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Bills from the 2025–26 session

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 29, 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

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 446. 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 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

Authors (8)

Signed on in support (14)

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

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Feb 2, 2026

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

  3. Jan 28, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  4. Nov 20, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  5. Sep 29, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  6. Sep 29, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. 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

  2. Sep 29, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Sep 29, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Sinicki withdrawn as a cosponsor

  4. Nov 20, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Goodwin added as a cosponsor

  5. Jan 28, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  6. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

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

  8. Feb 2, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    LRB correction

  10. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Hutton

  11. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Senator Wirch withdrawn as a coauthor

  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