Skip to content
Bills from the 2023–24 session

Assembly Bill 36

A time limit for processing sexual assault kits. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Dec 6, 2023. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 13, 2023

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Apr 18, 2023

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Nov 7, 2023

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2023 Wisconsin Act 58

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 10, 2024: “Senator Hesselbein added as a cosponsor”

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.

Embed this on your site

Paste this code into your page. The card shows the latest record each time it loads. Preview the card

What it does

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

Current law contains procedures for the transmission, processing, and storage of sexual assault kits. Under current law, once the state crime laboratories takes possession of a sexual assault kit, it must do one of the following: 1) if it has received the kit of a person who has not consented to analysis, securely store the kit for a period of 10 years; or 2) if it has received the kit of a person who has consented to analysis, process the kit in accordance with Department of Justice procedures and then send the kit to a law enforcement agency for storage for a statutorily prescribed period of time.

This bill provides a specific timeline for the state crime laboratories to process sexual assault kits. The bill requires that the state crime laboratories begin processing a kit within five business days of receipt and complete processing it within 60 calendar days after beginning. The timeline applies only to the following sexual assault kits:

Read the full summary

1. Kits of a person who has consented to analysis by reporting the sexual assault if the perpetrator of the sexual assault is unknown and there is a threat to public safety.

2. Kits containing evidence collected from a sexual assault examination performed as part of the investigation of a suspicious death.

3. Kits requested to be processed by persons who are authorized to request the state crime laboratories to conduct a criminal investigation. Under current law, this includes sheriffs, coroners, medical examiners, district attorneys, police chiefs, state prison wardens or superintendents, the attorney general, or the governor.

Who's behind it

22 representatives are its ⁠. 20 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.

11 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 33 names

Authors (22)

Signed on in support (11)

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 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 14 to 0 · Apr 12, 2023

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

Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 14 to 0 · Apr 12, 2023

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

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

Passed, 14 to 0 · Apr 12, 2023

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

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 94 to 0 · Apr 18, 2023 · 5 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (94)

Didn't vote (5)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 0 · Oct 24, 2023

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

What happened

  1. Apr 10, 2024

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  2. Dec 6, 2023

    The new law was published.

  3. Dec 6, 2023

    The governor signed it. It became 2023 Wisconsin Act 58.

  4. Nov 30, 2023

    Sent to the governor.

  5. Nov 7, 2023

    The Senate passed it too.

  6. Nov 6, 2023

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  7. Oct 24, 2023

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.

  8. May 10, 2023

    The committee held a public hearing.

  9. Apr 20, 2023

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  10. Apr 18, 2023

    The Senate received it.

  11. Apr 18, 2023

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  12. Apr 18, 2023

    The Assembly passed it, 94 to 0.

  13. Apr 18, 2023

    The Assembly adopted it.

  14. Apr 13, 2023

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  15. Apr 12, 2023

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  16. Apr 12, 2023

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 14 to 0.

  17. Mar 28, 2023

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. Mar 23, 2023

    The committee held a public hearing.

  19. Feb 27, 2023

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  20. Feb 13, 2023

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

  21. Feb 13, 2023

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Steffen, Allen, Armstrong, Brooks, Cabrera, Donovan, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, Kitchens, Knodl, Macco, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman, Rettinger, Subeck, Tittl and Tusler; cosponsored by Senators James, Ballweg, Cowles, Quinn, Spreitzer and Taylor

  2. Feb 13, 2023 · Assembly

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

  3. Feb 27, 2023 · Assembly

    Representative Andraca added as a coauthor

  4. Mar 9, 2023 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Steffen

  5. Mar 23, 2023 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Mar 23, 2023 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Steffen

  7. Mar 28, 2023 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  8. Mar 28, 2023 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  9. Apr 12, 2023 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  10. Apr 12, 2023 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  11. Apr 12, 2023 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0

  12. Apr 12, 2023 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  13. Apr 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Representative C. Anderson added as a coauthor

  14. Apr 13, 2023 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 4-18-2023 by Committee on Rules

  15. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  16. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  17. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  18. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 94, Noes 0

  21. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Representative Rozar added as a coauthor

  22. Apr 18, 2023 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  23. Apr 18, 2023 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  24. Apr 20, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  25. May 10, 2023 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  26. Oct 24, 2023 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  27. Oct 24, 2023 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  28. Oct 24, 2023 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  29. Nov 3, 2023 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-7-2023 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  30. Nov 6, 2023 · Senate

    Senator Agard added as a cosponsor

  31. Nov 7, 2023 · Senate

    Read a second time

  32. Nov 7, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  33. Nov 7, 2023 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  34. Nov 7, 2023 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  35. Nov 7, 2023 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  36. Nov 7, 2023 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  37. Nov 8, 2023 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 11-8-2023

  38. Nov 30, 2023 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 11-30-2023

  39. Dec 6, 2023 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-6-2023. 2023 Wisconsin Act 58

  40. Dec 6, 2023 · Assembly

    Published 12-7-2023

  41. Apr 10, 2024 · Assembly

    Senator Hesselbein added as a cosponsor

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