Gov. Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 279 into law Dec. 9, allowing the Wisconsin Department of Justice to make grants for Criminal Justice Information Services-compliant data-sharing platforms. The bill is codified as 2025 Wisconsin Act 58, and it’s slated to run through June 2027, the end of the current budget cycle. Dollar amounts aren’t specified.
Supporters of the legislation said in written statements submitted to committee that fragmented data systems are slowing investigations and case closures, particularly in regions where multiple law enforcement agencies operate in overlapping jurisdictions.
“Without integrated data systems, we risk missing key links that could prevent crime or lead to faster resolutions,” wrote the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association in its statement to lawmakers.
Peregrine Technologies lobbied for the bill, logging about 64 hours on the effort, according to the state Ethics Commission’s lobbying records. Other lobbying came from the Wisconsin Grocers Association, Wisconsin Professional Police Association and the State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police.
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Security Policy was updated within the past year, strengthening requirements for how agencies protect criminal justice information. The policy covers case history, biometrics and personally identifiable information. Among the requirements are implementing multifactor authentication, enhanced data encryption and measures to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities.
The Wisconsin bill includes several requirements for the funded platforms. They must integrate various agencies’ data in real time and eliminate redundant records; provide modern search, analytics, visualization and role-based access control; be secure and allow for multifactor authentication options; ensure data is owned by its own agency; and support various operating systems and mobile devices used by law enforcement.
