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Wisconsin Senate Bill SB15

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB15 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 SENATE BILL 15
55 February 5, 2025 - Introduced by Senators JACQUE and CARPENTER, cosponsored by
66 Representatives KREIBICH, BEHNKE, DITTRICH, GUNDRUM, MURPHY, MURSAU,
77 TUSLER, WICHGERS, ALLEN, DONOVAN, TENORIO and KNODL. Referred to
88 Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
99 AN ACT to renumber 940.198 (1) (a) and 971.109 (1) (a); to renumber and
1010 amend 939.623 (1); to amend 343.12 (7) (c) 9j., 813.12 (5b), 813.123 (6g),
1111 813.125 (5b), 911.01 (4) (c), 939.623 (title), 939.623 (2) (intro.), 939.623 (3),
1212 940.198 (title), 940.198 (1) (b), 940.198 (2) (a), 940.198 (2) (b), 940.198 (2) (c),
1313 940.198 (3) (a), 940.198 (3) (b), 940.198 (3) (c), 940.198 (4), 971.109 (title),
1414 971.109 (2) (a) and 971.109 (2) (c); and to create 813.12 (1) (ab), 813.125 (1)
1515 (am) 2., 939.623 (1) (b), 940.198 (1) (ag), 940.225 (1) (e) and 971.109 (1) (ac) of
1616 the statutes; relating to: increased penalties for crimes against adults at risk;
1717 restraining orders for adults at risk; freezing assets of a defendant charged
1818 with financial exploitation of an adult at risk; sexual assault of an adult at
1919 risk; and providing a penalty.
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3434 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
3535 SEXUAL ASSAULT OF AN ADULT AT RISK
3636 Under this bill, any act of sexual misconduct that is currently a second degree
3737 sexual assault is a first degree sexual assault if the victim is an adult at risk.
3838 Under current law, if a person engages in any of the specified acts of sexual
3939 misconduct, he or she is guilty of a Class C felony. Under the bill, he or she is guilty
4040 of a Class B felony if the victim is an adult at risk, regardless of whether or not he or
4141 she knew the victim[s status as an adult at risk.
4242 FREEZING OF ASSETS
4343 Under current law, there is a procedure for a court to freeze or seize assets
4444 from a defendant who has been charged with a financial exploitation crime when
4545 the victim is an elder person. The procedure allows a court to freeze the funds,
4646 assets, or property of the defendant in an amount up to 100 percent of the alleged
4747 value of the property involved in the defendant[s pending criminal proceeding for
4848 purposes of preserving the property for future payment of restitution to the crime
4949 victim.
5050 This bill allows the court to apply the same procedure to freeze or seize assets
5151 when the crime victim an adult at risk.
5252 PHYSICAL ABUSE OF AN ADULT AT RISK
5353 Under current law, there is a set of penalties that apply to physical abuse of an
5454 elder person, which range from a Class I felony to a Class C felony depending on the
5555 severity of the conduct. This bill applies those same penalties to physical abuse of
5656 an adult at risk.
5757 INCREASED PENALTIES
5858 This bill allows a term of imprisonment that is imposed for a criminal
5959 conviction to be increased in length if the crime victim was an adult at risk. Under
6060 the bill, a maximum term of imprisonment of one year or less may be increased to
6161 two years; a maximum term of imprisonment of one to 10 years may be increased by
6262 up to four years; and a maximum term of imprisonment of more than 10 years may
6363 be increased by up to six years. Under the bill, the term of imprisonment may be
6464 lengthened irrespective of whether the defendant knew that the crime victim was
6565 an adult at risk.
6666 RESTRAINING ORDERS FOR AN ADULT AT RISK
6767 Under current law, a person seeking a domestic violence, individual-at-risk, or
6868 harassment restraining order must appear in person in the courtroom at a hearing
6969 to obtain a restraining order.
7070 This bill allows an adult at risk who is seeking a domestic violence, individual-
7171 at-risk, or harassment restraining order to appear in a court hearing by telephone
7272 or live audiovisual means.
7373 Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, 2025 - 2026 Legislature
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7777 the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
7878 report.
7979 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
8080 enact as follows:
8181 SECTION 1. 343.12 (7) (c) 9j. of the statutes is amended to read:
8282 343.12 (7) (c) 9j. Physical abuse of an elder person or an adult at risk under s.
8383 940.198 (2).
8484 SECTION 2. 813.12 (1) (ab) of the statutes is created to read:
8585 813.12 (1) (ab) XAdult at riskY has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
8686 SECTION 3. 813.12 (5b) of the statutes is amended to read:
8787 813.12 (5b) ELDER PERSON OR ADULT-AT-RISK PETITIONER. If the petitioner is
8888 an elder person or an adult at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner to
8989 participate in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
9090 SECTION 4. 813.123 (6g) of the statutes is amended to read:
9191 813.123 (6g) ELDER ADULT-AT-RISK INDIVIDUAL-AT-RISK PETITIONER. If the
9292 petitioner is an elder adult individual at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner
9393 to participate in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
9494 SECTION 5. 813.125 (1) (am) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
9595 813.125 (1) (am) 2. XAdult at riskY has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
9696 SECTION 6. 813.125 (5b) of the statutes is amended to read:
9797 813.125 (5b) ELDER PERSON OR ADULT-AT-RISK PETITIONER. If the petitioner is
9898 an elder person or an adult at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner to
9999 participate in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
100100 SECTION 7. 911.01 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
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124124 SECTION 7
125125 911.01 (4) (c) Miscellaneous proceedings. Proceedings for extradition or
126126 rendition; sentencing, granting or revoking probation, modification of a bifurcated
127127 sentence under s. 302.113 (9g), or adjustment of a bifurcated sentence under s.
