“This is about protecting children of all faiths,” she said.

She pointed to a recent report by the Capital Times of Madison, in which several women alleged abuse by prominent members of the Cavalry Gospel Church, a Pentecostal church in Madison. The reported abuse occurred between the 1980s and 2005, and the women claim that clergy and other members of the church were aware of the abuse and discouraged reporting to police.

However, sexual abuse by priests was mentioned specifically in a news release from the three lawmakers that was distributed last week. In the news release, the lawmakers point out that records held by the Milwaukee Archdiocese confirm that the systemic sexual abuse of children was covered up and ignored in the Catholic Church until the early 2000s.

“This bill is vital in ending the systemic abuse, and cover-ups of such abuse, that has occurred,” Sargent said in a statement emailed to The Journal Times. “Thank you to the religious individuals, churches, and communities who know that child abuse and sexual violence is never okay, and who are willing to take meaningful steps to combat this issue.”

In his statement, Donohue called the bill a “monumental flop” and stated “The government has no business policing the sacraments of the Catholic Church.”