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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Senate Bill 200

The investigation of a child abuse report in which a person who is not a caregiver of the child is suspected of permitting, allowing, or encouraging the child to engage in prostitution; and prohibiting prosecuting a person under the age of 18 with committing an act of prostitution. (FE)

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jun 18, 2015

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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, certain persons having reasonable cause to suspect that a child seen in the course of professional duties has been abused must report that suspected abuse to the sheriff or police department or to the county department of human services or social services or, in Milwaukee County, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or a child welfare agency under contract with DCF (collectively "agency"). Current law also permits any other person having reason to suspect that a child has been abused to make such a report.

Current law requires the sheriff or police department to refer to an agency all cases of child abuse reported to it in which a caregiver is suspected of the abuse or of facilitating or failing to take action to prevent the suspected abuse and all cases in which an individual who is suspected of the abuse cannot be identified. Then, within 24 hours after receiving the referral, the agency must initiate a diligent investigation to determine if the child is in need of protection or services. Current law, however, permits, rather than requires, the sheriff or police department to refer to an agency a case in which a person who is not a caregiver of a child is suspected of the abuse of the child and permits, rather than requires, the agency to initiate a diligent investigation to determine if the child is in need of protection or services.

Read the full summary

Under current law, a person who commits an act of prostitution is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned for not longer than nine months, or both. Under current law, if the person has not attained the age of 18 when he or she commits an act of prostitution, a court may enter a consent decree under the Juvenile Justice Code or a deferred prosecution under the Juvenile Justice Code or adult criminal statutes, if the court determines that a consent decree or a deferred prosecution agreement will serve the best interests of the person and will not harm society.

Under this bill, a person who has not attained the age of 18 may not be prosecuted for committing an act of prostitution. The bill eliminates the option, for a person who is under the age of 18, of entering a consent decree or a deferred prosecution agreement. The bill requires the sheriff or police department to refer to an agency, and the agency to investigate, a case of child abuse in which a person who is not a caregiver of the child is suspected of permitting, allowing, or encouraging the child to engage in prostitution.

Who's behind it

12 senators are its ⁠. 10 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.

36 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 48 names

Authors (12)

Signed on in support (36)

What it would cost

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

What happened

  1. Apr 13, 2016

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Nov 10, 2015

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  3. Sep 21, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Jul 17, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Jul 2, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  6. Jun 25, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  7. Jun 18, 2015

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

  8. Jun 18, 2015

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jun 18, 2015 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Harsdorf, Harris Dodd, L. Taylor, Moulton, Miller, Vinehout, Risser, Carpenter, C. Larson, Hansen, Ringhand and Lassa; cosponsored by Representatives Billings, Johnson, Kahl, Brostoff, Genrich, Subeck, Young, Wachs, Mason, Sargent, Thiesfeldt, Kessler, Doyle, Riemer, Goyke, Berceau, Kolste, Pope, Quinn, Zepnick, Zamarripa, Jorgensen, Spreitzer, Macco, Hebl, Bowen, Sinicki, Bernier, Considine, Novak, Ohnstad, C. Taylor, Petryk, Danou and Barnes

  2. Jun 18, 2015 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

  3. Jun 25, 2015 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jul 2, 2015 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Jul 17, 2015 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Sep 21, 2015 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  7. Nov 10, 2015 · Senate

    Senator Erpenbach added as a coauthor

  8. Apr 13, 2016 · 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

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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

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

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

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