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Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB66

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB66 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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44 2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 66
55 February 24, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives B. JACOBSON, BEHNKE, BRILL,
66 DITTRICH, DONOVAN, DUCHOW, GUNDRUM, KNODL, KREIBICH, KRUG, MOSES,
77 MURPHY, MURSAU and WICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators HUTTON, NASS
88 and TOMCZYK. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
99
1010 ***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
1111 AN ACT to repeal 971.37; to amend 20.410 (1) (gL), 20.437 (1) (hh), 814.75 (8),
1212 814.75 (8m), 814.76 (6), 814.80 (6), 814.81 (6), 971.38 (1) and 971.39 (1)
1313 (intro.); to create 967.056 and 968.075 (7) (c) of the statutes; relating to:
1414 dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution
1515 agreements for certain crimes.
1616 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
1717 Under current law, a prosecutor may dismiss or amend a criminal charge
1818 without approval from the court. Under this bill, a prosecutor must get the court[s
1919 approval to dismiss or amend a charge if the charge is for any of the following: 1) a
2020 crime of domestic abuse or a violation of a domestic violence temporary restraining
2121 order or injunction; 2) theft of an automobile; 3) a crime of abuse of an individual at
2222 risk or a violation of an individual-at-risk TRO or injunction; 4) first-degree,
2323 second-degree, or third-degree sexual assault; 5) a crime against a child; 6) illegal
2424 possession of a firearm if the person has been convicted of, adjudicated delinquent
2525 for, or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of, committing,
2626 soliciting, conspiring, or attempting to commit a violent felony, as defined under
2727 current law; or 7) reckless driving that results in great bodily harm. The court may
2828 approve the dismissal or amendment of such a charge only if the court finds the
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3737 SECTION 1
3838 action is consistent with the public[s interest in deterring the commission of these
3939 crimes and with the legislature[s intent, expressed in this bill, to vigorously
4040 prosecute individuals who commit these crimes. If the court approves any
4141 dismissal or amendment in a year, the court must submit an annual report to the
4242 legislature detailing each approval.
4343 Current law allows a prosecutor to enter into a deferred prosecution
4444 agreement with a defendant who is charged or may be charged with a crime.
4545 Generally, under a deferred prosecution agreement, the prosecutor agrees to
4646 dismiss a charge or not file a charge if the defendant complies with specified
4747 conditions. In addition, current law provides specific criteria for a deferred
4848 prosecution agreement if the defendant is or may be charged with child sexual
4949 abuse if the defendant is the parent of, the guardian of, a close relative of, or
5050 residing with the child; with a crime of domestic violence; or with a violation of a
5151 domestic violence TRO or injunction. Current law also prohibits a prosecutor from
5252 entering into a deferred prosecution agreement with a defendant who is charged or
5353 may be charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant
5454 or a controlled substance, causing injury to another while operating a vehicle while
5555 under the influence, or homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. The bill prohibits a
5656 prosecutor from entering into a deferred prosecution agreement with a defendant if
5757 a complaint or information is filed that alleges the person committed any of the
5858 same crimes listed in items 1 to 7 above.
5959 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
6060 enact as follows:
6161 SECTION 1. 20.410 (1) (gL) of the statutes is amended to read:
6262 20.410 (1) (gL) Global positioning system tracking devices for certain violators
6363 of restraining orders. All moneys received under s. 301.49 (5) and all moneys
6464 received from the global positioning system tracking surcharge on court fines, as
6565 authorized under s. 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or 973.057, for expenditures related to the
6666 global positioning system tracking program under s. 301.49. If the unencumbered
6767 balance in this appropriation account exceeds $100,000 immediately before the end
6868 of any fiscal year, the department of corrections shall transfer the excess to the
6969 appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (hh) at the end of that fiscal year.
7070 SECTION 2. 20.437 (1) (hh) of the statutes is amended to read:
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8484 SECTION 2
8585 20.437 (1) (hh) Domestic abuse surcharge grants. All moneys received from
8686 the domestic abuse surcharge on court fines, as authorized under s. 971.37 (1m) (c)
8787 1. or 973.055, to provide grants to domestic abuse services organizations under s.
8888 49.165.
8989 SECTION 3. 814.75 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
9090 814.75 (8) The domestic abuse surcharge under s. 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or
9191 973.055.
