AB 672 Wisconsin Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: penalty enhancer for crimes committed by a person acting as an agent of a foreign government or terrorist organization with the intent to silence or punish persons for their political view, criminalizing the enforcement of foreign laws without federal or state approval, and providing a penalty. (FE)

AB 672 creates new Wisconsin statutes to address "transnational repression," defined as actions by foreign government or terrorist organization agents targeting dissidents (like activists, journalists, or minority group members) to silence them over political views. It establishes a state training program for law enforcement, a public awareness campaign, and a digital reporting portal to identify such cases. The bill increases penalties for crimes committed as part of this repression (e.g., elevating a Class B felony to a Class A felony) and criminalizes enforcing foreign laws without federal or state approval, punishable by a minimum 3-year prison term. These provisions directly affect foreign agents operating within Wisconsin and target actions intended to suppress political dissent.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Assembly Passage
Jan 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Vetoed
Mar 2026
Introduced Nov 19, 2025 Vetoed Mar 20, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Text Text as Enrolled · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill text was converted from a draft introduction format to the final enrolled version, which is the legally binding text signed into law. The substantive policy content regarding penalties for transnational repression and illegal enforcement of foreign laws remains identical to the draft, but the final text now includes a new Section 3 explicitly defining the crime of illegally enforcing foreign laws and a new Section 4 listing specific statutes affected by the penalty enhancer.
Scope change
The scope of the bill's applicability was expanded by adding a new specific crime (Section 3) and clarifying the list of statutes subject to penalty enhancements (Section 4) in the final text.
ENFORCEMENT

Added Section 3, which creates a new Class E felony for intentionally preventing, detecting, investigating, monitoring, surveilling, or prosecuting offenses under foreign or terrorist laws without federal or state approval, including a mandatory minimum 3-year prison sentence and $10,000 fine.

DEFINITION

Added Section 4, which amends the general sentencing guidelines to explicitly list the specific statutes (including the new penalty enhancer and the new foreign law enforcement crime) that trigger enhanced penalties.

TECHNICAL

Removed draft-specific headers, committee referral notes, and analysis text, replacing them with the formal 'Text as Enrolled' language required for a signed bill.

Floor votes · Assembly Jan 22, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
38
Key actions
6
Committee
5
Amendments
4
Mar 20, 2026
Vetoed
Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-20-2026
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 14
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
Feb 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 44
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Introduced
Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Introduced
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Snodgrass
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Introduced
Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Introduced
Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Udell
lower
Jan 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Placed on calendar 1-22-2026 by Committee on Rules
lower
Jan 16, 2026
Committee
Referred to committee on Rules
lower
Jan 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 5
lower
Nov 19, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Representatives Moses, Dallman, Knodl, O'Connor, Penterman, Murphy, Kurtz, Melotik, Green, Behnke, Brill, Piwowarczyk and Callahan; cosponsored by Senators Testin, Tomczyk, Jacque, Nass and Feyen
lower
13 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors