Milwaukee City Wire

A bill authored by State Sen. Tim Carpenter in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to strengthen protections for adults at risk by increasing penalties and improving legal remedies against various forms of abuse and exploitation, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "increased penalties for crimes against adults at risk; restraining orders for adults at risk; freezing assets of a defendant charged with financial exploitation of an adult at risk; sexual assault of an adult at risk; and providing a penalty".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill aims to enhance protections for adults at risk by increasing penalties for various crimes against them, such as sexual and physical assault and financial exploitation. It reclassifies second-degree sexual assaults to first-degree when the victim is an adult at risk, upgrading the offense from a Class C to a Class B felony. The bill permits courts to freeze a defendant's assets to preserve them for potential restitution if charged with financially exploiting an adult at risk. Additionally, the legislation provides for increased imprisonment terms for crimes against adults at risk, with possible enhancements of up to six years depending on the original sentence. Physical abuse penalties are aligned with those applicable to elder person abuse. The bill also facilitates the process for adults at risk to obtain restraining orders by allowing them to participate in hearings via phone or audiovisual means. These changes apply regardless of the perpetrator's knowledge of the victim's status as an adult at risk. The effective date is not specified in the provided text.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Rob Kreibich (Republican-28th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), and Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), along with five other co-sponsors.

Tim Carpenter has co-authored or authored another three bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Carpenter graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1982 with a BA.

Carpenter, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2003 to represent the state's 3rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Brian Burke.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB15	02/05/2025	Increased penalties for crimes against adults at risk; restraining orders for adults at risk; freezing assets of a defendant charged with financial exploitation of an adult at risk; sexual assault of an adult at risk; and providing a penalty
SB14	02/03/2025	Pelvic exams on unconscious patients and creating an administrative rule related to hospital requirements for pelvic exams on unconscious patients