Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 923

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: creating a civil cause of action for sexual extortion.

Court — Procedure Crime and criminals Crime victim Damage personal injury Sex crimes Shared revenue

  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

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.

Sponsors

Introduced by: B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Dittrich (R) , Gundrum (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Maxey (R) , Moses (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Snyder (R) , Spiros (R) , Tittl (R)

10 cosponsors

Clancy, Hong and Miresse , Hysell (D) , James (R) , Madison (D) , Phelps (D) , Quinn (R) , Ratcliff and Smith , Steffen (R) , Subeck (D) , Wanggaard (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 1

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 5, Noes 1

Passed 5–1 Feb 10, 2026 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 95–1 Feb 19, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 95

Nay · 1

Not voting · 3

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

Passed 8–0 Mar 3, 2026 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. 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