SB 355 Wisconsin Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Relating to: establishing a civil cause of action for civil rights violations.

SB 355 creates a new legal pathway for individuals whose constitutional rights (under U.S. or state law) were violated by government actors acting "under color of law" (e.g., police, officials). It allows affected people to sue for damages, injunctions, or other relief against the violating party, including government entities. The bill specifically requires courts to award reasonable attorney fees to winning plaintiffs and sets a 6-year deadline to file such lawsuits. This directly affects anyone facing rights violations by government officials, providing a clear legal remedy where none existed previously under the cited statutes.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jun 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jun 27, 2025 Last action Mar 23, 2026
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Jun 27, 2025
Introduced
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
upper
5 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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