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Wisconsin Legislature: SB902: Bill Text
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SB902: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-6057/1
MJW:skw
2025 SENATE BILL 902
January 27, 2026 - Introduced by Senators
James
,
Quinn
and
Wanggaard
, cosponsored by Representatives
B. Jacobson
,
Snyder
,
Mursau
,
Behnke
,
Brill
,
Dittrich
,
Gundrum
,
Knodl
,
Kreibich
,
Maxey
,
Moses
,
Murphy
,
O'Connor
,
Piwowarczyk
,
Spiros
and
Tittl
. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
SB902,1,2
1
An Act
to create
895.439 of the statutes;
relating to:
creating a civil cause of
2
action for sexual extortion.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a civil cause of action for victims of sexual extortion, which is also a crime. Under the bill, a victim of sexual extortion, or his or her parent if the victim is a child, or the personal representative of his or her estate if the victim is deceased, may bring a civil cause of action to recover damages for injury, emotional distress, or loss of property. Additionally, the bill provides that the personal representative of a deceased person or the person who would stand to benefit from a wrongful death action may bring an action for wrongful death against a person who engaged in sexual extortion if the sexual extortion was a substantial causal factor in the suicide of the deceased person. Under the bill, the victim or their representative may bring the cause of action regardless of whether there has been a criminal action for the sexual exploitation, and regardless of the outcome of any criminal action for the sexual exploitation.
Under the bill, if the victim prevails in the action, a court may award special and general damages, including damages for emotional distress; punitive damages; and costs, including all reasonable attorney fees and other costs of the investigation and litigation which were reasonably incurred.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB902,1
1
Section
1
.
895.439 of the statutes is created to read:
SB902,2,9
2
895.439
Sexual extortion; actions for.
(1)
Any person who suffers
3
physical injury to his or her person, emotional distress, or loss of his or her property
4
by reason of conduct that is prohibited under s. 942.095 has a civil cause of action
5
against the person who caused the physical injury, emotional distress, or loss. An
6
action under this subsection may be brought by the person who suffered the
7
physical injury, emotional distress, or loss, by the person’s parent or legal guardian
8
if the person is a child, or by the personal representative of the person’s estate if the
9
person is deceased.
SB902,2,15
10
(2)
The personal representative of the estate of a deceased person whose
11
death results from suicide, or the person to whom the amount recovered belongs,
12
may bring an action for wrongful death against any person who engaged in conduct
13
that is prohibited under s. 942.095 if the prohibited conduct was a substantial
14
causal factor in the suicide of the deceased person. In an action under this
15
subsection, the damage limitations under s. 895.04 do not apply.
SB902,3,2
16
(3)
(a) Notwithstanding ss. 801.09 (1), 801.095, 802.04 (1), and 815.05 (1g) (a),
17
in an action brought under this section, the plaintiff may substitute his or her
18
initials, or fictitious initials, and his or her age and county of residence for his or her
19
name and address on the summons and complaint. The plaintiff’s attorney shall
20
supply the court the name and other necessary identifying information of the
21
plaintiff. The court shall maintain the name and other identifying information,
1
and supply the information to other parties to the action, in a manner that
2
reasonably protects the information from being disclosed to the public.
SB902,3,5
3
(b) Upon motion by the plaintiff, and for good cause shown, or upon its own
4
motion, the court may make any order that justice requires to protect any of the
5
following:
SB902,3,8
6
1. A plaintiff who is using initials in an action under this section from
7
annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden that would arise if any
8
information identifying the plaintiff were made public.
SB902,3,10
9
2. A plaintiff in an action under this section from unreasonably long,
10
repetitive, or burdensome physical or mental examinations.
SB902,3,12
11
3. The confidentiality of information that under law is confidential, until the
12
information is provided in open court in an action under this section.
SB902,3,16
13
(4)
If the plaintiff prevails in a civil action under sub. (1) or (2), he or she may
14
recover special and general damages, including damages for emotional distress;
15
punitive damages; and costs, including all reasonable attorney fees and other costs
16
of the investigation and litigation that were reasonably incurred.
SB902,3,19
17
(5)
A person may bring a civil action under sub. (1) or (2) regardless of
18
whether there has been a criminal action related to the conduct that is prohibited
19
under s. 942.095 and regardless of the outcome of any such criminal action.
SB902,3,20
20
(end)
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