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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 25

Court-issued criminal complaints in officer-involved deaths

Topics: Court: Procedure, Death, District attorney, Evidence, Police

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Nov 3, 2025. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 5, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 19 to 13

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 14, 2025

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Nov 3, 2025.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 13, 2026: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 34. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a district attorney has the discretion as to whether or not to issue a complaint to charge a person with a crime. Current law also provides that, if a district attorney refuses to issue a complaint against a person, a judge may conduct a hearing to determine if there is probable cause to believe that the person committed a crime and, if so, issue a complaint.

Under this bill, when there is an officer-involved death, which is a death that results directly from an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer, and the district attorney determined there was no basis to prosecute the officer, a court may not issue a complaint against the involved officer unless there is new or unused evidence presented.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its ⁠. All 7 are Republicans.

17 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 24 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (17)

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Senate vote

Failed, 4 to 4 · Feb 18, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage without recommendation, pursuant to Senate Rule 27 (4)(a), by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 19 to 13 · Mar 18, 2025 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 13, 2026

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Nov 3, 2025

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Oct 30, 2025

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Oct 14, 2025

    The Assembly passed it too.

  5. May 27, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  6. Apr 24, 2025 to May 20, 2025

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  7. Mar 19, 2025

    The Assembly received it.

  8. Mar 18, 2025

    The Senate passed it, 19 to 13.

  9. Feb 18, 2025

    “Report passage without recommendation, pursuant to Senate Rule 27 (4)(a), by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 4” (the official wording)

  10. Feb 18, 2025

    The committee voted on it.

  11. Feb 10, 2025

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  12. Feb 6, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  13. Feb 5, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  14. Feb 5, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  15. Feb 5, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 5, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Hutton, Bradley, Wanggaard, Feyen, Nass, Tomczyk and Testin; cosponsored by Representatives Moses, Duchow, Dittrich, Piwowarczyk, Armstrong, Brooks, Donovan, B. Jacobson, Penterman, Murphy, Tucker, Wichgers and Behnke

  2. Feb 5, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Feb 5, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Swearingen added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 6, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 10, 2025 · Senate

    Senator James added as a coauthor

  6. Feb 18, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 18, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage without recommendation, pursuant to Senate Rule 27 (4)(a), by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 4, Noes 4

  8. Feb 18, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Mar 14, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Mar 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  11. Mar 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. Mar 18, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  13. Mar 18, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 19, Noes 13

  14. Mar 18, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. Mar 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  16. Apr 24, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Maxey added as a cosponsor

  17. May 20, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative O'Connor added as a cosponsor

  18. May 27, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  19. Oct 9, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 by Committee on Rules

  20. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  21. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  22. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  24. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  25. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  27. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  28. Oct 30, 2025 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 10-30-2025

  29. Nov 3, 2025 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 10-31-2025

  30. May 12, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  31. May 13, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary