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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 265

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty.

Children Crime and criminals Crime and criminals — Felony Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on Sentences and penalties Septic tank

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill increases the penalty for human trafficking from a Class D felony to a Class C felony, increases the penalty for trafficking a child from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, and creates a mandatory minimum term of confinement in prison of 10 years for human trafficking and 15 years for trafficking a child.

Under current law, a Class D felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 25 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 15 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 10 years; a Class C felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 40 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 25 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 15 years; and a Class B felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 40 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 20 years. Under current law, there is no mandatory minimum term of confinement for human trafficking or trafficking of a child.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

Sponsors

Introduced by: B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Dittrich (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Moses (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Snyder (R) , Steffen (R) , VanderMeer (R) , Wittke (R)

3 cosponsors

Duchow (R) , Stubbs and Subeck , Wanggaard (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 4

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

Passed 13–0 Oct 8, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

Passed 13–0 Oct 8, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Nov 14, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 18–15 Nov 18, 2025 official source full page

Full history

  1. May 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Wittke, O'Connor, B. Jacobson, Snyder, VanderMeer, Steffen, Moses, Penterman, Dittrich, Murphy, Knodl, Behnke, Piwowarczyk, Mursau and Kreibich; cosponsored by Senator Wanggaard

  2. May 19, 2025 · Assembly

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

  3. Sep 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wittke

  4. Sep 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Duchow added as a coauthor

  5. Sep 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Oct 1, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  8. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  9. Oct 8, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Oct 9, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 by Committee on Rules

  11. Oct 13, 2025 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  12. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Representatives Stubbs and Subeck added as coauthors

  13. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  15. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  16. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  17. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  18. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  20. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  21. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  22. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  23. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators L. Johnson, Hesselbein, Smith, Spreitzer, Drake, Roys, Wirch, Carpenter, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Habush Sinykin, Keyeski, Dassler-Alfheim, Wall and Larson

  25. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  26. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken

  27. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  28. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  30. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  31. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  33. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 11-19-2025

  34. Dec 4, 2025 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 12-4-2025

  35. Dec 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 12-9-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 56

  36. Dec 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Published 12-10-2025