Senate Bill 161
A presumption that equalizing physical placement to the highest degree is in the child’s best interest
Topics: Court: Procedure, Divorce, Family: Support
Stopped in committee
It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. 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
Mar 27, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly 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 ”
It sat with the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 151. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a court must set a physical placement schedule in an action affecting the family that allows a child to have regularly occurring, meaningful periods of physical placement and that maximizes the amount of time for a child with each parent and that is based on the best interest of the child. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in Landwehr v. Landwehr , 2006 WI 64, 291 Wis. 2d 49, 715 N.W.2d 180, has stated that this standard does not require equal placement for a child with both parents.
This bill removes the current standard for determining a physical placement schedule and instead creates a presumption that equal placement of a child with both parents is in the child’s best interest. The presumption is rebutted if a court finds by a preponderance of the evidence, after considering all of the statutory best-interest factors, that equalizing physical placement time between parents would not be in a child’s best interest.
Who's behind it
Eric Wimberger, a Republican, is its .
10 more lawmakers .
See all 11 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Eric Wimberger · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (10)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Alex Dallman · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Oct 8, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Mar 27, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
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Mar 27, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Mar 27, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Wimberger; cosponsored by Representatives Mursau, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Dallman, Knodl, Kreibich, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk and Steffen
- Mar 27, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families
- Oct 8, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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