Assembly Floor Session: February 15, 2024 (ROFR, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement)

Date Mon, Feb. 26, 2024 - 7:52am By Hamilton

The Wisconsin Assembly met February 15, 2024. See the floor calendar here. Also this month, both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature met February 13 and 20 (Senate, Assembly) and the Assembly met again on February 22.

The Assembly passed 32 bills. Most of the bills on the calendar dealt with various aspects of criminal justice and law enforcement policy, including several bills from the Assembly Speaker’s Task force on Human Trafficking.

Notable items that cleared the Assembly included AB 470 (“right of first refusal” for utility transmission projects), a package of bills to increase the privacy and security of state judges (ABs 965, 966, 967), SB 462 (certification process and grant program for crisis urgent care facilities), SB 573 (increasing the law enforcement officer training reimbursement rate), and SB 789 (allowing law enforcement agencies to charge a fee for redacting video and audio content in public records requests).

Following is a full list of the bills that the Assembly approved, which were passed by unanimous roll call or voice vote unless otherwise noted:

AB 37 Record Expungement Expungement of records of certain crimes and discrimination based on expunged conviction.
AB 237 Prisoner Release Requirements for releasing a prisoner to parole or extended supervision.
AB 460 Index of Discovery Index of discovery for district attorneys and public defenders.
AB 470 Transmission Facilities An incumbent transmission facility owner’s right to construct, own, and maintain certain transmission facilities and Public Service Commission procedures if the transmission facility is a regionally cost-shared transmission line.
AB 556 Elder Victim Crime Proceedings Expediting criminal proceedings when a victim or witness is an elder person and preserving the testimony of a crime victim or witness who is an elder person.
AB 664 AI Disclosures Disclosures regarding content generated by artificial intelligence in political advertisements, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
AB 730 Internet Materials The distribution of certain materials to minors.
AB 869 Traffic Control Lights Traffic control signal priority devices for snow removal vehicles.
AB 965 Picketing Judge’s Residence Picketing or parading at the residence of a judge with the intent to interfere with, obstruct, or impede the administration of justice or influence any judge and providing a penalty.
AB 966 Judicial Officer Privacy Privacy protections for judicial officers, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
AB 967 Judicial Security Profiles Withholding judicial security profiles from public access.
AB 970 Sex Offender Registration Sex offender registration for certain crimes. Passed, 61-35.
AB 972 Prostitution Solicitation for prostitution and providing a penalty.
AB 973 Human Trafficking Training Mandatory training regarding human trafficking for employees of community-based residential facilities and owners of certain entities and certain other employees and granting rule-making authority.
AB 974 Human Trafficking The civil causes of action for human trafficking and trafficking a child.
AB 976 Human Trafficking The testimony of a child in a criminal proceeding for a human trafficking crime.
AB 977 Human Trafficking Required human trafficking prevention instruction in certain grades and teacher training related to identifying victims of child trafficking.
AB 979 Victim Services Grants Human trafficking victim services grant program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.
AB 1068 AI Use Use of artificial intelligence by state agencies and staff reduction goals.
SB 29 Unsworn Declarations Act The Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act.
SB 119 Informant Records Public records identifying confidential law enforcement informants.
SB 314 Child Pornography Possession of child pornography and providing a penalty.
SB 462 Crisis Urgent Care Crisis urgent care and observation facilities and granting rule-making authority.
SB 514 Fleeing an Officer Fleeing an officer and providing a penalty.
SB 517 Criminal Complaints Court-issued criminal complaints if the person’s actions were in self-defense.
SB 520 Kinship Care Payments Inclusion of like-kin as an option for with whom children may be placed out of their home under certain circumstances and who may receive kinship care payments.
SB 573 Officer Training Expenses Training expenses for officers. Passed, 94-3.
SB 641 Electric Weapons Eliminating the prohibitions on electric weapons and providing a penalty.
SB 728 Fee Exemptions License fee exemptions for a dog that is a service animal.
SB 789 Redacting Fees Fees for redacting certain records of law enforcement agencies. Passed, 94-3.
SB 829 Firearm Exception Allowing a tactical emergency medical services professional to carry a firearm in prohibited areas.
SB 874 Conviction Count Counting convictions and findings for the purpose of the sex offender registry and notifications.

The Senate Bills (SB) listed above previously passed the Senate and can be presented to the governor for his signature or veto, except for SBs 462 and 789, which were amended by the Assembly.

The Assembly did not act on four bills on the calendar:

AB 393 Kratom Regulating kratom products, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
AB 658 DOR Law Changes A sales tax exemption for road-building equipment; increasing the income tax withholding threshold for nonresidents; modifying the certification requirement for a qualified opportunity fund; prohibiting certain lottery games; and extending the capital gains exclusion to family members who inherit certain farms organized as a partnership or limited liability company.
AB 978 Human Trafficking Council Creation of a Human Trafficking Council and requiring the establishment of county sex trafficking task forces.
AB 981 Human Trafficking Instruction Instruction on human trafficking in licensed schools of barbering, schools of cosmetology, and specialty schools.

On a 62-35, party line vote, the Assembly adopted the first consideration of a proposed constitutional amendment that “prohibits governmental entities in the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration.” News coverage here.

The Assembly also adopted three other resolutions: recognizing the anniversaries of D-Day and the National Conference of State Legislatures and honoring the life and public service of former Rep. Donald Hasenohrl.

For more information about the 2023-24 legislative session in Wisconsin, see the following articles:

Categories Law Enforcement / Utilities & Energy / Wisconsin Legislature