Bill > AB124

This bill prohibits individuals convicted of violent crimes from changing their legal name, expanding on existing restrictions previously limited to registered sex offenders. The bill defines a "violent crime" according to the existing legal definition in section 969.001 (3) (a), which includes serious offenses such as homicide, battery, kidnapping, stalking, human trafficking, and sexual assault. Under the proposed law, any person convicted of a violent crime who attempts to change their name would be guilty of a Class H felony, which is a serious criminal offense carrying significant potential penalties. The bill amends multiple sections of Wisconsin statutes related to vital records, name changes, and legal procedures to incorporate this new prohibition, ensuring that courts, state registrars, and other legal entities are prevented from processing name change requests for individuals with violent crime convictions. Importantly, the bill includes a provision stating that a person cannot be convicted of violating both this new provision and an existing law regarding name changes by registered sex offenders for the same incident, which prevents duplicate prosecution. The legislative intent appears to be preventing convicted violent criminals from potentially obscuring their criminal history or evading legal accountability through name changes.

Justice

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/bill/ab124