Senate Bill 445 aims to establish a legal framework for the consideration of antisemitism in Wisconsin's laws, ordinances, and policies related to discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin. The bill mandates that all state agencies, local governmental units, and their employees or officials must take into account the definition of antisemitism as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, including its examples, when assessing evidence of discriminatory intent. This applies to any laws or policies that prohibit discrimination or enhance criminal penalties for offenses motivated by the victim's or group's actual or perceived characteristics.
Additionally, the bill includes a provision that clarifies that nothing within this section should be interpreted as diminishing or infringing upon rights protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution or conflicting with existing federal or state antidiscrimination laws. The creation of this statute, designated as 20.932, reflects a commitment to addressing antisemitism within the broader context of discrimination laws in Wisconsin.