Skip to content
Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 266

Human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty

Topics: Children, Crime and criminals, Crime and criminals: Felony, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 20, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

Embed this on your site

Paste this code into your page. The card shows the latest record each time it loads. Preview the card

The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 265. That version became law.

What it would have done

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

This bill increases the penalty for human trafficking from a Class D felony to a Class C felony, increases the penalty for trafficking a child from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, and creates a mandatory minimum term of confinement in prison of 10 years for human trafficking and 15 years for trafficking a child.

Under current law, a Class D felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 25 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 15 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 10 years; a Class C felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 40 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 25 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 15 years; and a Class B felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 40 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 20 years. Under current law, there is no mandatory minimum term of confinement for human trafficking or trafficking of a child.

Read the full summary

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

Who's behind it

Van Wanggaard, a Republican, is its ⁠.

17 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 18 names

Author (1)

Signed on in support (17)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 3 · Oct 22, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 3 · Oct 22, 2025

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

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Oct 22, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.

  3. Oct 22, 2025

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3” (the official wording)

  4. Oct 15, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  5. Sep 17, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  6. Sep 10, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  7. May 20, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  8. May 20, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. May 20, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Wittke, O'Connor, B. Jacobson, Snyder, VanderMeer, Steffen, Moses, Penterman, Dittrich, Murphy, Knodl, Behnke, Piwowarczyk, Mursau and Kreibich

  2. May 20, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Sep 10, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Duchow added as a cosponsor

  4. Sep 15, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Wanggaard

  5. Sep 17, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    LRB correction

  7. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor

  8. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  9. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  10. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  11. Oct 22, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  12. 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.

More in the glossary

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

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

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

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

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote