Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: the law enforcement officers’ bill of rights.
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- 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)
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 pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- 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
- Apr 29, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Sep 17, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Nov 11, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Nov 11, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 1
- Nov 11, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Nov 14, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Senator Smith added as a coauthor
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Nov 18, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Nov 19, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Jan 16, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1