Assembly Bill 694 seeks to amend existing statutes regarding the condemnation authority for recreational trails in Wisconsin. The bill allows entities such as county boards, village boards, and the Department of Transportation to utilize condemnation powers to acquire land or interests in land specifically for the establishment or extension of recreational trails, bicycle ways, or pedestrian ways. This represents a significant change from current law, which prohibits the use of condemnation for these purposes. The bill repeals several existing statutes that restrict condemnation for recreational trail development and amends others to remove these limitations.

Key amendments include the removal of language that previously barred the use of condemnation for acquiring land for recreational trails, as seen in sections 23.09, 27.01, and 27.05, among others. The bill also repeals section 32.015 entirely, which previously restricted condemnation for these purposes. Additionally, it renumbers and amends sections related to the acquisition of property by village and city governing bodies, allowing for broader condemnation authority. Overall, the bill aims to facilitate the development of recreational infrastructure by expanding the powers of local governments and state agencies in land acquisition.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 23.09(2)(d)(intro.), 23.09, 27.01(2)(a), 27.01, 27.019(10), 27.019, 27.05(3), 27.05, 27.065(1)(a), 27.065, 27.08(2)(b), 27.08, 27.08(2)(c), 32.015, 32.51(1)(intro.), 32.51, 59.52(6)(a), 59.52, 60.782(2)(d), 60.782, 61.34(3)(b), 61.34, 62.22(1)(b), 62.22, 62.23(17)(a)(intro.), 62.23, 62.23(17)(am), 85.09(2)(a), 85.09, 990.01(2), 990.01