Rep. Barbara Dittrich

Maddy summaryAB 247 requires local governments to reduce building permit fees for certain home improvements benefiting disabled veterans. Political subdivisions must lower these fees by 75% or $500, whichever is less. This reduction applies when the permit is for improvements to a disabled veteran's primary residence that are necessary to accommodate their disability. The residence must be owned by the veteran or their caretaker, and local governments may request proof of eligibility.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 44 allows advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient's death for the purpose of preparing death records. This bill amends existing statutes to include advanced practice nurse prescribers in the list of professionals legally authorized to make such pronouncements. To do so, the advanced practice nurse prescriber must be certified to issue prescription orders, have been directly involved in the patient's care, and follow accepted medical standards. This change primarily affects advanced practice nurse prescribers and the process of death record preparation.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 11 mandates that hospitals must obtain written informed consent from a patient before a pelvic examination is performed solely for educational purposes while the patient is under general anesthesia or otherwise unconscious. This bill creates a new statute requiring hospitals to ensure this consent is secured. Additionally, it directs hospitals to establish and maintain written policies and procedures that enforce this requirement for educational pelvic exams on unconscious patients.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 8 establishes a legal framework for "direct primary care agreements" between health care providers and patients. These agreements allow patients or their employers to pay a direct subscription fee for a defined set of primary care services, rather than billing an insurer on a fee-for-service basis for those specific services. The bill outlines criteria for valid agreements, including requirements for written contracts, clear disclosures that these are not health insurance, and rules regarding termination and patient selection. It prohibits providers from declining or terminating an agreement solely based on a patient's health status or other protected characteristics.

Maddy summaryAJR 37 is a joint resolution that declares May 2025 as Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month in Wisconsin. This aims to increase understanding of these inherited connective tissue disorders among both medical professionals and the general public.

Maddy summaryAB 244 requires school boards, certain charter schools, and private schools participating in specific programs to post signs in their buildings. These signs must display the telephone number for the local agency responsible for receiving and investigating child abuse and neglect reports. The bill mandates that these signs be placed in a conspicuous, public location within each school building. This aims to make the child abuse and neglect reporting hotline easily accessible to those who need it.

Maddy summaryAssembly Joint Resolution 41 (AJR 41) proclaims May 2025 and May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Months. This resolution by the Wisconsin Legislature recognizes the over 370-year history of Jewish contributions to the nation's civic, social, economic, and cultural life, and thanks Jewish American citizens for shaping the country's character and strengthening religious freedom.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill 43 permits pharmacists to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives to individuals aged 18 and older. Pharmacists must adhere to new rules, including requiring patients to complete a self-assessment questionnaire and undergo a blood pressure screening. The bill also mandates that pharmacists report prescriptions to the patient's primary care provider, provide a written record, and carry malpractice liability insurance. Furthermore, it ensures these contraceptives are covered under Medical Assistance when prescribed by pharmacists and grants the Pharmacy Examining Board authority for related rule-making.

Maddy summaryAB 262 modifies the legal requirements for courts when determining child physical placement in custody cases, directly affecting parents and children involved in these proceedings. The bill changes the threshold for when a court must provide specific findings of fact regarding its placement decisions. Currently, courts must provide these findings if a parent receives less than 25% of physical placement time. AB 262 increases this to 50%, meaning if a court grants one parent less than half of a child's physical placement, it must enter specific findings explaining why a greater allocation is not in the child's best interest.

Maddy summaryAB 292 allows courts to use artificial intelligence or machine-assisted translation services instead of or alongside human interpreters in both civil and criminal court proceedings. It also updates rules to permit telephone or live audiovisual interpretation in criminal trials (beyond just non-trial stages) and clarifies that using AI translation does not require a waiver that would normally be needed for alternative interpretation methods. This bill directly affects court proceedings involving language barriers, expanding options for language assistance without mandating AI use. The law amends specific statutes to implement these changes, focusing on procedural flexibility for courts.