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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Assembly Bill 646

Prosecution time limits for the offense of trafficking a child, possession of child pornography, termination of parental rights after committing the offense of trafficking a child, criminal procedure, crime victim compensation, and providing a penalty

Topics: Children: Protection and services, Crime and criminals, Crime victim, Evidence, Justice, Department of, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Limitation of action, Obscenity, Police, Sex crimes, Witness

Stopped before the full Assembly voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 29, 2012

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, with exceptions, a prosecution for a felony must be commenced within six years of the commission of the felony. Exceptions include prosecutions for second-degree sexual assault of a child, physical abuse of a child that results in great bodily harm, sexual exploitation of a child, incest with a child, certain child enticement offenses, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and soliciting a child for prostitution. In general, prosecution for these crimes must be commenced before the victim reaches the age of 45 years. Another exception generally requires a prosecution for trafficking of a child to be commenced before the victim reaches the age of 24. Under this bill, a prosecution for trafficking of a child must be commenced before the victim reaches the age of 45 years.

Under current law, whoever possesses any undeveloped film, photographic negative, photograph, motion picture, videotape, or other recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct is guilty of a felony. This bill adds that a person who knowingly accesses such material is guilty of a felony.

Read the full summary

Under current law, the parental rights of a parent to his or her child may be terminated involuntarily on various grounds, including if the person commits a serious felony against one of his or her children. Under this bill, a parent's parental rights may be terminated involuntarily if the parent commits against any child the offense of trafficking of a child.

Under current law, in a criminal trial, if a person is accused of certain sex crimes, with certain exceptions the person may not introduce evidence concerning the complaining witness's prior sexual conduct or opinions of the witness's prior sexual conduct and reputation as to prior sexual conduct. This bill adds to the list of sex crimes that invoke this prohibition the following offenses: child enticement, soliciting a child for prostitution, and sexual intercourse with a child who is age 16 or older.

Under current law, a chief judge may authorize or approve an interception of wire, electronic, or oral communications by investigative or law enforcement officers if the interception may provide or has provided evidence of the commission of certain offenses including homicide, felony murder, kidnapping, commercial gambling, bribery, extortion, dealing in controlled substances, or certain computer crimes, or any conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing offenses. This bill adds to the list the following offenses: sexual exploitation of a child, trafficking of a child, child enticement, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and soliciting a child for prostitution.

Under current law, the Department of Justice provides compensation to victims of certain crimes. This bill adds to the list of crimes for which the victim may be compensated the following offenses: sexual exploitation of a child, incest with a child, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, soliciting a child for prostitution, and sexual intercourse with a child who is age 16 or older.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.

Who's behind it

6 lawmakers are its ⁠. 4 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat. 1 has no party on record.

4 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 10 names

Authors (6)

Signed on in support (4)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

How lawmakers voted

There was one vote on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Children and Families vote to recommend it

Passed, 6 to 0 · Mar 9, 2012

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Children and Families, Ayes 6, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2012

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 9, 2012

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  3. Mar 9, 2012

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 0.

  4. Mar 9, 2012

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Mar 8, 2012

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Mar 8, 2012

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Mar 2, 2012 to Mar 6, 2012

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  8. Feb 29, 2012

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.

  9. Feb 29, 2012

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 29, 2012 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Loudenbeck, Ballweg, Berceau, Endsley and A. Ott, by request of Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen;Cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard and Lassa

  2. Feb 29, 2012 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Children and Families

  3. Mar 2, 2012 · Assembly

    Representative Molepske Jr added as a coauthor

  4. Mar 6, 2012 · Assembly

    Representative Spanbauer added as a coauthor

  5. Mar 8, 2012 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Mar 8, 2012 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Mar 8, 2012 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  9. Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  10. Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by committee on Children and Families, Ayes 6, Noes 0

  11. Mar 9, 2012 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  12. Mar 23, 2012 · 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.

More in the glossary

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

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. 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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. 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.

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote