LRB-0317/1
MJW:cjs
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
February 21, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Jacque and Carpenter, cosponsored
by Representatives Rettinger, Gundrum, Armstrong, Behnke, Brandtjen,
Donovan, Knodl, Murphy, Wichgers and Allen. Referred to Committee on
Judiciary and Public Safety.
SB72,1,11 1An Act to renumber 940.198 (1) (a) and 971.109 (1) (a); to renumber and
2amend
939.623 (1); to amend 343.12 (7) (c) 9j., 813.12 (5b), 813.123 (6g),
3813.125 (5b), 911.01 (4) (c), 939.623 (title), 939.623 (2) (intro.), 939.623 (3),
4940.198 (title), 940.198 (1) (b), 940.198 (2) (a), 940.198 (2) (b), 940.198 (2) (c),
5940.198 (3) (a), 940.198 (3) (b), 940.198 (3) (c), 940.198 (4), 971.109 (title),
6971.109 (2) (a) and 971.109 (2) (c); and to create 813.12 (1) (ab), 813.125 (1) (am)
72., 939.623 (1) (b), 940.198 (1) (ag), 940.225 (1) (e) and 971.109 (1) (ac) of the
8statutes; relating to: increased penalties for crimes against adults at risk;
9restraining orders for adults at risk; freezing assets of a defendant charged with
10financial exploitation of an adult at risk; sexual assault of an adult at risk; and
11providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Sexual assault of an Adult at risk
Under this bill, any act of sexual misconduct that is currently a second degree
sexual assault is a first degree sexual assault if the victim is an adult at risk. Under

current law, if a person engages in any of the specified acts of sexual misconduct, he
or she is guilty of a Class C felony. Under the bill, he or she is guilty of a Class B felony
if the victim is an adult at risk, regardless of whether or not he or she knew the
victim's status as an adult at risk.
freezing of assets
Under current law, there is a procedure for a court to freeze or seize assets from
a defendant who has been charged with a financial exploitation crime when the
victim is an elder person. The procedure allows a court to freeze the funds, assets,
or property of the defendant in an amount up to 100 percent of the alleged value of
the property involved in the defendant's pending criminal proceeding for purposes
of preserving the property for future payment of restitution to the crime victim.
This bill allows the court to apply the same procedure to freeze or seize assets
when the crime victim an adult at risk.
Physical abuse of an adult at risk
Under current law, there is a set of penalties that apply to physical abuse of an
elder person, which range from a Class I felony to a Class C felony depending on the
severity of the conduct. This bill applies those same penalties to physical abuse of
an adult at risk.
increased penalties
This bill allows a term of imprisonment that is imposed for a criminal conviction
to be increased in length if the crime victim was an adult at risk. Under the bill, a
maximum term of imprisonment of one year or less may be increased to two years;
a maximum term of imprisonment of one to 10 years may be increased by up to four
years; and a maximum term of imprisonment of more than 10 years may be increased
by up to six years. Under the bill, the term of imprisonment may be lengthened
irrespective of whether the defendant knew that the crime victim was an adult at
risk.
restraining orders for an adult at risk
Under current law, a person seeking a domestic violence, individual-at-risk,
or harassment restraining order must appear in person in the courtroom at a hearing
to obtain a restraining order.
This bill allows an adult at risk who is seeking a domestic violence,
individual-at-risk, or harassment restraining order to appear in a court hearing by
telephone or live audiovisual means.
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.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB72,1 1Section 1. 343.12 (7) (c) 9j. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,3,2
1343.12 (7) (c) 9j. Physical abuse of an elder person or an adult at risk under s.
2940.198 (2).
SB72,2 3Section 2. 813.12 (1) (ab) of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,3,44 813.12 (1) (ab) “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
SB72,3 5Section 3. 813.12 (5b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,3,86 813.12 (5b) Elder person or adult-at-risk petitioner. If the petitioner is an
7elder person or an adult at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner to participate
8in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
SB72,4 9Section 4. 813.123 (6g) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,3,1210 813.123 (6g) Elder adult-at-risk Individual-at-risk petitioner. If the
11petitioner is an elder adult individual at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner
12to participate in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
SB72,5 13Section 5. 813.125 (1) (am) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,3,1414 813.125 (1) (am) 2. “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
SB72,6 15Section 6. 813.125 (5b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,3,1816 813.125 (5b) Elder person or adult-at-risk petitioner. If the petitioner is an
17elder person or an adult at risk, the court shall permit the petitioner to participate
18in hearings under this section by telephone or live audiovisual means.
SB72,7 19Section 7. 911.01 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,4,520 911.01 (4) (c) Miscellaneous proceedings. Proceedings for extradition or
21rendition; sentencing, granting or revoking probation, modification of a bifurcated
22sentence under s. 302.113 (9g), or adjustment of a bifurcated sentence under s.
23973.195 (1r) or 973.198; hearings for the freezing of assets of a person charged with
24financial exploitation of an elder person or adult at risk under s. 971.109; issuance
25of subpoenas or warrants under s. 968.375, arrest warrants, criminal summonses,

1and search warrants; hearings under s. 980.09 (2); proceedings under s. 971.14 (1r)
2(c); proceedings with respect to pretrial release under ch. 969 except where habeas
3corpus is utilized with respect to release on bail or as otherwise provided in ch. 969;
4or proceedings under s. 165.76 (6) to compel provision of a biological specimen for
5deoxyribonucleic acid analysis.
SB72,8 6Section 8. 939.623 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,4,8 7939.623 (title) Increased penalty for elder person or adult-at-risk
8victims.
SB72,9 9Section 9. 939.623 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 939.623 (1) (intro.) and
10amended to read:
SB72,4,1111 939.623 (1) (intro.) In this section, “elder:
SB72,4,12 12(c) “Elder person” means any individual who is 60 years of age or older.
SB72,10 13Section 10. 939.623 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,4,1414 939.623 (1) (b) “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
SB72,11 15Section 11. 939.623 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,4,1916 939.623 (2) (intro.) If the crime victim is an elder person or an adult at risk, and
17the present conviction is for any crime for which imprisonment may be imposed, the
18maximum term of imprisonment prescribed by law for that crime may be increased
19as follows:
SB72,12 20Section 12. 939.623 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,4,2421 939.623 (3) This section applies irrespective of whether the defendant had
22actual knowledge of the crime victim's age or that the crime victim was an adult at
23risk at the time of the crime
. A mistake regarding the crime victim's age or status
24as an adult at risk
is not a defense to an increased penalty under this section.
SB72,13 25Section 13. 940.198 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,1
1940.198 (title) Physical abuse of an elder person or an adult at risk.
SB72,14 2Section 14. 940.198 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 940.198 (1) (ar).
SB72,15 3Section 15. 940.198 (1) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,5,44 940.198 (1) (ag) “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
SB72,16 5Section 16. 940.198 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,86 940.198 (1) (b) “Recklessly” means conduct that creates a situation of
7unreasonable risk of harm to and demonstrates a conscious disregard for the safety
8of the elder person.
SB72,17 9Section 17. 940.198 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,1110 940.198 (2) (a) Whoever intentionally causes great bodily harm to an elder
11person or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class C felony.
SB72,18 12Section 18. 940.198 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,1413 940.198 (2) (b) Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm to an elder person
14or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class H felony.
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