Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: Introduced Bipartisan · 8 R · 1 D cosponsors

AB 171 — Relating to: privacy protections for judicial officers.

Last action — Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced April 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Advancing 54% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    1 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (8 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

An Act to repeal 757.07 (4m) (a); to renumber 757.07 (6); to renumber and amend 59.43 (1r); to amend 757.07 (1) (g) 1., 757.07 (1) (i), 757.07 (1) (k), 757.07 (2) (a), 757.07 (4) (b) 1. a., 757.07 (4) (b) 2., 757.07 (4) (d), 757.07 (4) (e) 1., 757.07 (4m) (b) and 757.07 (5) (b); to create 59.43 (1r) (b) 3., 757.07 (1) (am), 757.07 (1) (em), 757.07 (1) (im), 757.07 (2) (c), 757.07 (4) (e) 2. d., 757.07 (4m) (c) and 757.07 (6) (b) of the statutes;

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

10 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill modifies privacy protections for judicial officers by imposing new requirements on written requests and access procedures.

  • 757.07 (1) (am)

    “Designated officer” means the officer or employee of a government agency, the register of deeds, or a provider of a land records website designated in writing to the director of state courts. In the absence of a written designation to the director of state courts, “designated officer” means the highest ranking officer or employee for a government agency, the register of deeds, or any provider of a land records website.

    Defines the term 'designated officer' for privacy requests.

  • 757.07 (1) (em)

    “Secondary residence” means a residence for personal use that is not a person’s permanent residence but where a person regularly resides.

    Defines 'secondary residence' for privacy requests.

  • 757.07 (1) (i)

    “Publicly post or display” means to intentionally communicate or otherwise make available to the general public → “Publicly post or display” means to intentionally communicate or otherwise make available to the general public, but does not include a direct communication with a judicial officer or any immediate family member of a judicial officer, including a written communication mailed to a judicial officer’s home address.

    Clarifies that direct communication with judicial officers is not considered public posting.

  • 757.07 (1) (g) 1.

    A home address, when directly associated with or displayed with a judicial officer’s name. → A home address directly associated with or displayed with the judicial officer’s name.

    Modifies the definition of what constitutes a home address for privacy purposes.

  • 757.07 (2) (a)

    A government agency may not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes a judicial officer’s personal information → A government agency may not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes a judicial officer’s personal information, provided that the government agency has received a written request in accordance with sub. (4) that it refrain from disclosing the judicial officer’s personal information.

    Specifies conditions under which a government agency can display a judicial officer's personal information.

  • 757.07 (4) (b) 1. a.

    Sends the written request directly to a government agency, person, data broker, business, or association. → Sends the written request directly to the designated officer of a government agency, person, data broker, business, or association.

    Requires requests to be sent to a designated officer instead of a general entity.

  • 59.43 (1r)

    The register of deeds shall shield from disclosure and keep confidential documents containing personal information covered by a written request of a judicial officer under s. 757.07 (4), if the judicial officer specifically identifies the document number of any document to be shielded under this subsection.

    Establishes that documents must be specifically identified to be shielded from disclosure.

  • 59.43 (1r) (b) 3.

    The 3rd party meets any of the following criteria: ... Is a title insurance company, as defined in s. 708.15 (1) (v), an authorized agent of a title insurance company, or any attorney licensed to practice law in this state.

    Defines criteria for third-party access to protected documents.

  • 757.07 (4) (e)

    A government agency may publicly post or display such information if required by law to do so.

    Establishes that legal requirements can override privacy protections.

  • 757.07 (4m) (a)

    Not applicable.

    Repeals a section concerning specific procedures and requirements from prior law.

Action History

  1. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. Laid on the table

  3. Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  4. Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 6-24-2025

  5. Senator Ratcliff added as a cosponsor

  6. Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  8. Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  9. Report Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 0

  10. Executive action taken

  11. LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1)

  12. Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Tusler

  13. Public hearing held

  14. Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Tusler

  15. Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  16. Introduced by Representatives Tusler, O'Connor, Gundrum, Mursau, Penterman, Kreibich, Murphy, Sinicki and Dittrich; cosponsored by Senator Wanggaard

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 122 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (122)

122 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 122 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 171 do?
An Act to repeal 757.07 (4m) (a); to renumber 757.07 (6); to renumber and amend 59.43 (1r); to amend 757.07 (1) (g) 1., 757.07 (1) (i), 757.07 (1) (k), 757.07 (2) (a), 757.07 (4) (b) 1. a., 757.07 (4) (b) 2., 757.07 (4) (d), 757.07 (4) (e) 1., 757.07 (4m) (b) and 757.07 (5) (b); to create 59.43 (1r) (b) 3., 757.07 (1) (am), 757.07 (1) (em), 757.07 (1) (im), 757.07 (2) (c), 757.07 (4) (e) 2. d., 757.07 (4m) (c) and 757.07 (6) (b) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 171?
AB 171 is sponsored by Wanggaard, Tusler, Ron (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Gundrum, Rick (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), Penterman, William (Republican), Kreibich, Rob (Republican), Murphy, David (Republican), Sinicki, Christine (Democrat), and Dittrich, Barbara (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 171?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced April 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 171?
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