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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Senate Bill 56

Evidentiary recordings of persons under the age of 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct and certain sex offenses against children and providing penalties

Topics: Children: Protection and services, Court: Procedure, Evidence, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Police, Sex crimes, Youth

Stopped before the full Senate voted

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

  1. Introduced, passed

    Apr 8, 2011

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly 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, a district attorney must disclose to the defense, and permit the defense to inspect, copy, or photograph, any physical evidence that the district attorney intends to use as evidence against that defendant in a trial. Under this bill, if the evidence is a recording of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the defense may inspect the recording only in a location maintained by the court or a law enforcement agency, one of which must, under this bill, retain possession, custody, and control of the recording and must provide the defense opportunity to examine, inspect, and view the recording. The defense may receive a copy for limited purposes only if a court finds that the defense has not had opportunity to examine, inspect, or view the recording.

Under current law, a person who causes a person under the age of 18 to view or listen to sexually explicit conduct is guilty of a felony if the viewing or listening is for sexual arousal or gratification of the actor or for humiliating or degrading the person under the age of 18. Also under current law, a person who communicates via a computer with an individual whom the person believes is under 16 years old with the intent to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact with an individual under 16 years old is guilty of a felony. This bill makes the attempt to do either of these crimes a felony punishable as the completed crime would currently be punishable.

Read the full summary

Under current law, the crime of causing a child to view or to listen to sexual activity, requires that the victim be under the age of 18. Under this bill, the victim may either be under 18 or be an individual who the person perpetrating the crime believes or has reason to believe is under 18.

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

2 senators are its ⁠. 1 is a Democrat and 1 is a Republican.

7 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 9 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (7)

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.

Senate Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it

Passed, 4 to 1 · Feb 2, 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 Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 4, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2012

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 2, 2012

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 1.

  3. Dec 20, 2011

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Aug 30, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Apr 27, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Apr 25, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  7. Apr 22, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  8. Apr 8, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations.

  9. Apr 8, 2011

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Apr 8, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Lassa and Darling;Cosponsored by Representatives Staskunas, Bernard Schaber, Ziegelbauer, Brooks, Jorgensen, Spanbauer and Berceau

  2. Apr 8, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations

  3. Apr 22, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Apr 25, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Apr 27, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Aug 30, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Dec 20, 2011 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  8. Feb 1, 2012 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Feb 2, 2012 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, Ayes 4, Noes 1

  10. Feb 2, 2012 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  11. Mar 23, 2012 · Senate

    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.

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