Senate Bill 121 aims to recodify and reorganize the battery statutes in Wisconsin law, specifically those found in sections 940.19 to 940.208. The bill does not alter the penalties associated with these crimes but instead restructures them based on the identity of the actor and the victim. Key changes include the creation of a new subchapter titled "Bodily security; battery," which consolidates definitions and special circumstances related to battery offenses. The bill also expands the definition of a family member to include grandparents and legal guardians, clarifies the inclusion of jails in the context of bodily harm caused by prisoners, and combines various threats to commit battery into a single crime.

Additionally, the bill renames and renumbers several existing statutes to align with the new structure, such as changing "Physical abuse of an elder person" to "Battery to an elder person." It repeals certain cross-references and updates others to reflect the new organization of the battery statutes. The bill also includes provisions for the Department of Justice to post model language regarding penalties for causing or threatening bodily harm to healthcare providers. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline and clarify the legal framework surrounding battery offenses in Wisconsin.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 343.12(7)(c)9j, 343.12, 939.22(21)(e), 939.22, 939.22(21)(em)
Text as Enrolled: 343.12(7)(c)9j, 343.12, 939.22(21)(e), 939.22, 939.22(21)(em), 940.198(1)(intro.), 940.198, 940.20(title), 940.20