Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB355: Bill Text
Skip navigation
Home
Documents
Senate
Assembly
Committees
Service Agencies
Docs
Options
Help
2025 Biennium
Statutes
Admin. Rules
Indices
Miscellaneous
Archives
Home
Bill, Rule, and Appointment Histories
Senators
Representatives
Committees
Text of Introduced Proposals
Amendment Text
Acts
Veto Messages
Enrolled Bills
Votes
Assembly and Senate Floor Calendars
Schedule of Committee Activities
Assembly and Senate Journals
Committee Records (ROCPs)
Legislative Rules
All Session-Related Documents
Subject Index to Acts
Subject Index to Legislation
Subject Index to Journals
Author Index to Legislation
Subject Index to Clearinghouse Rules
Miscellaneous Budget Documents
Executive Orders
Rulings of the Chair
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules
Opinions of the Attorney General
Town Law Forms
Law
Districts
Session
Drafting Files
Feeds
Preferences
Show tree
Hide tree
Feedback
Help
Home
Senate Home
Senators
Committees
Session
Chief Clerk
Sergeant at Arms
Civics Education
Human Resources
Assembly Home
Representatives
Committees
Session
Chief Clerk
Sergeant at Arms
Human Resources
Schedule
Joint
Senate
Assembly
Study
Legislative Audit Bureau
Legislative Council
Legislative Fiscal Bureau
Legislative Human Resources Office
Legislative Reference Bureau
Legislative Technology Services Bureau
Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
SB355: Bill Text
Up
Up
2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-3561/1
SWB:cjs&emw
2025 SENATE BILL 355
June 27, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
Larson
,
Carpenter
,
Keyeski
,
Ratcliff
and
Habush Sinykin
, cosponsored by Representatives
Hysell
,
Mayadev
,
Bare
,
Arney
,
Clancy
,
DeSanto
,
DeSmidt
,
Emerson
,
Haywood
,
Hong
,
Joers
,
McCarville
,
Miresse
,
Moore Omokunde
,
Neubauer
,
Ortiz-Velez
,
Phelps
,
Prado
,
Rivera-Wagner
,
Roe
,
Sinicki
,
Snodgrass
,
Stroud
,
Stubbs
,
Subeck
,
Udell
,
Andraca
and
Madison
. Referred to Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
SB355,1,2
1
An Act
to create
895.059 of the statutes;
relating to:
establishing a civil cause
2
of action for civil rights violations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill establishes a civil cause of action for civil rights violations. Under the bill, any person who has been deprived of any due process or equal protection rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the constitution or laws of the United States, or any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the constitution or laws of this state, by a person acting under color of law, or whose exercise or enjoyment of those rights, privileges, or immunities has been interfered with or attempted to be interfered with, by threats, intimidation, or coercion by a person acting under color of law, has a cause of action and may bring suit against another person, including the state or any political subdivision, department, agency, or instrumentality of the state, for damages and for injunctive or other appropriate relief. The bill provides that the court must also award reasonable attorney fees and costs to a plaintiff that prevails in an action under the bill. Under the bill, a plaintiff must bring an action for a violation of the provisions in the bill within six years after the alleged violation occurs.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB355,1
1
Section
1
.
895.059 of the statutes is created to read:
SB355,2,11
2
895.059
Civil rights violations.
(1)
Any person who has been deprived of
3
any due process or equal protection rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the
4
constitution or laws of the United States, or any rights, privileges, or immunities
5
secured by the constitution or laws of this state, by a person acting under color of
6
law, or whose exercise or enjoyment of those rights, privileges, or immunities has
7
been interfered with or attempted to be interfered with, by threats, intimidation, or
8
coercion by a person acting under color of law, has a cause of action and may bring
9
suit against another person, including the state or any political subdivision,
10
department, agency, or instrumentality of the state, for damages and for injunctive
11
or other appropriate relief.
SB355,2,15
12
(2)
In addition to any damages, injunction, or other appropriate relief
13
awarded to a prevailing plaintiff in an action under this section, the court shall
14
award the prevailing plaintiff, notwithstanding the limitations of s. 814.04,
15
reasonable attorney fees and costs.
SB355,2,17
16
(3)
Sections 893.80 and 893.82 do not apply to actions commenced under this
17
section.
SB355,2,19
18
(4)
An action under this section shall be commenced within 6 years after the
19
alleged violation of sub. (1) occurs or be barred.
SB355,2
20
Section
2
. Initial applicability.
SB355,2,22
21
(
1
)
This act first applies to a cause of action accruing on the effective date of
22
this subsection.
SB355,2,23
23
(end)
Down
Down
/2025/related/proposals/sb355
true
proposaltext
/2025/related/proposals/sb355
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB355
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB355
section
true
Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
SB355: Bill Text
×
Details for
PDF view
Link
(Permanent link)
Bookmark this location
View toggle
Go to top of document
Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Search in this agency
Search in this chapter group
Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Cross references for section
Acts affecting this section
References to this
1970 Statutes Annotations
Appellate Court Citations
Administrative Code Index
Reference lines
Clear highlighting