Assembly Bill 496
School bullying, unlawful use of computer systems, and providing a criminal penalty
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
Nov 10, 2015
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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 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Education. 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
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to develop a model school policy on bullying by pupils and requires each school board to adopt a policy prohibiting bullying. A school board may adopt DPI's model policy. The model policy must include certain elements. For example, it must define bullying; identify the property owned, leased, or used by the school district on which the policy applies;
and require that school district officials and employees report incidents of bullying.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill requires that the definition of bullying in DPI's model policy include bullying by electronic means. The bill also requires that the model policy include a requirement that a school district official who has reasonable cause to suspect that a bullying incident is a violation of a criminal law report the incident to a law enforcement agency. Finally, the bill requires the model policy to address appropriate responses to bullying that occurs off school grounds in certain circumstances.
Current law prohibits a person from sending an e-mail message to another person if that message threatens to harm any person or property and if the sender intends to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass any person. A person who violates the prohibition is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and is subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 90 days, or both. This bill prohibits a person from posting an electronic message where others can view it if that message threatens to harm any specified person under the age of 18 or person in high school or the property of such a specified person if the person who posts the message knows that the specified person has been previously subject to at least two similar acts. A person who violates this new prohibition is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
Current law also prohibits a person from sending an e-mail message to another person if that message uses any obscene, lewd, or profane language or suggests any lewd or lascivious act and if the sender intends to harass, annoy, or offend another person. A person who violates the prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of up to $1,000.
This bill prohibits a person from posting an electronic message where others can view it if that message uses any obscene, lewd, or profane language or suggests any lewd or lascivious act if the message is aimed at a specified person under the age of 18 or person in high school and the person who posts the message knows that the specified person has been previously subject to at least two similar acts. A person who violates this new prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of up to $1,000.
Who's behind it
10 representatives are its . All 10 are Democrats.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 13 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- Eric Genrich · Democrat, Assembly
- Evan Goyke · Democrat, Assembly
- Robb Kahl · Democrat, Assembly
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Dana Wachs · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Nov 10, 2015
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.
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Nov 10, 2015
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 10, 2015 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kahl, Kessler, Genrich, Goyke, Milroy, Berceau, Subeck, Considine, Wachs and C. Taylor; cosponsored by Senators Ringhand, Lassa and C. Larson
- Nov 10, 2015 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- Apr 13, 2016 · 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
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor