An Act to amend 97.67 (1); and to create 97.67 (1k) of the statutes; Relating to: exempting certain farm owners from campground licensing.
Summary
SB415 creates a narrow exemption from Wisconsin’s campground licensing requirements for certain farm-based campgrounds. Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, or a local health department with agent status, must license and regulate campgrounds, camping resorts, recreational and educational camps, and public swimming pools. The bill would allow a person to operate a campground without a campground license if the campground is located on the person’s farm, the farm has no more than one campground, and the campground has three or fewer campsites.
The bill also defines “farm” for this new exemption as land under common ownership that is primarily devoted to agricultural production, harvesting, or husbandry. In practical terms, the measure would carve out a very small-scale agritourism or farm-camping operation from the general licensing regime while leaving the broader campground regulatory structure intact for other operators.
Impact
The bill would amend s. 97.67(1) and create s. 97.67(1k) of the Wisconsin statutes. Its effect would be to remove a subset of very small farm campgrounds from the licensing and regulatory requirements that otherwise apply to campgrounds and camping resorts under the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The exemption is limited to campgrounds on a farm with no more than one campground and no more than three campsites, so it would affect only a small number of farm owners and would not broadly change campground regulation for the general public.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from discussion. The bill’s introduction by multiple senators and assembly cosponsors suggests some interest in easing regulatory burdens for small farm operators, but the fact that it ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 indicates it did not advance to enactment. Overall, the sentiment appears to have been favorable among its sponsors but insufficient to secure final approval.
Contention
The main policy tension is between reducing regulatory requirements for small farm-based camping operations and maintaining the state’s campground licensing and public-health oversight framework. Supporters would likely view the bill as a targeted relief measure for farmers engaged in limited agritourism or supplemental income activities, while opponents may have been concerned about creating an exemption from licensing, inspection, or health and safety oversight even for small campgrounds. Because there are no transcripts or votes provided, the specific arguments and the identities of any opponents are not documented in the available materials.