Wisconsin Senate Bill SB1133

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to repeal 973.01 (2) (d) 1., 973.01 (2) (d) 2. and 973.01 (2) (d) 3.; to amend 973.01 (2) (d) (intro.), 973.01 (2) (d) 4., 973.09 (1) (a), 973.09 (2) (a) 2., 973.09 (2) (b) 2. and 973.09 (3) (a); to create 973.01 (2) (e) of the statutes; Relating to: the maximum term of extended supervision or probation.

Summary

SB1133 would change Wisconsin sentencing law by capping the length of extended supervision and probation at five years in most cases. For felony sentences under the state’s bifurcated sentencing system, the bill would repeal the current felony-class-specific maximums for Class B, C, and D felonies and replace them with a single rule that extended supervision for Class B through G felonies may not exceed five years. It would also keep the current minimum rule that extended supervision must be at least 25 percent of the prison term or five years, whichever is less. The bill also limits probation. It would prohibit consecutive probation periods, or combinations of extended supervision followed by probation, from exceeding a combined total of five years of supervision. It would further cap original and extended probation terms at five years in the situations where current law allows longer probation based on multiple misdemeanor or felony convictions, and it would preserve the court’s general authority to impose probation conditions and extend probation for cause, but only up to the five-year ceiling.

Impact

If enacted, SB1133 would substantially revise sections 973.01 and 973.09 of the Wisconsin Statutes by narrowing the maximum supervision periods courts may impose after conviction. The bill would reduce or eliminate longer extended-supervision terms currently available for higher felony classes and would impose a uniform five-year ceiling on extended supervision and probation in the covered circumstances. Its practical effect would be to shorten post-incarceration and community supervision exposure for many felony and misdemeanor defendants, while limiting judicial discretion to stack supervision periods beyond five years.

Sentiment

The available record shows little direct committee debate or recorded voting activity, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to measure. Based on the bill’s structure, it appears to be a criminal-penalties reform measure aimed at reducing supervision lengths rather than expanding punishment. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment.

Contention

The main policy tension in SB1133 is between limiting supervision terms and preserving judicial flexibility. Supporters would likely view the bill as a way to simplify sentencing rules and reduce lengthy supervision burdens, while opponents may argue that a five-year cap is too restrictive for serious felonies and could reduce courts’ ability to tailor supervision to public-safety needs. The most notable points of contention are the repeal of existing felony-class-specific maximums for extended supervision, the new five-year cap for combined supervision periods, and the restriction on extending probation beyond that limit.