Assembly Bill 731
Prohibiting sending unsolicited obscene or sexually explicit images by electronic means, establishing a private civil cause of action for sending unsolicited obscene or sexually explicit images by electronic means, and providing a penalty
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
Dec 6, 2023
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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 15, 2024: “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.
This bill establishes a penalty for knowingly sending an unsolicited obscene or sexually explicit image by electronic means, specifically any image depicting a person engaging in an act of sexual intercourse or masturbation or depicting the exposed genitals or anus of any person. Under the bill, a person who violates this prohibition is subject to a forfeiture not to exceed $250 for a first violation, and a forfeiture not to exceed $500 for any subsequent violation. If the person is under 18 years of age, however, the person is subject to a written warning for a first violation, and for any subsequent violation before the person is 18 years of age, a forfeiture not to exceed $250.
The bill also establishes a private cause of action against a person who knowingly sends by electronic means an image depicting a person engaging in an act of sexual intercourse or masturbation or depicting the exposed genitals or anus of any person that the person who sends the image knows or reasonably should know is unsolicited.
Read the full summary Show less
Neither the prohibition resulting in a forfeiture nor the private civil action established under the bill applies to 1) an Internet service provider, mobile data provider, or operator of an online or mobile application, to the extent that the entity is transmitting, routing, or providing connections for electronic communications initiated by or at the direction of another person; 2) any service that transmits images or audiovisual works, including an on-demand, subscription, or advertising-supported service; or 3) a health care provider transmitting an image for a legitimate medical purpose.
Who's behind it
15 lawmakers are its . All 15 are Democrats.
9 more lawmakers .
See all 24 names Hide the names
Authors (15)
- Sue Conley · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- Dora Drake · Democrat, Senate
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Alex Joers · Democrat, Assembly
- Darrin Madison · Democrat, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Katrina Shankland · Democrat, Assembly
- Kristina Shelton · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (9)
- Melissa Agard · Democrat, Senate
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Kelda Roys · Democrat, Senate
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
What happened
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Apr 15, 2024
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Dec 7, 2023
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Dec 6, 2023
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Dec 6, 2023
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Dec 6, 2023 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Snodgrass, Shelton, J. Anderson, Conley, Considine, Drake, Emerson, Joers, Madison, Ohnstad, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Shankland, Sinicki and Stubbs; cosponsored by Senators Agard, Roys, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Larson, Pfaff, Smith and Taylor
- Dec 6, 2023 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Dec 7, 2023 · Assembly
Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
- Apr 15, 2024 · 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