9292 SECTION 4. 814.75 (8m) of the statutes is amended to read:
9393 814.75 (8m) The global positioning system tracking surcharge under s.
9494 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or 973.057.
9595 SECTION 5. 814.76 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
9696 814.76 (6) The domestic abuse surcharge under s. 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or
9797 973.055.
9898 SECTION 6. 814.80 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
9999 814.80 (6) The domestic abuse surcharge under s. 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or
100100 973.055.
101101 SECTION 7. 814.81 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
102102 814.81 (6) The domestic abuse surcharge under s. 971.37 (1m) (c) 1. or
103103 973.055.
104104 SECTION 8. 967.056 of the statutes is created to read:
105105 967.056 Prosecution of certain crimes. (1) INTENT. The legislature
106106 intends to encourage the vigorous prosecution of persons who commit offenses that
107107 are covered crimes.
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134134 SECTION 8
135135 (2) DEFINITION. In this section, Xcovered crimeY means any of the following:
136136 (a) An act of domestic abuse, as defined in s. 968.075 (1) (a), that constitutes
137137 the commission of a crime or a violation of a temporary restraining order or
138138 injunction issued under s. 813.12.
139139 (b) A violation of s. 943.23.
140140 (c) A violation of s. 940.198 or 940.285 or a violation of a temporary
141141 restraining order or injunction issued under s. 813.123.
142142 (d) A violation of s. 940.225 (1), (2), or (3).
143143 (e) A crime specified in ch. 948, including a crime specified in s. 948.015.
144144 (f) A violation of s. 941.29 (1m) if the individual has been convicted of,
145145 adjudicated delinquent for, or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect
146146 of, committing, soliciting, conspiring, or attempting to commit a violent felony, as
147147 defined in s. 941.29 (1g) (a).
148148 (g) A violation of s. 346.62 (4).
149149 (3) DISMISSING OR AMENDING CHARGE. Notwithstanding s. 971.29, if an
150150 individual is charged with a covered crime, a prosecutor may not dismiss or amend
151151 the charge without the approval of the court. In the application to the court, the
152152 prosecutor shall state the reasons for the proposed amendment or dismissal. The
153153 court may approve the application only if the court finds that the proposed
154154 amendment or dismissal is consistent with the public[s interest in deterring the
155155 commission of covered crimes and consistent with the legislature[s intent expressed
156156 in sub. (1). If a court approves at least one application in a year, the court shall
157157 submit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3)
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184184 SECTION 8
185185 an annual report detailing each application the court approved that year and how
186186 each approval is consistent with the public[s interest and the legislature[s intent.
187187 (4) NO DEFERRED PROSECUTION. A prosecutor may not place a person in a
188188 deferred prosecution program if a complaint or information is filed that alleges the
189189 person committed a covered crime or if the person is charged with a covered crime.
190190 SECTION 9. 968.075 (7) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
191191 968.075 (7) (c) A policy indicating how the office may best execute the intent
192192 of s. 967.056.
193193 SECTION 10. 971.37 of the statutes is repealed.
194194 SECTION 11. 971.38 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
195195 971.38 (1) Except as provided in s. 967.055 (3) or 967.056 (4), the district
196196 attorney may require as a condition of any deferred prosecution program for any
197197 crime that the defendant perform community service work for a public agency or a
198198 nonprofit charitable organization. The number of hours of work required may not
199199 exceed what would be reasonable considering the seriousness of the alleged offense.
200200 An order may only apply if agreed to by the defendant and the organization or
201201 agency. The district attorney shall ensure that the defendant is provided a written
202202 statement of the terms of the community service order and that the community
203203 service order is monitored.
204204 SECTION 12. 971.39 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
205205 971.39 (1) (intro.) Except as provided in s. 967.055 (3) or 967.056 (4), in
206206 counties having a population of less than 100,000, if a defendant is charged with a
207207 crime, the district attorney, the department and a defendant may all enter into a
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234234 SECTION 12
235235 deferred prosecution agreement which includes, but is not limited to, the following
236236 conditions:
237237 SECTION 13. Initial applicability.
238238 (1) This act first applies to a complaint, information, or charge filed on the
239239 effective date of this subsection.
240240 (END)
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