Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 15 R cosponsors

AB 265 — Relating to: human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty.

Last action — Published 12-10-2025

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

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 19, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 16 sponsors

    1 primary, 15 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (15 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

An Act to amend 939.616 (title), 940.302 (2) (a) (intro.), 940.302 (2) (b), 948.051 (1) and 948.051 (2); to create 939.616 (1s), 939.6175 and 939.74 (2) (av) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

76 added · 21 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to AB 265 changes the penalties for human trafficking and child trafficking to make them more severe. Specifically, it raises the punishment for human trafficking from a Class D felony to a Class C felony, and for child trafficking from a Class C felony to a Class B felony. It also introduces mandatory minimum prison sentences, requiring at least 10 years for human trafficking and 15 years for trafficking a child. This is significant because it aims to enhance deterrence and accountability for these serious crimes by imposing stricter penalties.

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Latest
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0386/1 MJW:emw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 265 September 10, 2025 - Offered by RepresentatiITTK.
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2836/1 MJW:cdc ASSEMBLY BILL 265 May 19, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives WITTKE, O'CONNOR , B.
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
ACOBSON , SNYDER , VANDER M EER, STEFFEN , MOSES, PENTERMAN , DITTRICH, M URPHY , KNODL , B EHNKE , PIWOWARCZYK , M URSAU and K REIBICH, cosponsored by Senator W ANGGAARD .
1.
Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
Page 3, line 7:
A N A CT to amend 939.616 (title), 940.302 (2) (a) (intro.), 940.302 (2) (b), 948.051 (1) and 948.051 (2);
after that line insert:
to create 939.616 (1s), 939.6175 and 939.74 (2) (av) of the statutes;
XSECTION 6m.
relating to:
940.302 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty.
940.302 (2) (c) Whoever knowingly receives compensation from the earnings of debt bondage, a prostitute, or a commercial sex act, as described in sub.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill increases the penalty for human trafficking from a Class D felony to a Class C felony, increases the penalty for trafficking a child from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, and creates a mandatory minimum term of confinement in prison of 10 years for human trafficking and 15 years for trafficking a child.
(1) (a) 1.
Under current law, a Class D felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 25 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of 15 years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 10 years;
and 2., is guilty of a Class F E felony.Y.
a Class C felony is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 40 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 15 years;
2.
and a Class B felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 years, which, under a bifurcated sentence, is a maximum term of confinement in prison of years followed by a maximum term of extended supervision of 20 years.
Page 3, line 16:
Under - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2836/1 MJW:cdc ASSEMBLY BILL 265 SECTION 1 current law, there is no mandatory minimum term of confinement for human trafficking or trafficking of a child.
after that line insert:
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.
XSECTION 9.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Initial applicability.
S ECTION 1.
(1) Notwithstanding s.
939.616 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
990.06, the treatment of s.
939.616 (title) Mandatory minimum sentence for child sex offenses and child trafficking.
939.74 (2) (av) first applies to an offense for which the time limitation under s.
S ECTION 2.
939.74 (1) for prosecution has not expired on the effective date of this subsection.
939.616 (1s) of the statutes is created to read:
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRBa0386/1 MJW:emw (2) Except as provided in sub.
939.616 (1s) If a person is convicted of a violation of s.
(1), this act first applies to offenses committed on the effective date of this subsection.Y.
948.051, the court shall impose a bifurcated sentence under s.
(END )
973.01.
The term of confinement in prison portion of the bifurcated sentence shall be at least 15 yeaOtherwise the penalties for the crime apply, subject to any applicable penalty enhancement.
S ECTION 3.
939.6175 of the statutes is created to read:
939.6175 Minimum sentence for human trafficking.
(1) If a person is convicted of a violation of s.
940.302, the court shall impose a bifurcated sentence under s.
973.01.
The term of confinement in prison portion of the bifurcated sentence shall be at least 10 years.
Otherwise the penalties for the crime apply, subject to any applicable penalty enhancement.
S ECTION 4.
939.74 (2) (av) of the statutes is created to read:
939.74 (2) (av) A prosecution for a violation of s.
940.302 may be commenced within 10 years after the commission of the violation.
S ECTION 5.
940.302 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
- 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRB-2836/1 MJW:cdc ASSEMBLY BILL 265 SECTION 5 940.302 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in s.
948.051, whoever knowingly engages in trafficking is guilty of a Class D C felony if all of the following apply:
S ECTION 6.
Show all 54 changed rows (14 more)
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940.302 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
940.302 (2) (b) Whoever benefits in any manner from a violation of par.
(a) is guilty of a Class D C felony if the person knows or reasonably should have known that the benefits come from or are derived from an act or scheme described in par.
(a).
S ECTION 7.
948.051 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
948.051 (1) Whoever knowingly recruits, entices, provides, obtains, harbors, transports, patronizes, or solicits or knowingly attempts to recruit, entice, provide, obtain, harbor, transport, patronize, or solicit any child for the purpose of commercial sex acts, as defined in s.
940.302 (1) (a), is guilty of a Class C B felony.
S ECTION 8.
948.051 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
948.051 (2) Whoever benefits in any manner from a violation of sub.
(1) is guilty of a Class C B felony if the person knows that the benefits come from an act described in sub.
(1).
(END)
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Action History

