Assembly Bill 861
The civil causes of action for human trafficking and trafficking a child
Topics: Children, Court: Procedure, Crime and criminals, Crime victim
Stopped in committee
It never got a , so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Jan 16, 2026
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. The committee's chair at the time was John Spiros. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 849. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a victim of human trafficking or child trafficking who incurs an injury or death as a result of the trafficking may bring a civil cause of action against the person who committed the violation. The victim must commence the civil action within three years of the injury.
Under current law, a person who is injured by an act that would constitute a violation of criminal laws relating to sexual assault of a child or incest with a child may bring a cause of action against the person who caused the injury regardless of whether that person was prosecuted or convicted for the criminal violation. The victim must commence the civil action before he or she reaches the age of 35.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill specifies that a victim of child trafficking may bring a civil action regardless of whether anyone was prosecuted or convicted for the child trafficking violation, and specifies that the victim may commence the civil action any time before he or she reaches the age of 35.
Who's behind it
15 representatives are its . 11 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.
4 more lawmakers .
See all 19 names Hide the names
Authors (15)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Randy Udell · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (4)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin · Democrat, Senate
- Joe Sheehan · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 20, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Jan 16, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Jan 16, 2026
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Mursau, Steffen, Stubbs, Behnke, Dittrich, Gundrum, Kreibich, Murphy, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Sinicki, Udell and Knodl; cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard and Habush Sinykin
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Feb 20, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Sheehan added as a coauthor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
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