Sen. Chris Larson

Maddy summarySB 457 modifies Wisconsin's unemployment insurance rules by repealing outdated provisions and clarifying how ineligibility periods work for claimants who conceal work or income. It specifically ensures claimants cannot earn "waiting period credit" during ineligibility periods caused by concealment, and if no current benefit rate applies, the department must use the next benefit year's rate to calculate reductions. This directly affects individuals who previously concealed work while receiving benefits, changing how their ineligibility is calculated and their future benefit eligibility. The bill takes effect after publication, impacting future unemployment benefit claims.

Maddy summarySB 462 updates the rules for permits allowing minors under 16 to work, directly affecting young workers and employers who hire them. The bill adds new exemptions to the permit requirement, including for minors working as election inspectors (as specified in state election law), in home settings, or for nonprofit organizations assisting elderly or disabled individuals. Employers must now maintain these permits on file and produce them for inspection upon request, with failure to do so being treated as evidence of unlawful employment. The bill also repeals an outdated section related to advertising for minor employment.

Maddy summarySB 639 allocates $5 million in state funds specifically for veterans' mental health services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It requires the department to promote veterans' access to community-based mental health care and provide grants to organizations offering these services. The bill also streamlines rulemaking by allowing the department to issue emergency rules for administering these services without usual requirements for emergency rule justification. This directly affects veterans seeking mental health support and community organizations delivering those services. The funding and program structure are established for the 2026 biennium.

Maddy summarySB 579 standardizes collective bargaining processes for employees of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, directly affecting faculty, staff, and other workers covered by existing union contracts. The bill requires that pay increases align with approved compensation plans or collective bargaining agreements, and it establishes funding mechanisms to cover costs for grievance arbitrations and training related to bargaining disputes. Key provisions update statutes to clarify that bargaining agreements govern pay decisions and define "governmental body" to exclude bargaining committees. The bill also creates new appropriation accounts to fund administrative functions of the state's employment relations system, including mediation and arbitration services.

Maddy summarySB 486 would revise unemployment insurance eligibility rules for workers terminated due to "misconduct" or who refuse suitable work. It defines "misconduct" more narrowly (e.g., excluding unexcused absences without prior written policy notice) and requires workers who lose benefits for misconduct to earn wages equal to 14 times their weekly benefit rate before requalifying. For refusing suitable work, it lowers the required earnings threshold from 6 times to 6 times the weekly benefit rate. These changes affect unemployed workers seeking benefits and employers responsible for paying unemployment insurance contributions.

Maddy summarySB 203 regulates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by requiring them to pay pharmacies within 30 days for electronic claims and 60 days for paper claims. It mandates that claims for 340B drugs (federally discounted medications) include specific identifiers for processing. The bill also prohibits PBMs from forcing pharmacies to join multiple networks or penalizing them for declining to join such networks. These provisions directly affect PBMs, pharmacies, and prescribers within the state’s health insurance system.

Maddy summarySB 539 removes legal barriers that previously prevented cities, towns, and counties from creating their own family and medical leave policies. It repeals restrictions (like Section 103.10 (1m)) that blocked local governments from requiring employers to provide such benefits. The bill amends Section 103.12 to explicitly allow local ordinances on employment benefits, meaning cities like Madison or Milwaukee could set their own rules for paid leave. This directly affects employers in municipalities that adopt such local ordinances, requiring them to comply with local standards instead of only state-level rules. The bill does not specify leave details but enables local governments to establish their own requirements.

Maddy summarySB 430 creates a legal procedure to quickly dismiss lawsuits that target public speech on issues of public concern. It allows defendants to file a "special motion to strike" if a lawsuit stems from someone's free speech or petitioning activity (like speaking at a town meeting, writing to officials, or posting online about community issues). If the court finds the lawsuit lacks merit, it dismisses the case early and awards the defendant their legal fees. This protects citizens, journalists, and activists from being silenced by costly lawsuits meant to intimidate them, while exempting government enforcement actions. The bill directly affects people speaking publicly on community issues and those who sue them over such speech.

Maddy summarySB 566 requires most health insurance plans to cover infertility treatment and fertility preservation services, directly affecting individuals seeking these services and their insurers. It mandates coverage for diagnosis and treatment of infertility (defined as failure to conceive after specified timeframes) and standard fertility preservation (like egg freezing before cancer treatment), including at least four egg retrievals and unlimited embryo transfers per medical guidelines. Insurers cannot impose stricter cost-sharing or exclusions for infertility care compared to other pregnancy-related benefits. The bill applies to group health plans and self-insured plans, excluding certain disability policies and state/local self-insured plans.

Maddy summarySB 589 establishes a statutory right for individuals to obtain contraception and for health care providers to offer it, directly affecting patients, providers, and local governments. It prohibits state or local governments from restricting access to FDA-approved contraceptives (like pills, condoms, or IUDs) through laws, regulations, or policies that single out contraception or impede access. The bill allows individuals or providers to sue if a policy violates these rights, and courts can block such policies and award attorney fees to winning parties. It explicitly does not change health insurance coverage requirements or override existing constitutional protections.