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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 923

Creating a civil cause of action for sexual extortion

Topics: Court: Procedure, Crime and criminals, Crime victim, Damage (personal injury), Sex crimes

Became law

The governor signed it on Apr 9, 2026. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 28, 2026

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 95 to 1

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 17, 2026

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2025 Wisconsin Act 215

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 9, 2026: “Published 4-9-2026”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 902. That version died when the session ended.

What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill creates a civil cause of action for victims of sexual extortion, which is also a crime. Under the bill, a victim of sexual extortion, or his or her parent if the victim is a child, or the personal representative of his or her estate if the victim is deceased, may bring a civil cause of action to recover damages for injury, emotional distress, or loss of property. Additionally, the bill provides that the personal representative of a deceased person or the person who would stand to benefit from a wrongful death action may bring an action for wrongful death against a person who engaged in sexual extortion if the sexual extortion was a substantial causal factor in the suicide of the deceased person. Under the bill, the victim or their representative may bring the cause of action regardless of whether there has been a criminal action for the sexual exploitation, and regardless of the outcome of any criminal action for the sexual exploitation.

Under the bill, if the victim prevails in the action, a court may award special and general damages, including damages for emotional distress; punitive damages; and costs, including all reasonable attorney fees and other costs of the investigation and litigation which were reasonably incurred.

Who's behind it

16 representatives are its ⁠. All 16 are Republicans.

10 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 26 names

Authors (16)

Signed on in support (10)

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 1 · Feb 10, 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 5, Noes 1”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 95 to 1 · Feb 19, 2026 · 3 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (95)

No (1)

Didn't vote (3)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 8 to 0 · Mar 3, 2026

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 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 16, 2026

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Apr 9, 2026

    The new law was published.

  2. Apr 9, 2026

    The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 215.

  3. Apr 2, 2026

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 17, 2026

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 17, 2026

    2 more senators signed on in support.

  6. Mar 16, 2026

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

  7. Mar 3, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.

  8. Feb 27, 2026

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  9. Feb 26, 2026

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  10. Feb 23, 2026

    The Senate received it.

  11. Feb 19, 2026

    The Assembly passed it, 95 to 1.

  12. Feb 13, 2026 to Feb 19, 2026

    4 more representatives signed on in support.

  13. Feb 10, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  14. Feb 10, 2026

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 1.

  15. Feb 4, 2026 to Feb 6, 2026

    3 more representatives signed on in support.

  16. Feb 4, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  17. Jan 28, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.

  18. Jan 28, 2026

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 28, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives B. Jacobson, Snyder, Mursau, Behnke, Brill, Dittrich, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Moses, Murphy, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Spiros and Tittl; cosponsored by Senators James, Quinn and Wanggaard

  2. Jan 28, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  5. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Hysell added as a coauthor

  6. Feb 6, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Phelps added as a coauthor

  7. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  8. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 5, Noes 1

  9. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Madison added as a coauthor

  11. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:48 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14

  12. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Representatives Clancy, Hong and Miresse added as coauthors

  13. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  16. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 95, Noes 1

  17. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  18. Feb 23, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  19. Feb 26, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Subeck added as a coauthor

  20. Feb 27, 2026 · Senate

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

  21. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  22. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  23. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  24. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  25. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  26. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senators Ratcliff and Smith added as cosponsors

  27. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  31. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  32. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  33. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2026

  34. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  35. Apr 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-8-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 215

  36. Apr 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 4-9-2026

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

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