Assembly Bill 414
Underage sexual activity and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 28, 2018. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jun 29, 2017
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Nov 9, 2017
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2018
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2017 Wisconsin Act 174
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 28, 2018: “Published 3-29-2018”
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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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill creates the offense of underage sexual activity. Under current law, a person who has sexual intercourse or sexual contact with a child who is at least 13 but under 16 is guilty of a Class C felony. Under this bill, a person who has sexual intercourse with a child who is between 15 and 18, or sexual contact with a child who is 15, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if the person is less than 19 years old. Under current law, a person may be required to register as a sex offender for certain crimes that are sexually motivated if the judge determines that it would be in the interest of public protection to have the person register. Under this bill, the new offense of underage sexual activity would be subject to this provision. This bill does not affect crimes involving sexual contact or intercourse by use or threat of force or violence.
Current law provides exceptions to the requirement to register as a sex offender if the offender commits sexual assault of a child, repeated sexual assault of a child, or sexual assault of a child in substitute care and the court makes certain findings (commonly known as the Romeo and Juliet exceptions). For instance, the court must find that the person had not attained the age of 19 years and was within four years of the age of the victim. This bill adds specific acts of third-degree sexual assault to the list of offenses eligible for the exception if the actor is under the age of 19 and the victim is at least 15.
Who's behind it
40 lawmakers are its . 27 are Republicans and 13 are Democrats.
7 more lawmakers .
See all 47 names Hide the names
Authors (40)
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Mark Born · Republican, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- David Crowley · Democrat, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Mary Felzkowski · Republican, Senate
- Evan Goyke · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- Gordon Hintz · Democrat, Assembly
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Hutton · Republican, Senate
- John Jagler · Republican, Senate
- Adam Jarchow · Republican, Assembly
- Frederick Kessler · Democrat, Assembly
- Joel Kleefisch · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- Nick Milroy · Democrat, Assembly
- Adam Neylon · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Kevin Petersen · Republican, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Romaine Quinn · Republican, Senate
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Swearingen · Republican, Assembly
- Gary Tauchen · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Travis Tranel · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler Vorpagel · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Weatherston · Republican, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (7)
- Sheila Harsdorf · Republican, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Jerry Petrowski · Republican, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
- Mike Rohrkaste · Republican, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
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 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 11 to 1 · Nov 6, 2017
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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Jan 16, 2018
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 28, 2018
The new law was published.
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Mar 28, 2018
The governor signed it. It became 2017 Wisconsin Act 174.
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Mar 27, 2018
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 20, 2018
“Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)
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Feb 20, 2018
The Assembly adopted it.
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Feb 20, 2018
The Senate passed it too.
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Feb 20, 2018
The Senate adopted it.
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Jan 16, 2018
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Jan 16, 2018
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Jan 11, 2018
The committee held a public hearing.
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Nov 14, 2017
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Nov 9, 2017
The Senate received it.
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Nov 9, 2017
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Nov 9, 2017
The Assembly passed it.
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Nov 9, 2017
The Assembly adopted it.
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Nov 6, 2017
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Nov 6, 2017
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 1.
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Oct 5, 2017
The committee held a public hearing.
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Aug 3, 2017
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jul 11, 2017
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jul 7, 2017
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jun 29, 2017
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Jun 29, 2017
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jun 29, 2017 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kleefisch, Kessler, Duchow, Felzkowski, Ballweg, Berceau, Bernier, Born, Bowen, Brandtjen, Brostoff, Crowley, Edming, Goyke, Hebl, Hintz, Horlacher, Hutton, Jagler, Jarchow, Knodl, Kooyenga, Krug, Kuglitsch, Milroy, Neylon, Novak, Ohnstad, Petersen, Pope, Quinn, Sinicki, Snyder, Swearingen, Tauchen, Tittl, Tranel, Vorpagel, Weatherston and Zepnick; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, L. Taylor, Johnson, Harsdorf and Petrowski
- Jun 29, 2017 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Jul 7, 2017 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jul 11, 2017 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jul 11, 2017 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Aug 3, 2017 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Sep 19, 2017 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Kleefisch and Kessler
- Oct 5, 2017 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Oct 31, 2017 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Nov 6, 2017 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 1
- Nov 6, 2017 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Nov 7, 2017 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 11-9-2017 by Committee on Rules
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representatives Kleefisch and Kessler
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 2 adopted
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Representative Rohrkaste added as a coauthor
- Nov 9, 2017 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 9, 2017 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Nov 14, 2017 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Jan 11, 2018 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 16, 2018 · Senate
Senator Risser added as a cosponsor
- Jan 16, 2018 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jan 16, 2018 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Jan 16, 2018 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 14, 2018 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Senate Organization and take up
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in as amended
- Feb 20, 2018 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate amendment 1 adopted)
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Senate Amendment 1 concurred in
- Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly
Action ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 26, 2018 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-26-2018
- Mar 27, 2018 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-27-2018
- Mar 28, 2018 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-28-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 174
- Mar 28, 2018 · Assembly
Published 3-29-2018
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
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
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