.085 - Bills increasing certain tax rates.
13.09 - Joint committee on finance.
13.093 - Reference of bills to joint committee on finance.
13.095 - Review of programs started with federal aid.
13.096 - Review of bills establishing vehicle weight limit exceptions.
13.0965 - Review of bills proposing revocation of an operating privilege.
13.0966 - Review of bills or amendments establishing health insurance mandates.
13.097 - Review of legislation providing for conveyances of lake bed areas.
13.0975 - Review of legislative proposals impacting energy availability.
13.098 - Review of legislation relating to alcohol and other drug abuse.
13.099 - Review of bills affecting housing.
13.10 - Joint committee on finance approvals.
13.101 - Joint committee on finance; appropriation and position changes.
13.102 - Joint committee on finance; consideration of biennial budget bill.
13.105 - Marquette University Dental School reports to governor and joint committee on finance.
13.106 - Medical College of Wisconsin and UW-Madison Medical School reports.
13.11 - Records of joint committee on finance.
13.111 - Joint committee on employment relations.
13.121 - Legislators' salaries and benefits.
13.123 - Legislators' expenses.
13.124 - Legal representation.
13.127 - Advice and consent of the senate.
13.13 - Speaker; deputy speaker; president of senate.
13.14 - Miscellaneous expenses.
13.172 - State agency reports.
13.176 - Article V convention.
13.20 - Legislative employees.
13.21 - State departments to cooperate in providing legislative help.
13.22 - Payroll, legislative employees.
13.23 - Election contests; notice.
13.235 - Election contests; legislative inquiry.
13.24 - Testimony in election contests.
13.25 - Expenses of election contest; limitation.
13.27 - Punishment for contempt.
13.28 - Interpellation of officers.
13.29 - Time for interpellation and procedure.
13.30 - State officers; removal by legislature.
13.31 - Witnesses; how subpoenaed.
13.32 - Summary process; custody of witness.
13.39 - Legislative consideration of biennial budget bill.
13.41 - Interim successors for legislators.
13.42 - Virtual meetings of the legislature and legislative committees.
13.45 - General provisions on legislative committees.
13.46 - Majority and minority parties.
13.47 - Legislative state supported programs study and advisory committee.
13.48 - Long-range public building program.
13.482 - State Public Building Corporation.
13.484 - Limitation on certain building projects.
13.485 - Parking structure funding.
13.486 - State office building, completion of.
13.488 - Building commission; powers and duties.
13.489 - Transportation projects commission.
13.50 - Joint survey committee on retirement systems.
13.52 - Joint survey committee on tax exemptions.
13.525 - Joint review committee on criminal penalties.
13.53 - Joint legislative audit committee.
13.55 - Commission on uniform state laws.
13.56 - Joint committee for review of administrative rules.
13.565 - Legislative review of certain rules.
13.57 - National conference of state legislatures.
13.58 - Joint committee on information policy and technology.
13.61 - Lobbying regulated; legislative purpose.
13.625 - Prohibited practices.
13.63 - Licenses for lobbyists; suspension or revocation.
13.65 - Lobbyist authorization.
13.66 - Restrictions on practice of lobbying.
13.67 - Identification of legislative and administrative proposals and topics.
13.68 - Principal's expense statement.
13.685 - Duties of the ethics commission.
13.69 - Enforcement and penalties.
13.695 - Legislative activities of state agencies.
13.71 - Lobbyists restricted during daily sessions.
13.80 - Legislative organization, joint committee on.
13.81 - Joint legislative council.
13.82 - Committees appointed by council.
13.83 - Permanent council committees.
13.90 - Duties and powers of the joint committee on legislative organization.
13.91 - Legislative council staff.
13.92 - Legislative reference bureau.
13.94 - Legislative audit bureau.