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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 521

Invasions of privacy and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 31, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Nov 13, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 9, 2016

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 15, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 292

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 31, 2016: “Published 3-31-2016”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

This bill prohibits certain acts that violate a person's right to privacy. Current law prohibits installing or using a surveillance device that has been installed in a private place to observe a nude or partially nude person without that person's consent. The bill clarifies that a surveillance device need only be capable of observing the activities of a person and need not be primarily designed for that purpose. Under the bill, a person may not install or use in a private place a surveillance device to view a nude or partially nude person in a private place without that person's consent.

Under current law, a person who captures a representation of a nude or partially nude person without the person's consent and while that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, or a person who makes, exhibits, or distributes a reproduction of such a representation of the nude or partially nude person, is guilty of a Class I felony.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, a person is guilty of a Class I felony if he or she makes, reproduces, exhibit, or distributes a video or audio representation of a person who is nude or partially nude; of a person's clothed, covered, or partially clothed or covered genitalia or buttock that is not otherwise visible to the public; of a person urinating, defecating, or using a feminine hygiene product; or of a person engaged in sexual intercourse or sexual contact, and if the same conditions of lack of consent and expectation of privacy exist.

The bill defines consent as "words or overt actions by a person who is competent to give informed consent indicating a freely given agreement to the act," and establishes that a person under the age of 18 is incapable of consent. Under the bill, a person suffering from a mental illness or defect that impairs his or her capacity to appraise personal conduct and a person who is unconscious or otherwise physically unable to communicate unwillingness to an act are presumed incapable of giving consent.

Who's behind it

13 lawmakers are its ⁠. 10 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (13)

Signed on in support (2)

What it would cost

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

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 13 to 0 · Jan 26, 2016

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 13 to 0 · Jan 26, 2016

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 14, 2016

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

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 31, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 31, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 292.

  3. Mar 29, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 15, 2016

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 14, 2016

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 11, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 10, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 9, 2016

    The Assembly passed it.

  9. Feb 9, 2016

    The Assembly adopted it.

  10. Jan 26, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  11. Jan 26, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  12. Jan 13, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Dec 8, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  14. Dec 1, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  15. Nov 13, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

  16. Nov 13, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Nov 13, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Spiros, Mursau, Horlacher, E. Brooks, T. Larson, Subeck, Kahl, Allen, Kulp, Zamarripa, Kremer, Duchow and Craig; cosponsored by Senators Vukmir and Wanggaard

  2. Nov 13, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Dec 1, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Dec 7, 2015 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Spiros

  5. Dec 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Dec 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Dec 18, 2015 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Spiros

  8. Jan 13, 2016 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  9. Jan 14, 2016 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  10. Jan 26, 2016 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 2 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  11. Jan 26, 2016 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  12. Jan 26, 2016 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  13. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 offered by Representative Spiros

  14. Feb 4, 2016 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-9-2016 by Committee on Rules

  15. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  16. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  17. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  18. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 adopted

  19. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  20. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  21. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  22. Feb 9, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Feb 10, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  24. Feb 11, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  25. Feb 11, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  27. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-15-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  28. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  29. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  31. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  32. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  33. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  34. Mar 18, 2016 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 2)

  35. Mar 18, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-18-2016

  36. Mar 29, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-29-2016

  37. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-30-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 292

  38. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-31-2016

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. 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

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

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