Rep. Stubbs of Wisconsin Assembly authors bill imposing 48-hour handgun waiting period

The new bill authored by State Rep. Shelia Stubbs seeks to introduce a mandatory 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases from federally licensed dealers in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “waiting period for purchase of handguns”.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the statutes to introduce a mandatory 48-hour waiting period for the purchase of handguns from federally licensed firearms dealers in Wisconsin. Under the current law, such dealers must request a background check from the Department of Justice to determine if a prospective handgun purchaser is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The bill specifies that the dealer cannot transfer the handgun until 48 hours have passed since the request for the background check. If the Department of Justice needs more time to clarify whether a purchaser is prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, they are required to notify the dealer as soon as practicable, but no later than five working days after the initial search request. The bill first applies to sales occurring on its effective date.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), and Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), along 41 other co-sponsors.

Shelia Stubbs has authored or co-authored another 74 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.

Stubbs graduated from Tougaloo College with a BA and again from Mount Senario College with a BS.

Stubbs, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state’s 78th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Lisa Subeck.

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.