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SB404 • 2025

creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation

creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation

Budget
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Senators James, L. Johnson, Ratcliff, Roys, Hesselbein, Drake, Wirch, Carpenter, Keyeski, Larson, Smith, Dassler-Alfheim, Habush Sinykin, Pfaff, Wall and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Stubbs, Snyder, Joers, Vining, Neubauer, Moore Omokunde, Novak, Rivera-Wagner, Goodwin, O'Connor, Tenorio, Bare, Miresse, Sinicki, Taylor, Brooks, Udell, Emerson, Roe, Behnke, Clancy, Hong, Stroud, Fitzgerald, Armstrong, Phelps, Mayadev, Madison, Andraca, Kaufert, DeSmidt, Billings, Haywood, Anderson, Tranel, Sheehan, Subeck, Gustafson and Johnson
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
S - Available for Scheduling
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation

creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation Status: S - Available for Scheduling

What This Bill Does

  • creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation Status: S - Available for Scheduling

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Sen.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Representative Snodgrass added as a cosponsor

  3. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Executive action taken

  4. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families , Ayes 5, Noes 0

  5. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families , Ayes 5, Noes 0

  6. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Available for scheduling

  7. 2026-01-21 Sen.

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  8. 2026-01-09 Sen.

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  9. 2025-12-16 Sen.

    Public hearing held

  10. 2025-09-09 Sen.

    Representative Arney added as a cosponsor

  11. 2025-08-28 Sen.

    Introduced by Senators James , L. Johnson , Ratcliff , Roys , Hesselbein , Drake , Wirch , Carpenter , Keyeski , Larson , Smith , Dassler-Alfheim , Habush Sinykin , Pfaff , Wall and Spreitzer ; cosponsored by Representatives Stubbs , Snyder , Joers , Vining , Neubauer , Moore Omokunde , Novak , Rivera-Wagner , Goodwin , O'Connor , Tenorio , Bare , Miresse , Sinicki , Taylor , Brooks , Udell , Emerson , Roe , Behnke , Clancy , Hong , Stroud , Fitzgerald , Armstrong , Phelps , Mayadev , Madison , Andraca , Kaufert , DeSmidt , Billings , Haywood , Anderson , Tranel , Sheehan , Subeck , Gustafson and Johnson

  12. 2025-08-28 Sen.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families

Official Summary Text

creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls and making an appropriation
Status: S - Available for Scheduling

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB404: Bill Text

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2025
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Proposal Text
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SB404: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4148/1
MJW:emw&cjs
2025 SENATE BILL 404
August 28, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
James
,
L. Johnson
,
Ratcliff
,
Roys
,
Hesselbein
,
Drake
,
Wirch
,
Carpenter
,
Keyeski
,
Larson
,
Smith
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Habush Sinykin
,
Pfaff
,
Wall
and
Spreitzer
, cosponsored by Representatives
Stubbs
,
Snyder
,
Joers
,
Vining
,
Neubauer
,
Moore Omokunde
,
Novak
,
Rivera-Wagner
,
Goodwin
,
O'Connor
,
Tenorio
,
Bare
,
Miresse
,
Sinicki
,
Taylor
,
Brooks
,
Udell
,
Emerson
,
Roe
,
Behnke
,
Clancy
,
Hong
,
Stroud
,
Fitzgerald
,
Armstrong
,
Phelps
,
Mayadev
,
Madison
,
Andraca
,
Kaufert
,
DeSmidt
,
Billings
,
Haywood
,
Anderson
,
Tranel
,
Sheehan
,
Subeck
,
Gustafson
and
Johnson
. Referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
SB404,1,2
1
An Act

