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Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 864

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: courtroom supports for and sealing the identifying information of child victims and child witnesses of human trafficking crimes. (FE)

Children — Protection and services Court Court — Fee Crime and criminals Crime victim Privacy Witness

  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

Current law provides certain additional rights and protections to victims and witnesses during their involvement with the criminal justice or juvenile justice system.

This bill provides that child victims or child witnesses of human trafficking crimes must be provided any courtroom supports that the court finds necessary to support the health, safety, or liberty of the child and determines are in the interest of justice.

The bill also provides that in any criminal proceeding for a human trafficking violation or civil action for injury due to human trafficking, a child victim’s or child witness’s identifying information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the public unless the court orders the disclosure to be made after a hearing in which the court takes into consideration the health, safety, and liberty of the child and determines that the disclosure is in the interest of justice.

Sponsors

Introduced by: James (R)

24 cosponsors

Anderson (D) , Armstrong (R) , Behnke (R) , Billings (D) , Clancy (D) , DeSanto (D) , Dittrich (R) , Emerson (D) , Goodwin (D) , Gundrum (R) , J. Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Kreibich (R) , Madison (D) , McCarville (D) , Miresse (D) , Mursau (R) , O'Connor (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Sheehan (D) , Sinicki (D) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Udell (D)

Registered lobbying interests · 3

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. Jan 23, 2026 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator James; cosponsored by Representatives O'Connor, Billings, Mursau, Kreibich, Gundrum, Dittrich, Sinicki, DeSanto, Ortiz-Velez, Emerson, Behnke, Miresse, Armstrong, Goodwin, McCarville, Subeck, Stubbs, Udell and Clancy

  2. Jan 23, 2026 · 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 13, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Madison added as a cosponsor

  5. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Joers added as a cosponsor

  6. Feb 17, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Feb 20, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Sheehan added as a cosponsor

  8. Mar 19, 2026 · Senate

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  9. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1