Statement by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen on Final Passage of the E-Signature Legislation

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued the following statement regarding the passage of the E-signature Bill, Senate Bill 467, by the Wisconsin State Assembly:

I applaud both the Wisconsin State Senate and the Wisconsin State Assembly for the passage of Senate Bill 467, otherwise known as the E-signature bill.  I especially want to thank Senator Bob Jauch and Representative Gary Hebl for their leadership on this legislation.  Repeatedly at county law enforcement roundtables that I held around the state, I heard from law enforcement officials about their desire to find ways to eliminate unnecessary tasks and maximize officer time on the streets.

This bill makes the process for filing a criminal complaint more efficient.  As computers become increasingly mobile, the ability to transmit a complaint with an E-signature will allow law enforcement submitting the complaint to reduce time and travel, while allowing the use of modern technology to file a complaint.  This legislation allows us to adapt our law to current technology and allow public tax dollars to do more work.

I look forward to the E-signature legislation being signed into law by the Governor.

End of Statement

 Additional Background

 A copy of Attorney General Van Hollen's recent guest column on this legislation.