Skip to content
Bills from the 2017–18 session

Assembly Bill 737

Increased maximum terms of imprisonment for domestic abuse repeaters and providing a criminal penalty. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 4, 2018. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Dec 7, 2017

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 15, 2018

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 20, 2018

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2017 Wisconsin Act 188

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 4, 2018: “Published 4-4-2018”

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it does

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

Current law allows a court to increase by two years the maximum term of imprisonment for a crime if the crime constituted an act of domestic abuse and the defendant was, within the preceding ten years, convicted on at least two separate occasions of a felony or misdemeanor that was subject to a domestic abuse surcharge.

A domestic abuse surcharge is a surcharge that a Wisconsin court must impose if the defendant committed one of a list of crimes against his or her current or former spouse, against an adult with whom the defendant currently or formerly resides, or against an adult with whom the defendant has created a child. Under this bill, crimes that would subject a defendant to the increased maximum term of imprisonment include felonies or misdemeanors committed in another state but that, had they been committed in Wisconsin, would have been subject to the domestic abuse surcharge.

Who's behind it

9 lawmakers are its ⁠. 7 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 17 names

Authors (9)

Signed on in support (8)

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, 11 to 1 · Feb 13, 2018

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

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

Passed, 12 to 0 · Feb 13, 2018

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 12, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 16, 2018

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 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 4, 2018

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 4, 2018

    The governor signed it. It became 2017 Wisconsin Act 188.

  3. Apr 2, 2018

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 20, 2018

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Feb 16, 2018

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  6. Feb 16, 2018

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 16, 2018

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 15, 2018

    3 more representatives signed on in support.

  9. Feb 15, 2018

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Feb 15, 2018

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Feb 13, 2018

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  12. Feb 13, 2018

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 12 to 0.

  13. Jan 23, 2018

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  14. Jan 11, 2018

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Dec 18, 2017

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  16. Dec 14, 2017

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Dec 7, 2017

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

  18. Dec 7, 2017

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Dec 7, 2017 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Ballweg, Anderson, Jacque, Jagler, Kitchens, Mursau, Rohrkaste, Sargent and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators Olsen, Bewley, Darling, Marklein, Petrowski and Vukmir

  2. Dec 7, 2017 · Assembly

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

  3. Dec 14, 2017 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Dec 14, 2017 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Dec 18, 2017 · Assembly

    Representative Allen added as a coauthor

  6. Jan 11, 2018 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  7. Jan 23, 2018 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. Jan 24, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Ballweg

  9. Jan 25, 2018 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  10. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 1

  11. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 12, Noes 0

  12. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  13. Feb 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 1:08 PM on 2-15-2018 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 23

  14. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  17. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  18. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  19. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Representatives Barca, Shankland and Vruwink added as coauthors

  20. Feb 15, 2018 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  23. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  24. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  25. Feb 16, 2018 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-20-2018 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  26. Feb 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a second time

  27. Feb 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 20, 2018 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  29. Feb 20, 2018 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Feb 20, 2018 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 20, 2018 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  32. Mar 13, 2018 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-13-2018

  33. Apr 2, 2018 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2018

  34. Apr 4, 2018 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2018. 2017 Wisconsin Act 188

  35. Apr 4, 2018 · Assembly

    Published 4-4-2018

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

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