Senate Bill 846
Citizenship as a requirement to be employed as a law enforcement officer or tribal law enforcement officer
Topics: Citizenship, Fish and game warden, Indians and tribal issues, Police, Traffic officer
Stopped in committee
It never got a , 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
Jan 15, 2026
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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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 never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs. The committee's chair at the time was Chris Kapenga. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 843. That version died when the session ended.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, no person may be employed as a deputy sheriff of any county or police officer for any city, village, or town unless that person is a citizen of the United States. This citizenship requirement does not apply to state-level law enforcement officers.
This bill provides that no person may be employed as a law enforcement officer or tribal law enforcement officer in this state unless that person is a citizen of the United States. This includes traffic officers of the state traffic patrol, conservation wardens, and other state law enforcement officers.
Who's behind it
2 senators are its . All 2 are Republicans.
8 more lawmakers .
See all 10 names Hide the names
Authors (2)
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (8)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jan 15, 2026
Sent to the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
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Jan 15, 2026
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 15, 2026 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Nass and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Kreibich, O'Connor, Dittrich, Wichgers, Tucker, Piwowarczyk, Behnke and Green
- Jan 15, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs
- 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
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