LRB-2737/1
GMM:jld:sh
2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE
June 14, 2007 - Introduced by Representatives Garthwaite, Soletski, Berceau,
Black, Boyle, Cullen, Hilgenberg, Hixson, Jorgensen, Kessler, Kreuser,
Mason, Pocan, Richards, Sheridan, Sinicki, Smith, Turner, Van Akkeren,
Zepnick
and Toles, cosponsored by Senators Lehman, Breske, Decker,
Hansen
and Risser. Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions.
AB403,1,4 1An Act to repeal 109.09 (2) (c) 1., 109.09 (2) (c) 2. and 109.09 (2) (c) 3.; and to
2renumber and amend
109.09 (2) (c) 1m. of the statutes; relating to: the
3priority of a wage claim lien over a prior lien of a commercial lending
4institution.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) must
investigate and attempt to adjust any claim by an employee that his or her employer
has not paid the employee any wages that are owed to the employee (wage claim).
Currently, DWD or an employee who brings a wage claim action has a lien upon all
property of the employer, real and personal, located in this state for the full amount
of any wages owed to the employee (wage claim lien). Currently, a wage claim lien
takes precedence over all other debts, judgments, decrees, liens, or mortgages
against an employer, except for a lien of a commercial lending institution that
originates before the wage claim lien takes effect (prior lien), regardless of whether
those other debts, judgments, decrees, liens, or mortgages originated before or after
the wage claim lien takes effect. Current law provides, however, that a wage claim
lien takes precedence over a prior lien of a commercial lending institution as to the
first $3,000 of unpaid wages covered under the wage claim lien that are earned
within the six months preceding the filing of the wage claim with DWD or the
commencement of an action by the employee to recover the wages due.
This bill eliminates that $3,000 cap and six-month time limit so that under the
bill a wage claim lien covering any amount of wages earned at any time takes

precedence over a lien of a commercial lending institution, regardless of whether the
lien of the commercial lending institution originated before or after the wage claim
lien takes effect.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB403, s. 1 1Section 1. 109.09 (2) (c) 1. of the statutes is repealed.
AB403, s. 2 2Section 2. 109.09 (2) (c) 1m. of the statutes is renumbered 109.09 (2) (c) and
3amended to read:
AB403,2,134 109.09 (2) (c) A lien under par. (a) takes precedence over all other debts,
5judgments, decrees, liens, or mortgages against the employer, except a lien of a
6commercial lending institution as provided in subd. 2. and 3. or
a lien under s. 292.31
7(8) (i) or 292.81, regardless of whether those other debts, judgments, decrees, liens,
8or mortgages originate before or after the lien under par. (a) takes effect. A lien under
9par. (a) may be enforced in the manner provided in ss. 779.09 to 779.12, 779.20, and
10779.21, insofar as those provisions are applicable. The lien ceases to exist if the
11department of workforce development or the employee does not bring an action to
12enforce the lien within the period prescribed in s. 893.44 for the underlying wage
13claim.
AB403, s. 3 14Section 3. 109.09 (2) (c) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
AB403, s. 4 15Section 4. 109.09 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is repealed.
AB403, s. 5 16Section 5. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB403,3,217 (1) Wage claim liens. Notwithstanding section 109.09 (2) (c), 2005 stats., a lien
18that exists under section 109.09 (2) (a) of the statutes on the day before the effective
19date of this subsection takes precedence over a lien of a commercial lending

1institution, as defined in section 109.09 (2) (c) 1., 2005 stats., that originated before
2the lien under section 109.09 (2) (a) of the statutes took effect.
AB403,3,33 (End)
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