Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive 1 R cosponsors

SB 259 — Relating to: the notice of an investigation of child abuse or neglect or unborn child abuse provided to appropriate authorities of the U.S. Department of Defense. (FE)

Last action — Published 3-14-2026

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

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 20, 2025. It awaits signature.

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

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Moderate

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    1 primary, 9 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 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 amend 48.981 (7) (a) (intro.); to create 48.981 (3) (c) 2r. of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

56 added · 9 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest amendment to Senate Bill 259, the timeframe for initiating an investigation into suspected child or unborn child abuse has been changed from "within 24 hours" to "as soon as practicable." This alteration allows agencies more flexibility in responding to reports of abuse, which can be crucial in gathering information and ensuring thorough investigations. It matters because it may improve the overall effectiveness of the investigations by allowing social service agencies to act thoughtfully rather than rushing to meet a strict deadline.

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Latest
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0318/1 EHS:ajk&emw SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 259 July 21, 2025 - Offered by SenaACQUE .
CORRECTED COPY - 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-1859/2 EHS:cdc SENATE BILL 259 May 20, 2025 - Introduced by Senator J ACQUE , cosponsored by Representatives B ROOKS , ITTRICH , UNDRUM , MAXEY, MURPHY , MURSAU , SNYDER , WICHGERS and B EHNKE .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.
A N A CT to amend 48.981 (7) (a) (intro.);
to create 48.981 (3) (c) 2r.
of the statutes;
relating to:
the notice of an investigation of child abuse or neglect or unborn child abuse provided to appropriate authorities of the U.S.
Department of Defense.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, if a county department of human services or social services or, in Milwaukee County, the Department of Children and Families or a licensed child welfare agency under contract with DCF (collectively “agency”) determines that a caregiver is suspected of committing or threatening abuse or neglect of a child or that a person who is not a caregiver has committed or threatened abuse of a child related to sex trafficking;
cannot identify an individual who is suspected of abuse or neglect or of threatened abuse or neglect of a child;
or suspects abuse of an unborn child, the agency must, within 24 hours after receiving the report, initiate a diligent investigation to determine if the child or unborn child is in need of protection or services.
Under this bill, if an agency knows or has reason to know that a parent of a child or unborn child with respect to whom the agency has initiated such an investigation is a member of the U.S.
armed forces, a reserve component of the U.S.
armed forces, or the Wisconsin national guard, the agency must provide notice of that investigation to the appropriate authorities of the U.S.
Department of Defense - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-1859/2 EHS:cdc SENATE BILL 259 SECTION 1 within 24 hours.
The bill requires the notice to consist only of the name and address of the child or expectant mother and the fact that an investigation has been initiated about that child or unborn child.
The bill imposes the same confidentiality requirements on such a notice as current law imposes on all reports of suspected child abuse or neglect.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
48.981 (3) (c) 2r.
of the statutes is created to read:
48.981 (3) (c) 2r.
If an agency initiates an investigation under subd.
Page 2, line 7:
a.
delete Xwithin 24 hours ofY and substitute Xas soon as practicable afterY.
pertaining to a child or unborn child and the agency knows or has reason to know that a parent of the child or unborn child is a member of the U.S.
END )
armed forces, a reserve component of the U.S.
armed forces, or the Wisconsin national guard, the agency shall provide notice to the appropriate authorities of the U.S.
department of defense within 24 hours of initiating the investigation.
The notice shall consist only of the name and address of the child or expectant mother and the fact that an investigation has been initiated about that child or unborn child.
SECTION 2.
48.981 (7) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
48.981 (7) (a) (intro.) All reports made under this section, notices provided under sub.
(3) (bm) and (c) 2r., and records maintained by an agency and other persons, officials, and institutions shall be confidential.
Reports and records may be disclosed only to the following persons:
(END )
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Action History

  1. Published 3-14-2026

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 3-13-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 96

  3. Presented to the Governor on 3-12-2026

  4. Report correctly enrolled

  5. Received from Assembly concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

  7. Read a third time and concurred in

  8. Rules suspended

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Read a second time

  11. Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  12. Placed on calendar 1-13-2026 by Committee on Rules

  13. Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  14. Received from Senate

  15. Ordered immediately messaged

  16. Read a third time and passed

  17. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  18. Ordered to a third reading

  19. Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  20. Read a second time

  21. Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  22. Available for scheduling

  23. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  24. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  25. Executive action taken

  26. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  27. Public hearing held

  28. Fiscal estimate received

  29. Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs

  30. Introduced by Senator Jacque; cosponsored by Representatives Brooks, Dittrich, Gundrum, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Snyder, Wichgers and Behnke

Sponsors

  • Brooks · Cosponsor
  • Dittrich · Cosponsor
  • Gundrum · Cosponsor
  • Maxey · Cosponsor
  • Murphy · Cosponsor
  • Mursau · Cosponsor
  • Snyder · Cosponsor
  • Wichgers · Cosponsor
  • Behnke · Cosponsor
  • André Jacque · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

  • Brooks
  • Dittrich
  • Gundrum
  • Maxey
  • Murphy
  • Mursau
  • Snyder
  • Wichgers
  • Behnke

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 veterans
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 SB 259 do?
An Act to amend 48.981 (7) (a) (intro.); to create 48.981 (3) (c) 2r. of the statutes;
Who sponsors SB 259?
SB 259 is sponsored by Brooks, Dittrich, Gundrum, Maxey, Murphy, Mursau, Snyder, Wichgers, Behnke, and Jacque, André (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 259?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 20, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track SB 259?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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