  1. Published 12-10-2025

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 12-9-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 56

  3. Presented to the Governor on 12-4-2025

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 11-19-2025

  5. Received from Senate concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

  7. Read a third time and concurred in

  8. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  11. Point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane well taken

  12. Read a second time

  13. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators L. Johnson, Hesselbein, Smith, Spreitzer, Drake, Roys, Wirch, Carpenter, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Habush Sinykin, Keyeski, Dassler-Alfheim, Wall and Larson

  14. Placed on calendar 11-18-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  15. Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Available for scheduling

  17. Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  18. Received from Assembly

  19. Ordered immediately messaged

  20. Read a third time and passed

  21. Rules suspended

  22. Ordered to a third reading

  23. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  24. Read a second time

  25. Representatives Stubbs and Subeck added as coauthors

  26. LRB correction

  27. Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 by Committee on Rules

  28. Referred to committee on Rules

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

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

  31. Executive action taken

  32. Public hearing held

  33. Representative Duchow added as a coauthor

  34. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wittke

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

  36. Introduced by Representatives Wittke, O'Connor, B. Jacobson, Snyder, VanderMeer, Steffen, Moses, Penterman, Dittrich, Murphy, Knodl, Behnke, Piwowarczyk, Mursau and Kreibich; cosponsored by Senator Wanggaard

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 15 co-sponsors · 116 not signed on · 12 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (15)

Not signed on (116)

116 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 116 →

"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

Decision of the Chair stands as the judgment of the Senate

Passed 18 Yea · 15 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 18000
Democrat 01200
Unaffiliated 0300
Total 181500
% of votes cast 55%45%0%0%
How each member voted (33)
Member Party Vote
JOHNSON — Nay
DASSLER-ALFHEI — Nay
HABUSH SINYKIN — Nay
Carpenter, Tim Democrat Nay
Drake, Dora Democrat Nay
Hesselbein, Dianne Democrat Nay
Keyeski, Sarah Democrat Nay
Larson, Chris Democrat Nay
Pfaff, Brad Democrat Nay
Ratcliff, Melissa Democrat Nay
Roys, Kelda Democrat Nay
Smith, Jeff Democrat Nay
Spreitzer, Mark Democrat Nay
Wall, Jamie Democrat Nay
Wirch, Robert Democrat Nay
Bradley, Julian Republican Yea
Cabral-Guevara, Rachael Republican Yea
Felzkowski, Mary Republican Yea
Feyen, Dan Republican Yea
Hutton, Rob Republican Yea
Jacque, André Republican Yea
Jagler, John Republican Yea
James, Jesse Republican Yea
Kapenga, Chris Republican Yea
LeMahieu, Devin Republican Yea
Marklein, Howard Republican Yea
Nass, Steve Republican Yea
Quinn, Romaine Republican Yea
Stafsholt, Rob Republican Yea
Testin, Patrick Republican Yea
Tomczyk, Cory Republican Yea
Wanggaard, Van Republican Yea
Wimberger, Eric Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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 265 do?
An Act to amend 939.616 (title), 940.302 (2) (a) (intro.), 940.302 (2) (b), 948.051 (1) and 948.051 (2); to create 939.616 (1s), 939.6175 and 939.74 (2) (av) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 265?
AB 265 is sponsored by Wanggaard, Wittke, Robert (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Jacobson, Brent (Republican), Snyder, Patrick (Republican), VanderMeer, Nancy (Republican), Steffen, David (Republican), Moses, Clint (Republican), Penterman, William (Republican), Dittrich, Barbara (Republican), Murphy, David (Republican), Knodl, Daniel (Republican), Behnke, Elijah (Republican), Piwowarczyk, Jim (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), and Kreibich, Rob (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 265?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 19, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 265?
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