Assembly Bill 912
An audiovisual recording of a child’s statement admitted as evidence
Topics: Children, Data processing, Evidence, Youth
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. 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 26, 2026
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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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 ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 884. That version became law.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
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 would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, in any criminal trial or hearing, juvenile fact-finding hearing regarding a child alleged to be in need of protection or services, or a hearing regarding the revocation of probation or parole, a court or hearing examiner may admit into evidence the audiovisual recording of an oral statement of a child who is available to testify. Before admitting the recorded statement as evidence, the court or hearing examiner must conduct a hearing on the statement’s admissibility and rule on any objections to its admissibility.
Under current law, the court or hearing examiner must admit the recorded statement if the trial or hearing in which the statement is offered commences before the child’s 12th birthday or commences before the child’s 16th birthday and the interests of justice warrant its admission; the recording is accurate; the child’s statement was made upon oath or affirmation; the time, content, and circumstances of the statement provide an indication of its trustworthiness; and admission of the statement will not unfairly surprise any party or deprive any party of a fair opportunity to meet allegations made in the statement.
Read the full summary Show less
Finally, current law requires the court or hearing examiner to consider a number of factors to determine whether the interests of justice warrant the admission of an audiovisual recording of a statement of a child who is at least 12 years of age but younger than 16 years of age. The factors include the child’s chronological age and level of development, general physical and mental health, and capacity to comprehend the significance of the events being addressed by the court or hearing examiner.
Under this bill, the court or hearing examiner may admit into evidence the audiovisual recording of an oral statement of a child who is available to testify if the recording was made before the child’s 12th birthday or made before the child’s 18th birthday and the interests of justice warrant its admission. The draft also requires the court or hearing examiner to consider the factors under current law to determine whether the interests of justice warrant the admission of the recorded statement of a child who is at least 12 years of age but younger than 18 years of age.
Who's behind it
10 representatives are its . 8 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.
6 more lawmakers .
See all 16 names Hide the names
Authors (10)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Amaad Rivera-Wagner · Democrat, Assembly
- Ryan Spaude · Democrat, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (6)
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Ratcliff · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Jamie Wall · Democrat, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it
Passed, 8 to 0 · Feb 4, 2026
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 Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 18, 2026 to Feb 26, 2026
2 more representatives and 1 senator signed on in support.
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Feb 4, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 4, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.
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Jan 29, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 29, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 26, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.
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Jan 26, 2026
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 26, 2026 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Franklin, Behnke, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Murphy, O'Connor, Rivera-Wagner, Spaude and Steffen; cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Wall
- Jan 26, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Kitchens added as a coauthor
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Senator Ratcliff added as a cosponsor
- Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 11:45 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Feb 26, 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.
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
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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote