SB 348 requires school districts to provide training for staff on addressing student mental health, directly affecting public schools and their employees. The bill adds $500,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $500,000 for 2026-27 to the state’s existing budget for the Department of Public Instruction to fund these training programs. This funding is specifically designated to support mental health training initiatives in schools, with no changes to existing curriculum requirements. The bill takes effect after the 2025 biennial budget is published.
SB 272 amends Wisconsin's Family Care eligibility rules to directly include individuals who are deaf-blind, as defined by federal law (29 U.S.C. § 1905). This change means deaf-blind individuals will now qualify for Family Care services without needing to undergo a separate assessment of their care needs. The bill updates the statute to establish deaf-blindness as a clear, standalone eligibility category, simplifying access to this state-supported care program for this specific group.
Assembly Joint Resolution 52 proclaims April 20 to 26, 2025, as National Infertility Awareness Week in Wisconsin. The resolution formally affirms the legal right of patients in Wisconsin to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other fertility treatments. It also rejects the notion of embryonic or fetal "personhood," aiming to support individuals seeking various family-building options.
SB 417 establishes rules for allowing essential visitors and clergy to visit residents in long-term care facilities (like nursing homes) and hospitals during communicable disease outbreaks. It requires facilities to permit at least one designated essential visitor (such as a family member or legal guardian) or clergy member in specific compassionate situations, including end-of-life care, grief support, or when a health professional determines the visitor’s presence benefits the patient. Facilities may deny visitation only if the visitor refuses safety protocols, poses a contagion risk, or the patient declines the visit. The bill also creates a process for residents to file complaints if facilities violate these rules and provides liability protection for facilities following the policy.
SB 384 requires health care providers to provide the same standard of care and immediate hospital transport for any child born alive after an abortion or attempted abortion, as they would for any newborn of the same gestational age. Violating these requirements is a Class H felony, but the mother cannot be prosecuted for the incident. The bill also allows affected women to seek triple the cost of the abortion as civil damages, plus attorney fees, while protecting their identity through court confidentiality orders. It explicitly states the law does not create or recognize a right to abortion.
SJR 32 designates the first full week in May as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. This resolution aims to raise awareness about Tardive Dyskinesia (TD), a condition causing involuntary movements often linked to antipsychotic medication use, and to encourage early detection and intervention for individuals prescribed these medications.
SB 308 allocates $1 million in state funding to Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to purchase and renovate an existing facility in Chippewa Falls. The grant will create a 50-bed treatment center specifically for men with substance use disorders who need recovery services. The bill directs the Department of Administration to award this grant in the 2025-26 fiscal year. It directly affects men in Chippewa Falls seeking substance use treatment by providing a dedicated facility. The key mechanism is the state grant covering facility acquisition and renovation costs.
AB 184 establishes state-level regulations for health plans concerning coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions and benefit limits. The bill mandates that most individual and group health plans accept all applicants, prohibits preexisting condition exclusions, and bans lifetime and annual dollar limits on benefits. It also restricts how health plans can vary premium rates based on factors like age and tobacco use. These provisions would only become applicable if related federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements are no longer enforceable or no longer preempt state law.
SB 271 establishes a fundamental right to abortion under Wisconsin law (253.094), stating individuals have the right to bodily autonomy and access abortion at any pregnancy stage if medically necessary. It mandates abortion coverage in all state health plans offering maternity care (40.51(9m)), repeals parental consent requirements for minors (46.245), and eliminates gestational age limits and "medical emergency" restrictions (253.107, 253.10). The bill directly affects patients seeking abortion care, healthcare providers, and insurers offering state-sponsored health plans. It removes existing regulatory barriers while requiring coverage for abortion services without new funding mandates.
AB 448 allows eligible nonprofit agricultural organizations (specifically, long-standing, member-directed cooperatives established before 1922 and meeting IRS 501(c)(5) requirements) to provide health benefit coverage exclusively to their members and members' families. Key provisions require these organizations to offer coverage in all state counties, provide written notice clarifying this is not health insurance, cover all physician services without preexisting condition exclusions beyond six months, and maintain sufficient financial reserves via annual actuarial reviews. The bill also mandates reinsurance with state-authorized companies and establishes complaint resolution processes mirroring those for standard health insurance. This framework directly affects qualifying agricultural co-ops and their members, creating a regulated pathway for member-only health benefits while ensuring basic consumer protections.
