Criminal Justice

SB 232 creates annual state grants of $17,000 per child advocacy center in Wisconsin to support education, training, medical advice, and quality assurance for responding to child maltreatment cases. The bill specifically authorizes funding for existing centers in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Fox Valley, Marathon, Chippewa, Brown, Racine, Walworth, and Green counties, plus adds the Lakeshore Regional Center in Sheboygan County and a statewide "Child Advocacy Centers of Wisconsin" entity. These grants, drawn from a specific state appropriation, directly support the operational capacity of these centers to improve multidisciplinary child abuse response. The bill was enacted as 2025 Wisconsin Act 13 after approval by the Governor on July 2, 2025.