A bill authored by State Rep. Dave Maxey in the Wisconsin Assembly aims to enhance highway safety by requiring drivers to move over or slow down for disabled vehicles near roadways, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “passing certain vehicles stopped on or near a highway and providing a penalty”.
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 existing “move over or slow down” law to include disabled vehicles on or near highways. Under the current law, drivers must change lanes or slow down when approaching authorized emergency or roadside service vehicles parked within 12 feet of a roadway. This bill extends the requirement to vehicles defined as “disabled,” meaning motor vehicles that are stopped and either displaying warning or hazard lights, that have emergency warning devices such as flares positioned nearby, or are attended by visible individuals. Drivers must either move to a lane not adjacent to the stopped vehicle if safe to do so, or slow to a safe speed when unable to change lanes. The bill includes an amendment to the pertinent statute to implement this change.
The bill was co-authored by Sen. Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Rep. Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Rep. Ben DeSmidt (Democrat-65th District), Rep. Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Rep. Cindi Duchow (Republican-97th District). It was co-sponsored by Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Sen. Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District), and Sen. Kelda Roys (Democrat-26th District), along with 12 other co-sponsors.
Dave Maxey has co-authored or authored another 137 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with three of them being enacted.
Maxey graduated from Waukesha County Technical College in 2002 with an AA.
Maxey, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state’s 83rd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Nik Rettinger.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AB409 | 08/29/2025 | Passing certain vehicles stopped on or near a highway and providing a penalty |
| AB391 | 08/29/2025 | The per pupil adjustment for school district revenue limits. (FE) |
| AB374 | 07/17/2025 | Compliance with the federal Electoral Count Reform Act. (FE) |
| AB370 | 07/17/2025 | Crime victim notification cards. (FE) |
| AB311 | 06/06/2025 | Changing an individual’s sex on a birth certificate |
| AB292 | 05/30/2025 | The use of artificial intelligence or other machine assisted translation in court proceedings and of telephone or live audiovisual interpretation in criminal trials. (FE) |
| AB266 | 05/19/2025 | The fee for filing limited liability company articles of organization with the Department of Financial Institutions. (FE) |
| AB248 | 05/08/2025 | Vacancies in appointive state offices |
| AB241 | 05/02/2025 | Required ratio of journeyworkers to apprentices in apprenticeship programs and contracts |
| AB235 | 05/02/2025 | Workforce literacy grant program. (FE) |
| AB175 | 04/15/2025 | Requiring periodic inspections of parking structures |
| AB166 | 04/08/2025 | Academic and career planning services provided to pupils and requiring the reporting of certain data on college student costs and outcomes. (FE) |
| AB165 | 04/08/2025 | Local guaranteed income programs |
| AB160 | 04/02/2025 | Eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin |
| AB157 | 04/02/2025 | Prohibiting filing or recording contracts for services or materials that do not improve real estate and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB146 | 03/17/2025 | Requests for information from employers about unemployment insurance claims |
| AB143 | 03/17/2025 | Allowing an unlicensed person to use a motor vehicle and providing a penalty |
| AB81 | 02/28/2025 | Excluding expenditures funded by referenda from shared costs for the purpose of determining equalization aid for school districts. (FE) |
| AB70 | 02/24/2025 | A disclaimer of parental rights and payments allowed in connection with an adoption |
| AB47 | 02/17/2025 | Tuition and fee remission for certain veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System or a technical college. (FE) |