128128 973.195 (1r) or 973.198; hearings for the freezing of assets of a person charged with
129129 financial exploitation of an elder person or adult at risk under s. 971.109; issuance
130130 of subpoenas or warrants under s. 968.375, arrest warrants, criminal summonses,
131131 and search warrants; hearings under s. 980.09 (2); proceedings under s. 971.14 (1r)
132132 (c); proceedings with respect to pretrial release under ch. 969 except where habeas
133133 corpus is utilized with respect to release on bail or as otherwise provided in ch. 969;
134134 or proceedings under s. 165.76 (6) to compel provision of a biological specimen for
135135 deoxyribonucleic acid analysis.
136136 SECTION 8. 939.623 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
137137 939.623 (title) Increased penalty for elder person or adult-at-risk
138138 victims.
139139 SECTION 9. 939.623 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 939.623 (1) (intro.) and
140140 amended to read:
141141 939.623 (1) (intro.) In this section, Xelder:
142142 (c) XElder personY means any individual who is 60 years of age or older.
143143 SECTION 10. 939.623 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
144144 939.623 (1) (b) XAdult at riskY has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
145145 SECTION 11. 939.623 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
146146 939.623 (2) (intro.) If the crime victim is an elder person or an adult at risk,
147147 and the present conviction is for any crime for which imprisonment may be
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174174 SECTION 11
175175 imposed, the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed by law for that crime may
176176 be increased as follows:
177177 SECTION 12. 939.623 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
178178 939.623 (3) This section applies irrespective of whether the defendant had
179179 actual knowledge of the crime victim[s age or that the crime victim was an adult at
180180 risk at the time of the crime. A mistake regarding the crime victim[s age or status
181181 as an adult at risk is not a defense to an increased penalty under this section.
182182 SECTION 13. 940.198 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
183183 940.198 (title) Physical abuse of an elder person or an adult at risk.
184184 SECTION 14. 940.198 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 940.198 (1) (ar).
185185 SECTION 15. 940.198 (1) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:
186186 940.198 (1) (ag) XAdult at riskY has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
187187 SECTION 16. 940.198 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
188188 940.198 (1) (b) XRecklesslyY means conduct that creates a situation of
189189 unreasonable risk of harm to and demonstrates a conscious disregard for the safety
190190 of the elder person.
191191 SECTION 17. 940.198 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
192192 940.198 (2) (a) Whoever intentionally causes great bodily harm to an elder
193193 person or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class C felony.
194194 SECTION 18. 940.198 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
195195 940.198 (2) (b) Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm to an elder person
196196 or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class H felony.
197197 SECTION 19. 940.198 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
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224224 SECTION 19
225225 940.198 (2) (c) Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm to an elder person or
226226 an adult at risk under circumstances or conditions that are likely to produce great
227227 bodily harm is guilty of a Class F felony.
228228 SECTION 20. 940.198 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
229229 940.198 (3) (a) Whoever recklessly causes great bodily harm to an elder
230230 person or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class E felony.
231231 SECTION 21. 940.198 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
232232 940.198 (3) (b) Whoever recklessly causes bodily harm to an elder person or
233233 an adult at risk is guilty of a Class I felony.
234234 SECTION 22. 940.198 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
235235 940.198 (3) (c) Whoever recklessly causes bodily harm to an elder person or an
236236 adult at risk under circumstances or conditions that are likely to produce great
237237 bodily harm is guilty of a Class H felony.
238238 SECTION 23. 940.198 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
239239 940.198 (4) KNOWLEDGE OF AGE OR AT RISK STATUS NOT REQUIRED. This
240240 section applies irrespective of whether the defendant had actual knowledge of the
241241 victim[s age or status as an adult at risk. A mistake regarding the victim[s age or
242242 status as an adult at risk is not a defense to a prosecution under this section.
243243 SECTION 24. 940.225 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
244244 940.225 (1) (e) Commits a violation under sub. (2) against an adult at risk, as
245245 defined in s. 55.01 (1e). This paragraph applies irrespective of whether the
246246 defendant had actual knowledge of the victim[s status as an adult at risk. A
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272272 SECTION 24
273273 mistake regarding the victim[s status as an adult at risk is not a defense to a
274274 prosecution under this paragraph.
275275 SECTION 25. 971.109 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
276276 971.109 (title) Freezing assets of a person charged with financial
277277 exploitation of an elder person or an adult at risk.
278278 SECTION 26. 971.109 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 971.109 (1) (am).
279279 SECTION 27. 971.109 (1) (ac) of the statutes is created to read:
280280 971.109 (1) (ac) XAdult at riskY has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
281281 SECTION 28. 971.109 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
282282 971.109 (2) (a) If a defendant is charged with a crime that is financial
283283 exploitation, the crime involves the taking or loss of property valued at more than
284284 $2,500, and the crime victim is an elder person or an adult at risk, a prosecuting
285285 attorney may file a petition with the court in which the defendant has been charged
286286 to freeze the funds, assets, or property of the defendant in an amount up to 100
287287 percent of the alleged value of funds, assets, or property in the defendant[s pending
288288 criminal proceeding for purposes of restitution to the crime victim. The hearing on
289289 the petition may be held ex parte. The rules of evidence do not apply in a hearing
290290 under this paragraph.
291291 SECTION 29. 971.109 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
292292 971.109 (2) (c) The court[s order shall prohibit the sale, gifting, transfer, or
293293 wasting of the funds, assets, or real or personal property of the elder person or adult
294294 at risk that are owned by or vested in the defendant without the express permission
295295 of the court. The court[s order shall be binding upon a financial institution, as
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322322 SECTION 29
323323 defined in s. 943.80 (2), and any 3rd party that is in possession of the funds, assets,
324324 or property.
325325 (END)
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