relating to:
creating a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African
2
American Women and Girls and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls. The task force must be established by the attorney general and must consist of members who are knowledgeable in crime victims rights or violence protection and who work in a range of relevant positions as specified in the bill. The task force must examine various factors that contribute to violence against African American women and girls and submit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by December 15, 2026, a report on actions that can be taken to eliminate violence against African American women and girls. The bill also authorizes and provides funding for 1.0 FTE GPR project position for DOJ to staff the task force.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB404,1
3
Section
1
. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB404,2,2
1
(
1
)
Task force on missing and murdered African American women and
2
girls.
SB404,2,5
3
(
a
)
Definition.
In this subsection, “nongovernmental organization” means a
4
nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that provides legal, social, or other
5
community services.
SB404,2,11
6
(
b
)
Membership.
Within 45 days after the effective date of this paragraph, the
7
attorney general shall establish a special committee under s. 15.04 (1) (c) called the
8
task force on missing and murdered African American women and girls. The task
9
force shall consist of the following members who are knowledgeable in crime victims
10
rights or violence protection and who shall be appointed by and serve at the
11
pleasure of the attorney general unless otherwise specified:
SB404,2,13
12
1
. Two members of the senate, one appointed by the majority leader of the
13
senate and one appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
SB404,2,15
14
2
. Two members of the assembly, one appointed by the speaker of the
15
assembly and one appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
SB404,2,16
16
3
. Two representatives from among the following:
SB404,2,17
17
a
. The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association.
SB404,2,18
18
b
. The Badger State Sheriffs’ Association.
SB404,2,19
19
c
. The division of criminal investigation within the department of justice.
SB404,2,20
20
4
. One or more representatives from among the following:
SB404,2,21
21
a
. The Wisconsin District Attorneys Association.
SB404,2,22
22
b
. A U.S. Attorney’s office in this state.
SB404,2,23
23
c
. A judge or attorney working in juvenile court.
SB404,3,2
1
5
. A county coroner or representative from a statewide coroner’s association or
2
a representative of the department of health services.
SB404,3,3
3
6
. Three or more representatives from among the following:
SB404,3,5
4
a
. A statewide or local organization that provides legal services to African
5
American women and girls.
SB404,3,7
6
b
. A statewide or local organization that provides advocacy or counseling for
7
African American women and girls who have been victims of violence.
SB404,3,9
8
c
. A statewide or local organization that provides nonlegal services to African
9
American women and girls.
SB404,3,10
10
d
. The Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
SB404,3,11
11
e
. End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin.
SB404,3,12
12
f
. An African American woman who is a survivor of gender violence.
SB404,3,13
13
(
c
)
Operation.
SB404,3,19
14
1
. The task force under this subsection shall elect a chair and vice-chair from
15
among the members of the task force and may elect other officers as necessary. The
16
task force shall convene within 30 days after it is established and shall meet at least
17
quarterly thereafter, or upon the call of its chair, and may hold meetings throughout
18
the state. The task force shall meet sufficiently to accomplish the duties identified
19
in par. (
d
).
SB404,3,23
20
2
. The department of justice shall provide administrative support services to
21
the task force under this subsection. The task force may call upon any state agency
22
or officer to assist the task force, and those agencies or officers shall cooperate with
23
the task force to the fullest extent possible.
SB404,4,3
1
3
. The department of administration shall reimburse members of the task
2
force under this subsection for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in
3
carrying out their functions.
SB404,4,4
4
(
d
)
Duties.
SB404,4,6
5
1
. The task force under this subsection shall examine all of the following
6
topics:
SB404,4,11
7
a
. The systemic causes behind violence that African American women and
8
girls experience, including patterns and underlying factors that explain why
9
disproportionately high levels of violence occur against African American women
10
and girls and including underlying historical, generational, social, economic,
11
institutional, and cultural factors that may contribute to the violence.
SB404,4,14
12
b
. Appropriate methods for tracking and collecting data on violence against
13
African American women and girls, including data on missing and murdered
14
African American women and girls.
SB404,4,18
15
c
. Policies and institutions such as policing, child welfare, coroner practices,
16
and other governmental practices that impact violence against African American
17
women and girls and the investigation and prosecution of crimes of gender violence
18
against African American women and girls.
SB404,4,20
19
d
. Measures necessary to address and reduce violence against African
20
American women and girls.
SB404,4,23
21
e
. Measures to help victims, victims’ families, and victims’ communities
22
prevent and heal from violence that occurs against African American women and
23
girls.
SB404,5,3
1
2
. The task force under this subsection shall, by December 15, 2026, submit to
2
the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided
3
under s. 13.172 (3) a report that includes all of the following:
SB404,5,5
4
a
. Proposed institutional policies and practices that are effective in reducing
5
gender violence and increasing the safety of African American women and girls.
SB404,5,7
6
b
. Recommendations to eliminate violence against African American women
7
and girls.
SB404,5,9
8
c
. Recommendations to help victims and communities heal from gender
9
violence and violence against African American women and girls.
SB404,5,17
10
3
. In accomplishing the tasks in subds.
1
. and
2
., the task force under this
11
subsection shall seek out and enlist the cooperation and assistance of
12
nongovernmental organizations, community and advocacy organizations working
13
with the African American community, and academic researchers and experts,
14
specifically those specializing in violence against African American women and
15
girls, representing diverse communities disproportionately affected by violence
16
against women and girls or focusing on issues related to gender violence and
17
violence against African American women and girls.
SB404,5,20
18
(
e
)
Termination.
The task force on missing and murdered African American
19
women and girls terminates on the earlier of the date on which the report under
20
par. (
d
)
2
. is submitted or January 1, 2027.
SB404,2
21
Section

2
. Fiscal changes.
SB404,6,7
22
(
1
)
Task force on missing and murdered African American women and
23
girls.
In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department
1
of justice under s. 20.455 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2025-26 is
2
increased by $80,200 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department
3
of justice by 1.0 GPR project position to staff the task force on missing and
4
murdered African American women and girls until its termination. In the schedule
5
under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of justice under s.
6
20.455 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2026-27 is increased by $99,500 to
7
provide funding for the position authorized under this subsection.
SB404,6,8
8
(end)

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