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.
SB72,19 15Section 19. 940.198 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,1816 940.198 (2) (c) Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm to an elder person or
17an adult at risk
under circumstances or conditions that are likely to produce great
18bodily harm is guilty of a Class F felony.
SB72,20 19Section 20. 940.198 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,2120 940.198 (3) (a) Whoever recklessly causes great bodily harm to an elder person
21or an adult at risk is guilty of a Class E felony.
SB72,21 22Section 21. 940.198 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,5,2423 940.198 (3) (b) Whoever recklessly causes bodily harm to an elder person or an
24adult at risk
is guilty of a Class I felony.
SB72,22 25Section 22. 940.198 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,6,3
1940.198 (3) (c) Whoever recklessly causes bodily harm to an elder person or an
2adult at risk
under circumstances or conditions that are likely to produce great bodily
3harm is guilty of a Class H felony.
SB72,23 4Section 23. 940.198 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,6,85 940.198 (4) Knowledge of age or at risk status not required. This section
6applies irrespective of whether the defendant had actual knowledge of the victim's
7age or status as an adult at risk. A mistake regarding the victim's age or status as
8an adult at risk
is not a defense to a prosecution under this section.
SB72,24 9Section 24. 940.225 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,6,1410 940.225 (1) (e) Commits a violation under sub. (2) against an adult at risk, as
11defined in s. 55.01 (1e). This paragraph applies irrespective of whether the
12defendant had actual knowledge of the crime victim's status as an adult at risk. A
13mistake regarding the victim's status as an adult at risk is not a defense to a
14prosecution under this paragraph.
SB72,25 15Section 25. 971.109 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,6,17 16971.109 (title) Freezing assets of a person charged with financial
17exploitation of an elder person
or an adult at risk .
SB72,26 18Section 26. 971.109 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 971.109 (1) (am).
SB72,27 19Section 27. 971.109 (1) (ac) of the statutes is created to read:
SB72,6,2020 971.109 (1) (ac) “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e).
SB72,28 21Section 28. 971.109 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,7,522 971.109 (2) (a) If a defendant is charged with a crime that is financial
23exploitation, the crime involves the taking or loss of property valued at more than
24$2,500, and the crime victim is an elder person or an adult at risk, a prosecuting
25attorney may file a petition with the court in which the defendant has been charged

1to freeze the funds, assets, or property of the defendant in an amount up to 100
2percent of the alleged value of funds, assets, or property in the defendant's pending
3criminal proceeding for purposes of restitution to the crime victim. The hearing on
4the petition may be held ex parte. The rules of evidence do not apply in a hearing
5under this paragraph.
SB72,29 6Section 29. 971.109 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB72,7,127 971.109 (2) (c) The court's order shall prohibit the sale, gifting, transfer, or
8wasting of the funds, assets, or real or personal property of the elder person or adult
9at risk
that are owned by or vested in the defendant without the express permission
10of the court. The court's order shall be binding upon a financial institution, as defined
11in s. 943.80 (2), and any 3rd party that is in possession of the funds, assets, or
12property.
SB72,7,1313 (End)
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