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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 89

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: theft crimes and providing a penalty. (FE)

Court — Procedure Crime and criminals Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on

  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, the penalty for the crime of property theft varies by the value of the property taken. The penalty ranges from a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the property is not more than $2,500 to a Class F felony if the value of the property exceeds $100,000. Similarly, the penalty for the crime of retail theft varies by the value of the merchandise or service that is taken. The penalty ranges from a Class A misdemeanor if the value is not more than $500 to a Class G felony if the value exceeds $10,000.

This bill specifies that, if, in a six-month period, a defendant commits more than one violation of property theft or more than one violation of retail theft, the value of items taken at each violation may be aggregated and the crimes may be prosecuted as one property theft crime or one retail theft crime. The penalty for the crime would be determined by the aggregated value of the items taken.

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) , B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Donovan (R) , Franklin (R) , Goeben (R) , Gundrum (R) , Gustafson (R) , Kaufert (R) , Knodl (R) , Krug (R) , Maxey (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Tusler (R) , Wichgers (R) , Wittke (R)

5 cosponsors

Cabral-Guevara (R) , Hutton (R) , Jacque (R) , Nass (R) , Tomczyk (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 21

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 2

Passed 13–2 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.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 1

Passed 14–1 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.

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 71–26 Mar 13, 2025 official source full page

Aye · 71

Not voting · 2

Senate: Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

Passed 5–3 Oct 22, 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 as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

Passed 5–3 Oct 22, 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: CONCURRENCE

Passed 27–6 Nov 18, 2025 official source full page

Full history

  1. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Penterman, Allen, Behnke, Donovan, Franklin, Goeben, Gundrum, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Piwowarczyk, Tusler, Wichgers, Wittke, Krug, Mursau and Kaufert; cosponsored by Senators Jacque, Hutton, Nass and Tomczyk

  2. Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly

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

  3. Mar 5, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Mar 10, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Penterman

  5. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 2

  7. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 1

  8. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

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

  9. Mar 11, 2025 · Assembly

    Senator Cabral-Guevara added as a cosponsor

  10. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  11. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 71, Noes 26

  16. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Mar 13, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  18. Mar 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  19. Mar 14, 2025 · Senate

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

  20. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  21. Oct 3, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  22. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  23. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  24. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  25. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

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

  27. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

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

  28. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 offered by Senator Jacque

  29. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  30. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  31. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 2 adopted

  32. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  33. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  34. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended, Ayes 27, Noes 6

  35. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  36. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate amended and concurred in as amended (Senate amendments 1 and 2 adopted)

  37. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Senate Amendment 1 concurred in

  38. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Senate Amendment 2 concurred in

  39. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  40. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1)

  41. Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 1-14-2026

  42. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2026

  43. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-20-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 106

  44. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 3-21-2026