Assembly Bill 61
Injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty
Topics: Animal, Crime and criminals: Felony, Fire department, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Police
Became law
The governor signed it on Aug 11, 2025. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Feb 24, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Mar 13, 2025
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Jun 18, 2025
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 28
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2026: “Representative Emerson added as a coauthor”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 64. That version died when the session ended.
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
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, no person may do any of the following to any animal that is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties: frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass the animal; strike, shove, kick, or otherwise subject the animal to physical contact; or strike the animal by using a dangerous weapon. Under current law, any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes injury to the animal is guilty of a Class I felony, and any person who intentionally does any of those actions and causes death of the animal is guilty of a Class H felony. Additionally, for such a violation, a sentencing court must require a criminal violator to pay restitution, including veterinary care expenses or the value of a replacement animal.
This bill increases the penalty for injuring such an animal to a Class H felony and the penalty for causing the death of such an animal to a Class G felony. A Class H felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to six years, or both, and a Class G felony is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.
Read the full summary Show less
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
23 representatives are its . 20 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats.
14 more lawmakers .
See all 37 names Hide the names
Authors (23)
- Deb Andraca · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Vinnie Miresse · Democrat, Assembly
- Amanda Nedweski · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (14)
- Anderson and Stubbs
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Joan Fitzgerald · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Habush Sinykin · Democrat, Senate
- LaTonya Johnson · Democrat, Senate
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Maureen McCarville · Democrat, Assembly
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Ratcliff and Keyeski
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 15 to 0 · Mar 11, 2025
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 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 1 · Jun 5, 2025
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 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Jan 23, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026
4 more representatives signed on in support.
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Aug 11, 2025
The new law was published.
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Aug 11, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 28.
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Aug 7, 2025
Sent to the governor.
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Jun 18, 2025
The Senate passed it too.
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Jun 18, 2025
2 more senators signed on in support.
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Jun 5, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 1.
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May 7, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Apr 1, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Mar 14, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Mar 13, 2025
The Senate received it.
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Mar 13, 2025
The Assembly passed it.
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Mar 13, 2025
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Mar 11, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 15 to 0.
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Mar 7, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Mar 5, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Mar 4, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 24, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Feb 24, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 24, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Nedweski, Dittrich, Piwowarczyk, Andraca, Armstrong, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Donovan, Goeben, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kaufert, Kitchens, Kreibich, Maxey, Miresse, O'Connor, Penterman, Sinicki, Steffen, Tittl and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Carpenter, L. Johnson, Marklein and Nass
- Feb 24, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Mar 4, 2025 · Assembly
Representative McCarville added as a coauthor
- Mar 5, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Mar 7, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Fitzgerald added as a coauthor
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 15, Noes 0
- Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to calendar of 3-13-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Representatives Anderson and Stubbs added as coauthors
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 13, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Mar 14, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Apr 1, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- May 7, 2025 · Senate
Senator Habush Sinykin added as a cosponsor
- Jun 4, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Jun 5, 2025 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Jun 5, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Jun 17, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 6-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Jun 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 19, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Jun 19, 2025 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 6-19-2025
- Aug 7, 2025 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 8-7-2025
- Aug 11, 2025 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 8-8-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 28
- Aug 11, 2025 · Assembly
Published 8-9-2025
- Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Doyle added as a coauthor
- Mar 6, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Brown added as a coauthor
- Mar 10, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Billings added as a coauthor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Emerson added as a coauthor
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
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote