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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 265

Human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty

Topics: Children, Crime and criminals, Crime and criminals: Felony, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Sentences and penalties

Became law

The governor signed it on Dec 10, 2025. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 19, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 14, 2025

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Nov 18, 2025

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2025 Wisconsin Act 56

Latest entry in the official record, Dec 10, 2025: “Published 12-10-2025”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 266. That version died when the session ended.

What it does

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

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.

Read the full summary

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.

Who's behind it

15 representatives are its ⁠. All 15 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 18 names

Authors (15)

Signed on in support (3)

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 4 votes on this bill.

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

Passed, 13 to 0 · Oct 8, 2025

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

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

Passed, 13 to 0 · Oct 8, 2025

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

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Nov 14, 2025

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

Senate vote

Passed, 18 to 15 · Nov 18, 2025

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Dec 10, 2025

    The new law was published.

  2. Dec 10, 2025

    The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 56.

  3. Dec 4, 2025

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Nov 18, 2025

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Nov 18, 2025

    “Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken” (the official wording)

  6. Nov 14, 2025

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

  7. Oct 15, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  8. Oct 15, 2025

    The Senate received it.

  9. Oct 14, 2025

    The Assembly passed it.

  10. Oct 14, 2025

    The Assembly adopted it.

  11. Oct 14, 2025

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  12. Oct 8, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  13. Oct 8, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 0.

  14. Sep 10, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Sep 10, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  16. May 19, 2025

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

  17. May 19, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  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

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

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary