Senate Bill 650
Penalty enhancer for crimes committed by a person acting as an agent of a foreign government or terrorist organization with the intent to silence or punish persons for their political view, criminalizing the enforcement of foreign laws without federal or state approval, and providing a penalty. (FE)
Topics: Crime and criminals, International relations, Justice, Department of, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on
Stopped in committee
It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Nov 14, 2025
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It sat with the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 672. That version was vetoed.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law classifies crimes as Class A to I felonies or Class A to C misdemeanors. Current law also provides penalty enhancers if a crime is committed under certain circumstances. Under this bill, a person who commits a crime is guilty of a crime that is one classification level higher than current law provides if the underlying crime is committed by a person acting as an agent of a foreign government or foreign terrorist organization with the intent to harass, intimidate, silence, punish, or otherwise impose the foreign government’s or foreign terrorist organization’s control, preferences, viewpoints, or laws upon a dissident; exile; activist; journalist; political opponent; member of a religious, ethnic, or political minority group; or citizen of another country due to their political view. This is commonly known as transnational repression.
The bill also requires the Department of Justice to do all of the following: 1) develop a training program for law enforcement officers on how to identify and respond to transnational repression; 2) develop best practices on how to prevent transnational repression within local communities; 3) maintain a list of countries and foreign terrorist organizations that perpetrate transnational repression; and 4) develop a public awareness campaign to help individuals identify and report cases of transnational repression.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill also makes it a Class E felony to intentionally engage in the prevention, detection, investigation, monitoring, surveilling, or prosecution of an offense under the law or rule of a foreign government or foreign terrorist organization without the approval of the federal government or a Wisconsin law enforcement agency with jurisdiction. The bill imposes a three-year mandatory minimum term of confinement in prison and a mandatory minimum fine of at least $10,000 for a conviction.
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
5 senators are its . All 5 are Republicans.
13 more lawmakers .
See all 18 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (13)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- Alex Dallman · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Melotik · Republican, Assembly
- Clint Moses · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 10, 2026
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 27, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 22, 2026
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Dec 12, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Nov 14, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
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Nov 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 14, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Testin, Feyen, Jacque, Nass and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Moses, Dallman, Knodl, O'Connor, Penterman, Murphy, Kurtz, Melotik, Green, Behnke, Brill, Piwowarczyk and Callahan
- Nov 14, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs
- Dec 12, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 22, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 27, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 10, 2026 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- 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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. 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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate