Senate Bill 5
Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty
Topics: Crime and criminals: Battery, Crime and criminals: Felony, Judge, Jury, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on
Became law
The governor signed it on Aug 11, 2025. It's .
-
Introduced, passed
Jan 24, 2025
-
Committee, passed
Approved
-
Senate vote, passed
Passed 28 to 4
-
Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jun 24, 2025
-
Governor, passed
Signed
-
Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 26
Latest entry in the official record, Jan 23, 2026: “Representative Doyle added as a cosponsor”
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 26. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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 does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the crime of battery is defined as intentionally causing another person bodily harm and is a Class A misdemeanor. Under current law, if the battery is a special circumstance battery—for example, the battery is committed against an individual because of the individual’s status as a law enforcement officer, witness in a trial, or juror—the penalty is increased to a Class H felony. Under this bill, a threat or battery against a juror or a threat or battery against a family member of a juror is a Class H felony.
Current law also allows a judge, upon sentencing a person for a crime, to prohibit the person from contacting a victim of or witness to the person’s crime during any part of the person’s sentence or probation. The bill allows a judge to prohibit a person who is convicted of a crime from contacting, for any part of the person’s sentence or probation, a juror who served at any proceeding related to the person’s crime.
Read the full summary Show less
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
3 senators are its . All 3 are Republicans.
16 more lawmakers .
See all 19 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
- Eric Wimberger · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (16)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Ben Franklin · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Amanda Nedweski · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
- Shannon Zimmerman · Republican, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 3 · Mar 14, 2025
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
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 28 to 4 · Mar 18, 2025 · 1 didn't vote
See how each of the 33 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (28)
- André Jacque (R, 1)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
- Brad Pfaff (D, 32)
- Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
- Cory Tomczyk (R, 29)
- Dan Feyen (R, 20)
- Devin LeMahieu (R, 9)
- Dianne Hesselbein (D, 27)
- Eric Wimberger (R, 2)
- Howard Marklein (R, 17)
- Jamie Wall (D, 30)
- Jeff Smith (D, 31)
- Jesse James (R, 23)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin (D, 8)
- John Jagler (R, 13)
- Julian Bradley (R, 28)
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D, 18)
- LaTonya Johnson (D, 6)
- Mary Felzkowski (R, 12)
- Melissa Ratcliff (D, 16)
- Patrick Testin (R, 24)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R, 19)
- Rob Hutton (R, 5)
- Romaine Quinn (R, 25)
- Sarah Keyeski (D, 14)
- Steve Nass (R, 11)
- Tim Carpenter (D, 3)
- Van Wanggaard (R, 21)
No (4)
- Chris Larson (D, 7)
- Dora Drake (D, 4)
- Mark Spreitzer (D, 15)
- Rob Stafsholt (R, 10)
Didn't vote (1)
- Kelda Roys (D, 26)
Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
-
Jan 23, 2026
1 more representative signed on in support.
-
Aug 11, 2025
The new law was published.
-
Aug 11, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 26.
-
Aug 7, 2025
Sent to the governor.
-
Jun 24, 2025
The Assembly passed it too.
-
May 27, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
-
Mar 19, 2025
The Assembly received it.
-
Mar 18, 2025
The Senate passed it, 28 to 4.
-
Mar 14, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.
-
Feb 18, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
-
Jan 24, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
-
Jan 24, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 24, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Nass and Wimberger; cosponsored by Representatives Sortwell, Behnke, Dittrich, Donovan, Franklin, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, Novak, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Wichgers, Zimmerman and Subeck
- Jan 24, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Feb 18, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Mar 13, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 14, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3
- Mar 14, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 14, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 18, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 18, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 28, Noes 4
- Mar 18, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 19, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- May 27, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 20, 2025 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 6-24-2025
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 24, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Jun 30, 2025 · Senate
LRB correction
- Jun 30, 2025 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Aug 7, 2025 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 8-7-2025
- Aug 11, 2025 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 8-8-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 26
- Aug 11, 2025 · Senate
Published 8-9-2025
- Jan 23, 2026 · Senate
Representative Doyle added as a cosponsor
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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