Madison, WI – Today, State Senator Jesse James delivered another win for our Wisconsin children. The Senate convened and passed Senator James’ legislation statutorily criminalizing the grooming of a child with strong bipartisan support.
This piece of legislation fills a critical gap in our laws by recognizing grooming of a child a serious criminal offense. While this law will be used as a strong prosecutorial tool, it will also allow law enforcement to intervene much earlier, focusing on prevention rather than a reactive approach.
“It is apparent now more than ever that we need a definition of grooming,” Senator James said. “As a law enforcement officer, I have seen these types of cases too often. Grooming is a deliberate, gradual process that causes substantial harm and trauma. These predators need to be stopped, and this bill will do exactly that.”
The other legislation Senator James authored that passed during today’s floor session include Senate Bill 556 which allows certain energy storage facilities to be eligible for utility aid payments, Senate Bill 810 which provides increased reimbursement for military funeral provisions, and Senate Bill 832 which allows remote pharmacy dispensing.