Senate Bill 445
Consideration of a certain definition of antisemitism for purposes of laws, ordinances, policies, or criminal penalty enhancers concerning discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin
Topics: Discrimination, Municipality, State agencies
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.
-
Introduced, passed
Sep 29, 2025
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
-
Assembly vote, not reached
-
Governor, not reached
-
Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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 446. That version became law.
Terms on this page
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. 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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill provides that each state agency or other body in state government, each local governmental unit, and each employee or official of the state or a local governmental unit must consider the definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, including its examples, when evaluating evidence of discriminatory intent for any law, ordinance, or policy in Wisconsin that prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin or that provides for enhanced criminal penalties for criminal offenses when the defendant intentionally selects the victim or group of victims or selects the property that is damaged or otherwise affected by the crime because of the victim's or group of victims' actual or perceived race, religion, color, or national origin. The bill specifies that nothing in the bill may be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution or to conflict with federal or state antidiscrimination laws.
Who's behind it
8 senators are its . 5 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats.
14 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (8)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara · Republican, Senate
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Rob Hutton · Republican, Senate
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
- Jamie Wall · Democrat, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (14)
- Alex Dallman · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
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 was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 3 · Feb 2, 2026
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
-
Feb 2, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.
-
Jan 28, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Nov 20, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
-
Sep 29, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
-
Sep 29, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Sep 29, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Hutton, Cabral-Guevara, Hesselbein, James, Pfaff, Testin, Wall, Wanggaard and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Tusler, Dallman, Dittrich, Donovan, Emerson, Gundrum, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Sinicki, Subeck and Wichgers
- Sep 29, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Sep 29, 2025 · Senate
Representative Sinicki withdrawn as a cosponsor
- Nov 20, 2025 · Senate
Representative Goodwin added as a cosponsor
- Jan 28, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 2, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 2, 2026 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3
- Feb 2, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 17, 2026 · Senate
LRB correction
- Feb 18, 2026 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Hutton
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Senator Wirch withdrawn as a coauthor
- 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.
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
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