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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 227

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: the law enforcement officers’ bill of rights.

Civil right Clergy Police

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law contains a law enforcement officers’ bill of rights that protects certain law enforcement officers’ rights relating to their engagement or lack of engagement in political activity, the manner in which they may be subject to interrogation, and their candidacy for public office and provides that a law enforcement officer may not be discharged; disciplined; demoted or denied promotion, transfer, or reassignment; or otherwise discriminated against in regard to employment for exercising such rights. Under current law, this bill of rights applies only to law enforcement officers employed by a city, village, town, or county. This bill applies the law enforcement officers’ bill of rights to any person employed by the state or by a city, village, town, or county for the purpose of detecting and preventing crime and enforcing laws or ordinances, who is authorized to make arrests for violations of the laws or ordinances that he or she is employed to enforce.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Cabral-Guevara (R) , Jacque (R) , James (R) , Marklein (R) , Wanggaard (R)

14 cosponsors

Armstrong (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Brooks (R) , Callahan (R) , Dittrich (R) , Duchow (R) , Goeben (R) , Kaufert (R) , O'Connor (R) , Penterman (R) , Piwowarczyk (R) , Smith (D)

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

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1

Passed 7–1 Nov 11, 2025 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. Apr 29, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators James, Wanggaard, Jacque, Cabral-Guevara and Marklein; cosponsored by Representatives Goeben, Duchow, O'Connor, Armstrong, B. Jacobson, Dittrich, Brill, Brooks, Callahan, Kaufert, Piwowarczyk, Behnke and Penterman

  2. Apr 29, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Nov 11, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  5. Nov 11, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1

  6. Nov 11, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  7. Nov 14, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  8. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  9. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  10. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Senator Smith added as a coauthor

  11. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  12. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  13. Nov 18, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  14. Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  16. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1