Rep. Sequanna Taylor

Maddy summaryAB 1010 allows adult and minor children to claim damages for loss of society and companionship if a parent is injured or dies due to medical malpractice. It specifically covers three situations: adult children with disabilities who relied on parental support, adult children in post-secondary education dependent on parental financial support, or children who incurred out-of-pocket medical, funeral, or legal costs. The bill creates new legal grounds for these claims while clarifying they do not replace other existing malpractice claims under Wisconsin law. It applies to cases arising after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryAB 1011 raises the cap on total noneconomic damages (such as pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life) in medical malpractice cases from $750,000 to $3,000,000 per incident. This directly affects patients who win malpractice lawsuits and healthcare providers or insurers who pay these damages. The bill amends statutes to set this new $3 million limit for all claims against health care providers or their employees for negligence occurring on or after April 6, 2006. It also updates the legislative findings to state that this amount balances victim compensation with maintaining affordable healthcare access. The bill does not change limits for economic damages (like medical costs) or alter liability rules.

Maddy summaryAB 1015 adjusts Wisconsin Shares child care assistance copayment rules and increases funding. It limits copayments to no more than 7% of a family’s gross income (49.155 (5) (ag)) and waives copayments entirely for families earning below 150% of the federal poverty line (49.155 (5) (ar)). The bill also increases annual funding for child care subsidies by $22.93 million for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. These changes directly affect low-income families using Wisconsin Shares child care assistance.

Maddy summaryAB 1041 requires all Wisconsin public, private, and charter schools to integrate age-appropriate instruction about African American history into K-12 social studies curricula. It mandates the development of a state model curriculum covering African American contributions to U.S. and state history, with collaboration from organizations like the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. The bill funds three full-time education consultants ($384,900 annually) to support schools in implementing this curriculum. This policy directly affects all K-12 schools and educators, requiring concrete changes to social studies teaching standards starting with the 2026-27 school year.

Maddy summaryAB 1055 creates a grant program to fund crime victim protective services, including temporary housing, for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors' offices. It allocates $2,572,900 for the 2025-26 fiscal year (with $2,574,100 for 2026-27) from the Justice Department's budget. The Department of Justice will administer the program, developing grant criteria without needing formal rulemaking, and will add one full-time staff position to manage it. This bill directly affects agencies providing support to individuals who have been victims of crime.

Maddy summaryAB 1056 is a comprehensive rewrite of Wisconsin's criminal justice laws that creates new funding streams for community policing ($10 million), officer recruitment/retention ($5 million), and violence prevention ($5 million). The bill reorganizes legal provisions related to firearm transfers, domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes reporting, and victim services, while establishing specific funding amounts for the address confidentiality program ($180,200). It modifies reimbursement processes for counties providing victim-witness services and creates new alternatives to prosecution for individuals with substance use disorders. The legislation directly affects law enforcement agencies, victims' services providers, and individuals seeking substance use treatment instead of traditional criminal prosecution.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program (similar to Medicaid) to reimburse certified doulas for services provided to program recipients. It mandates that hospitals and birthing centers allow Medical Assistance-certified doulas to accompany patients during labor and birth without counting them toward visitor limits. Facilities must create written policies for this access, post them online, and ensure doulas don't conflict with medical standards. The bill directly affects low-income pregnant people, certified doulas, and healthcare facilities.

Maddy summaryAB 1089 creates a state working group to improve coordination of the Medical Assistance program (state Medicaid) and enhance the experience for program recipients. The Department of Health Services must form this group by June 1, 2026, including representatives from the department, resource centers, multicounty consortia or tribal programs, legislators, healthcare providers, and at least one recipient. The group must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the department and legislature within seven months of its first meeting. This bill directly affects state program administration and recipients by requiring structured collaboration to address changes from recent federal law.

Maddy summaryAB 1059 increases funding for home-delivered meals by $250,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 and another $250,000 for fiscal year 2026-27. This directly affects seniors and vulnerable adults who rely on state-funded home-delivered meal programs under Section 46.80(5)(a). The bill modifies the budget allocation to the Department of Health Services, specifically boosting the available funds for these services. It does not change program eligibility or service requirements, only increasing the financial support.

Maddy summaryAB 1082 creates a temporary sales and use tax exemption for breastfeeding equipment in Wisconsin, effective until June 30, 2027. It exempts breast pumps, breast pump kits (pumps bundled with collection/storage supplies), and specific collection/storage supplies like breast shields, bottles, and milk storage bags. This directly affects new and expecting mothers who purchase these items, reducing their out-of-pocket costs. The exemption does not cover unrelated products like nursing bras, cleaning supplies, or general bottles sold separately. The bill defines covered items precisely to ensure only essential breastfeeding equipment qualifies for the tax break.