Assembly Bill 228
Self-defense for victims of sex trafficking
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
May 21, 2019
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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 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. 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.
Under current law, there are several defenses to criminal liability, including self-defense. One such defense allows a person to intentionally use force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm if the person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.
This bill provides that a victim of sex trafficking has a privilege of self-defense for the use of force against a sex trafficker if the victim believed that the use of force was necessary to prevent or terminate an unlawful interference with his or her person or that the use of force was necessary to escape from sex trafficking.
Who's behind it
19 lawmakers are its . 12 are Democrats and 7 are Republicans.
9 more lawmakers .
See all 28 names Hide the names
Authors (19)
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- David Crowley · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Kalan Haywood · Democrat, Assembly
- Cody Horlacher · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Kulp · Republican, Assembly
- Timothy Ramthun · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Pat Snyder · Republican, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt · Republican, Assembly
- Robyn Vining · Democrat, Assembly
- Don Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (9)
- Kathleen Bernier · Republican, Senate
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Dale Kooyenga · Republican, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
What happened
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Apr 1, 2020
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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May 21, 2019
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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May 21, 2019
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- May 21, 2019 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Bowen, Ramthun, Haywood, Brostoff, Crowley, Dittrich, Emerson, Fields, Horlacher, Kulp, Sinicki, Snyder, Sortwell, Spreitzer, Stubbs, C. Taylor, Thiesfeldt, Vining and Vruwink; cosponsored by Senators Bernier, Johnson, Carpenter, Jacque, Kooyenga, Ringhand, Risser, Smith and Wanggaard
- May 21, 2019 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Jul 24, 2019 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Bowen and Ramthun
- Apr 1, 2020 · 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