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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 716

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: considering post-traumatic stress disorder as a mitigating factor in sentencing certain criminal offenders. (FE)

Court Court — Fee Mental health Sentences and penalties Septic tank Veteran

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, when a court makes a sentencing decision concerning a person convicted of a criminal offense, the court must consider the protection of the public, the gravity of the offense, the rehabilitative needs of the defendant, and any applicable mitigating factors or aggravating factors to the crime. This bill creates a new mitigating factor. Under this bill, when a court makes a sentencing decision concerning a person who is a military veteran and has been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the person’s military service, the court may consider that diagnosis as a mitigating factor.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Carpenter (D) , Drake (D) , Habush Sinykin (D) , Hesselbein (D) , L. Johnson (D) , Larson (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Smith (D) , Spreitzer (D)

18 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Arney (D) , Bare (D) , Joers (D) , Kaufert (R) , McCarville (D) , Miresse (D) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Neubauer (D) , Palmeri (D) , Rivera-Wagner (D) , Roe (D) , Sinicki (D) , Stroud (D) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Tenorio (D) , Udell (D)

Registered lobbying interests · 1

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Full history

  1. Dec 2, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Hesselbein, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Ratcliff, L. Johnson, Smith, Carpenter, Larson and Spreitzer; cosponsored by Representatives Sinicki, Rivera-Wagner, Tenorio, Miresse, Joers, Subeck, Palmeri, Stubbs, Udell, Roe, McCarville, Bare, Arney, Kaufert, Neubauer and Stroud

  2. Dec 2, 2025 · Senate

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

  3. Jan 26, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor

  4. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Moore Omokunde added as a cosponsor

  5. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1