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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AJR 10

Adopted Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: the freedom to gather in places of worship during a state of emergency (second consideration).

Constitutional amendments — Second consideration Governor Legislature Municipality Public health Religious societies

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Adopted, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

EXPLANATION OF PROPOSAL

This proposed constitutional amendment, to be given second consideration by the 2025 legislature for submittal to the voters in November 2026, was first considered by the 2023 legislature in 2023 Senate Joint Resolution 54, which became 2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 11.

This constitutional amendment provides that the state or a political subdivision of the state may not order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health.

PROCEDURE FOR SECOND CONSIDERATION

When a proposed constitutional amendment is before the legislature on second consideration, any change in the text approved by the preceding legislature causes the proposed constitutional amendment to revert to first consideration status so that second consideration approval would have to be given by the next legislature before the proposal may be submitted to the people for ratification [see joint rule 57 (2)].

If the legislature approves a proposed constitutional amendment on second consideration, it must also set the date for submitting the proposed constitutional amendment to the people for ratification and must determine the question or questions to appear on the ballot.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Allen (R) , Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Brooks (R) , Callahan (R) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Franklin (R) , Goeben (R) , Green (R) , Gundrum (R) , Gustafson (R) , Hurd (R) , Knodl (R) , Kreibich (R) , Maxey (R) , Murphy (R) , Nedweski (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Tittl (R) , Tusler (R) , Wichgers (R)

9 cosponsors

Bradley (R) , Cabral-Guevara (R) , Felzkowski (R) , James (R) , Kapenga (R) , Nass (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Quinn (R) , Tomczyk (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 4

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 adoption recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 5, Noes 1

Passed 5–1 May 29, 2025 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: ADOPTION

Passed 56–43 Jan 13, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 56

Nay · 43

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

Passed 3–2 Jan 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. Feb 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Tusler, Green, Allen, Armstrong, Behnke, Brill, Brooks, Callahan, Dittrich, Donovan, Franklin, Goeben, Gundrum, Gustafson, Hurd, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Murphy, Nedweski, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Tittl and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Nass, Bradley, Cabral-Guevara, Felzkowski, James, Kapenga and Quinn

  2. Feb 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary

  3. May 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. May 20, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Ortiz-Velez

  5. May 21, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. May 29, 2025 · Assembly

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

  7. May 29, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Jan 8, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 1-13-2026 by Committee on Rules

  9. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  10. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Adopted, Ayes 56, Noes 43

  11. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  12. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  13. Jan 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  15. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  16. Jan 14, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  17. Jan 15, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  18. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

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

  19. Jan 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 1-21-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  20. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  21. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  22. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give joint resolution its third reading

  23. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  24. Jan 21, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  25. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  26. Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 1-23-2026

  27. Jan 27, 2026 · Assembly

    Deposited in the office of the Secretary of State on 1-27-2026

  28. May 26, 2026 · Assembly

    Published 5-26-2026. Enrolled Joint Resolution 10