Eliminating public official immunity as a defense to civil liability claims against law enforcement officers and prohibiting indemnification for judgments against law enforcement officers. (FE)

What it would have done

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

This bill provides that immunity granted to public officials under current law does not apply and is not a defense to civil liability claimed against a law enforcement officer for any act or failure to act by the officer done in an official capacity or in the course of his or her agency or employment.

With certain exceptions, current law grants public officials, including law enforcement officers, immunity from liability for actions taken while acting in an official capacity or in the course of his or her employment or agency. Public officer immunity provides immunity from suit for “acts done in the exercise of legislative, quasi-legislative, judicial or quasi-judicial functions.” As stated by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, there is, with exceptions, a “general rule of immunity for public officers in their performance of acts within the scope of employment.” Brown v.

Who's behind it

4 senators are its authors⁠. All 4 are Democrats.

16 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.