Wisconsin Survivor Justice & Safety Package Moves to Governor’s Desk

Madison, W.I. (Tuesday, February 17, 2026) – Tuesday afternoon, the Wisconsin Assembly passed S.B. 413, the Survivor Justice & Safety Package. The bill, which passed the Wisconsin Senate on November 11, 2025, is now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. 

Sponsors, Senator Howard L. Marklein and Representative Karen Hurd, wrote, advocated for, and got this legislation to the finish line just ahead of the Wisconsin Assembly ending its session. It’s thanks to them that the Survivor Justice & Safety Package passed unanimously out of both chambers.

Why Wisconsin S.B. 413 Matters to Survivors

When S.B. 413 becomes law, it will support the state’s survivors in three main ways:

1. Allow early lease terminations. Survivors will be able to terminate their leases early if they can provide proof of an injunction for sexual assault against their perpetrator.

2. Provide immunity from certain crimes when reporting a sexual assault. Survivors cannot be prosecuted for intoxication or possession of controlled substances when they report a sexual assault to police.

3. Extend the statute of limitations. Survivors will now be able to access the court system up to 20 years after many sexually violent crimes

RAINN Reacts to Wisconsin’s Survivor Justice & Safety Package

Malorie Harder, a RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline volunteer and Wisconsinite, told the Wisconsin Senate, “In almost every conversation I have with survivors, there are questions around if they can trust our justice system to do anything about it or if it is even worth trying to come forward for their own protection. Instead, the questions should be on ‘what can I do to protect and stand up for myself’ and ‘how is my justice system here to support me.’ This bill changes that.”

“In almost every conversation I have with survivors, there are questions around if they can trust our justice system to do anything about it or if it is even worth trying to come forward.”

“Wisconsin’s representatives have shown survivors that they believe them, will fight for their safety, and help build a system that takes sexual violence reports seriously,” said RAINN Vice President of Public Policy Stefan Turkheimer. “Wisconsin will be a safer place for all of its residents when this bill becomes law.”

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