This bill requires health insurance plans and self-insured programs to stop using the Salzmann Evaluation Index alone when deciding whether to cover treatment for severe misalignment or malocclusion of teeth. It directly affects dental coverage under disability insurance policies, self-insured plans, limited service health organizations, preferred provider plans, and defined network plans. The law mandates that these plans must consider additional factors beyond the index when making prior authorization decisions for orthodontic treatments. The changes apply to policy years starting after the law takes effect, with specific timing for plans affected by collective bargaining agreements.
This bill requires electric utilities in the state to send notices to customers whenever they request rate changes from the public service commission. The notices must explain how proposed or approved rate changes would affect average residential and commercial bills, and inform customers where to find copies of the rate case application and request detailed explanations. Utilities must deliver these notices through their existing billing methods and on their websites, with the content updating after the commission issues its final decision. The law applies starting with rate case applications filed after the bill takes effect.
This bill would limit when health insurance companies can ask people to pay back money they already received for medical claims. It directly affects individuals with disability insurance policies, health maintenance organizations, and other health coverage plans. Under the new rules, insurers can only request repayment of already paid claims within 12 months of the initial payment, or 18 months if the claim involved coordination with other programs like Medicare or state medical assistance. The only exception allows retroactive denials if the original claim information was found to be fraudulent.
This bill establishes a moratorium on operating new data centers in the state unless specific conditions are met, directly affecting companies that build or operate large-scale digital storage and processing facilities. It requires the creation of a statewide planning authority and mandates that data centers cannot shift their energy or water costs to residential customers. The legislation also includes requirements for mandatory public reporting of resource usage, environmental safeguards, 100% renewable energy from newly built projects, prevailing wage standards for construction workers, and prior approval by local voters before a data center can be built. Additionally, it prohibits financial subsidies for data centers, bans nondisclosure agreements between data centers and local officials, and restores public utility planning authority.
This bill creates a new Office of the Public Intervenor within the state insurance commissioner's office to help individuals with insurance claims, policies, and appeals for medical procedures and medications. It establishes rules requiring insurers to process disability insurance claims within reasonable timeframes, provide detailed explanations for claim denials, and disclose when artificial intelligence is used in claim decisions. The office can levy assessments on insurers based on their premium volume to fund its operations and conduct audits of claims denial practices. Additionally, the bill prohibits specific insurer practices such as using vague policy terms, stalling claim reviews, or allowing non-physician personnel to determine medical necessity.
This bill establishes a new basic health plan for individuals with household incomes below 200 percent of the poverty line and creates a purchase option program allowing eligible people with higher incomes to buy coverage through the state program instead of private insurance. The program would offer benefits similar to existing state coverage, include tax credits for eligible participants, and set premium rates comparable to managed care plans while requiring federal waivers to implement. It also directs the creation of a state-based insurance exchange where individuals can access these purchase options and grants officials authority to create rules needed for implementation. The bill requires a report on federal waiver status and economic analyses by March 2027 before the program can be fully launched.
This bill requires health insurance plans, including those for government employees and public schools, to cover prosthetic limbs and custom orthotic braces when deemed medically necessary by a licensed healthcare provider. The law defines prostheses as devices that replace missing limbs and custom orthotic braces as personalized devices that correct or support musculoskeletal conditions, ensuring coverage includes materials, instruction, and repairs under specific circumstances. Coverage must match or exceed federal standards and apply to replacement or repair when medically needed due to changes in the patient's condition or when repair costs exceed 60 percent of replacement costs. The bill also mandates that plans maintain access to at least two in-network providers in the state and requires written explanations for any coverage denials based on medical necessity.
This bill establishes a state-based health insurance exchange and provides funding for its operation. It requires the state insurance commissioner to set up an exchange that joins the federal platform by 2029 and transitions to a fully state-run system by 2030. The legislation creates a new fee structure where insurers using the exchange pay a 0.5 percent charge on premiums during the federal platform phase, with different rates applying after the transition. Additionally, it sets rules for how unspent funds from the exchange program must be handled at the end of each fiscal year.
This bill requires landlords and utility providers to give tenants clear information about utility charges in residential rental agreements. It mandates that landlords disclose whether utilities are included in rent before a lease begins and explains how any separate utility costs will be calculated and allocated. The law also establishes a process for tenants to request detailed accounting of variable utility charges within 14 days and prohibits landlords from charging separate fees for processing utility payments. Additionally, the bill requires public utilities and housing cooperatives to provide tenants with copies of property utility charges upon request.
This bill requires health insurance policies and self-insured plans in Wisconsin to cover speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering, including both services that help maintain or improve skills and those that restore lost abilities. The law applies to disability insurance policies and health plans offered by the state, counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts, ensuring coverage regardless of whether the stuttering is developmental or caused by other factors. Key provisions mandate that covered plans cannot impose annual visit limits, deny coverage based on the cause of stuttering, or require prior authorization for speech therapy services. The bill also includes telehealth options and establishes a process for the state insurance commissioner to seek federal waivers if the new requirements would trigger additional state costs under federal healthcare laws.
This bill expands the Wisconsin attorney general's authority to file civil lawsuits on behalf of the state against individuals or entities accused of violating civil rights in housing, employment, education, and public accommodations. It allows the attorney general to investigate these potential violations by requiring sworn statements, accessing relevant documents, and issuing subpoenas to gather information. If a violation is found, the attorney general can seek court orders to stop the illegal conduct, recover investigation costs, and impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 for first offenses or $100,000 for subsequent violations within seven years. The bill also permits the attorney general to accept voluntary compliance agreements as an alternative to litigation, though breaking such agreements would still be treated as a violation subject to penalties.
This bill proposes to update the legal definition of a political action committee (PAC) for campaign finance purposes in the state statutes. It would classify a group as a PAC if it spends more than $1,000 in a 12-month period on express advocacy, referendum support or opposition, or contributions to candidates, legislative committees, or political parties. The definition specifically excludes fundraising and administrative expenses from the spending calculation. This change would affect how organizations are categorized and regulated under campaign finance laws. The bill was introduced in March 2026 but failed to pass the Senate.
