Assembly Bill 978
Creation of a Human Trafficking Council and requiring the establishment of county sex trafficking task forces. (FE)
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 28, 2024. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Jan 19, 2024
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 20, 2024
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Mar 12, 2024
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2023 Wisconsin Act 239
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 28, 2024: “Published 3-28-2024”
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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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill creates a Human Trafficking Council attached to the Department of Justice. Under the bill, the council consists of the following members: the secretary or a designee of the Departments of Children and Families, Public Instruction, and Transportation; the state public defender, or his or her designee; one district attorney; one chief of police; two sheriffs; four representatives of organizations that provide human trafficking victim support services; one representative of the Office of Crime Victim Services; and one representative of the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces.
The duties of the Human Trafficking Council are to compile an inventory of human trafficking prevention programs and services and maintain an online database to share information about human trafficking; review and assess the efficacy of the expenditure of state funds for human trafficking prevention; compile and analyze data about human trafficking arrests and prosecutions; assess sex trafficking activities in each county, track averages across counties, and determine whether a county is experiencing above-average sex trafficking activities; assess the regulation and oversight of facilities that provide residential care in a congregate living environment; assess the use of social media platforms for human trafficking purposes in the state and develop recommendations on how to stop, reduce, or prevent such use; develop a state strategic plan for reducing human trafficking generally; and develop various protocols and training programs relating to human trafficking.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill requires any county that is determined by the Human Trafficking Council to be experiencing above-average sex trafficking activities to establish a sex trafficking task force to combat sex trafficking in that county. The bill also requires each law enforcement agency in a political subdivision with a population of 10,000 or more to designate an officer to coordinate the agency's human trafficking prevention and enforcement efforts and requires that designated officer to complete training that must be established by the Law Enforcement Standards Board relating to human trafficking prevention and enforcement.
Who's behind it
13 representatives are its . All 13 are Republicans.
5 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (13)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Karen Hurd · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Johnson · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (5)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
- Eric Wimberger · Republican, Senate
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 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 10 to 5 · Feb 7, 2024
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 5”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 11, 2024
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 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 28, 2024
The new law was published.
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Mar 28, 2024
The governor signed it. It became 2023 Wisconsin Act 239.
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Mar 21, 2024
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 12, 2024
The Senate passed it too.
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Mar 11, 2024
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)
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Mar 6, 2024
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Feb 22, 2024
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 21, 2024
The Senate received it.
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Feb 20, 2024
The Assembly passed it.
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Feb 20, 2024
The Assembly adopted it.
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Feb 7, 2024
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 7, 2024
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 5.
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Feb 7, 2024
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 29, 2024
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 25, 2024
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 24, 2024
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 23, 2024
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 22, 2024
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Jan 19, 2024
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Jan 19, 2024
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 19, 2024 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives O'Connor, Plumer, S. Johnson, Maxey, Gundrum, Mursau, Kitchens, Callahan, Dittrich, Behnke, Edming, Schraa and Hurd; cosponsored by Senators Wimberger, Knodl and Tomczyk
- Jan 19, 2024 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Jan 22, 2024 · Assembly
Senator Jacque added as a cosponsor
- Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 24, 2024 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly
Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor
- Jan 29, 2024 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 1, 2024 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 1, 2024 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative O'Connor
- Feb 7, 2024 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Feb 7, 2024 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 5
- Feb 7, 2024 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 13, 2024 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 2-15-2024 by Committee on Rules
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative O'Connor
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 adopted
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 21, 2024 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 22, 2024 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 6, 2024 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Mar 6, 2024 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 11, 2024 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 11, 2024 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-12-2024 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 12, 2024 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 12, 2024 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 12, 2024 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 12, 2024 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 12, 2024 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 12, 2024 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 15, 2024 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-15-2024
- Mar 21, 2024 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 3-21-2024
- Mar 28, 2024 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-27-2024. 2023 Wisconsin Act 239
- Mar 28, 2024 · Assembly
Published 3-28-2024
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
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote