Assembly Bill 839
The statute of limitations for sexual contact with a child and limits on recovery against the state and local political subdivisions
Topics: Children: Abuse and neglect, Claims, Court: Procedure, Limitation of action, Religious societies, Sex crimes
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Mar 11, 2010
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the time a person has to bring an action (the statute of limitations) for an injury resulting from being sexually assaulted or subject to incest as a child, or from being subject to sexual contact by a member of the clergy as a child, is any time before the injured party reaches the age of 35.
This bill removes the time limit for bringing those actions. In addition, the bill applies this unlimited time period to a broader range of actions. Under the bill, there is no limit on the time a person has to bring an action for injury resulting from being subject, as a child, to any sexual contact by an adult or by an adult member of the clergy. The bill also revives any cause of action that was barred by the present statute of limitations and allows an injured party to bring that action for his or her injury within three years after the effective date of the bill.
Read the full summary Show less
Under current law, the amount recoverable for damages in an action in tort against a volunteer fire company, political corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or against their officers, officials, agents, or employees acting within the scope of their official duties is limited to $50,000. For certain specified volunteer fire companies and their officers, officials, agents, or employees, the limit is $25,000.
Currently, the amount recoverable for damages in a civil action against a state officer, employee, or agent, or against a number of others designated to be state officers, employees, or agents, including certain health care providers and pupil services providers, and emergency planning committee members, is limited to $250,000.
This bill removes those limits if the action is to recover damages for an injury caused by an adult's sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18 or by the sexual exploitation of a person under the age of 18 by a member of the clergy.
Who's behind it
Tony Staskunas, a Democrat, is its .
See all the details Hide the names
Author (1)
- Tony Staskunas · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 26, 2010
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Mar 11, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice.
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Mar 11, 2010
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Introduced by Representative Staskunas
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Criminal Justice
- Mar 26, 2010 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 26, 2010 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate