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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 86

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: imposing the penalty of life imprisonment for the crime of child trafficking and providing a penalty. (FE)

Crime and criminals Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on Sentences and penalties

  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

Under current law, a person who is convicted of the crime of trafficking a child, or who knowingly benefits from the crime of trafficking a child, is guilty of a Class C felony. This bill increases the penalty to a Class A felony if the crime involved at least three victims who were children at the time the crime was committed. A Class A felony carries a penalty of life imprisonment.

Under current law, the court must impose a bifurcated sentence on a person who is being sentenced for a felony that was committed on or after December 31, 1999. A bifurcated sentence is a sentence that comprises a term of confinement in prison followed by a term of extended supervision in the community. Under current law, a court that sentences a person who has been convicted of a Class A felony committed on or after December 31, 1999, must determine one of the following: 1) the person is eligible for release to extended supervision after serving a 20-year term of confinement in prison; 2) the person is eligible for release to extended supervision on a certain date that is after the person serves a 20-year term of confinement in prison; or 3) the person is not eligible for release to extended supervision. Under this bill, a person is not eligible for release to extended supervision if the person is convicted of a Class A felony violation of trafficking 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.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Behnke (R) , Goeben (R) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Sortwell (R) , Wichgers (R)

3 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Jacque (R) , Smith (D)

Registered lobbying interests · 5

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 passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 4, Noes 0

Passed 4–0 Mar 11, 2025 official source full page

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

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 6, Noes 1

Passed 6–1 Apr 15, 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 Mar 16, 2026 official source full page

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

Full history

  1. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Sortwell, Allen, Behnke, Goeben, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, Mursau and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senator Jacque

  2. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. Mar 4, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 4, Noes 0

  6. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to calendar of 3-13-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)

  7. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  8. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  9. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  10. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  11. Mar 13, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  12. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Anderson added as a coauthor

  13. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  14. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  15. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  16. Mar 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  17. Apr 9, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  18. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  19. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 6, Noes 1

  20. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  21. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  22. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  23. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  27. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  30. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  31. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  32. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-25-2026

  33. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  34. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 187

  35. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-4-2026