2019-2020 Wisconsin Legislative Session: the session of missed opportunities

NOTE: There are 132 members of our Wisconsin State Legislature: 99 Assembly Members and 33 Senate Members.
In the 2019-2020 Legislature there were 82 (62%) total Republican members and 50 (38%) total Democratic members.

Here are the policies that our legislature failed to prioritize and pass:

SB 37 - Preexisting Conditions Coverage Act
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings 
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 26 (52%)
A “pre-existing condition” is when a person already has an illness or medical condition. Examples of pre-existing conditions might be having diabetes, cancer, depression, or being pregnant. Sometimes, health insurance companies will refuse to cover a person with a pre-existing condition or will charge them more money. This bill would make sure health plans agree to cover people with pre-existing conditions and do not charge them more or treat them unfairly due to their pre-existing conditions.
AB 214 / SB 200 - Timely Rape Kit Testing
Passed the Senate; didn’t receive a hearing in the Assembly
Support: R: 25 (30%) D: 46 (90%)
When someone is sexually assaulted, they may choose to have a doctor or nurse collect evidence of the assault from their clothes or body using a rape kit. If the victim chooses to report the rape, a rape kit is an important way to show evidence of the crime and who committed it. In Wisconsin, we do not have a good process for testing rape kits quickly. This bill would make sure we have a better process for testing rape kits so that the evidence is available if victims choose to use it.
AB 304 / SB 286 - Allow Pharmacists to Prescribe Birth Control
Passed Assembly; Passed Senate committee; Didn't get a Senate Floor Vote
Support: R: 49 (60%) D: 33 (66%)
This bill allows pharmacists to prescribe and give out birth control pills and the birth control patch, making it easier for women to get them. This is a republican version of another bill (AB 290) that made it even easier to get birth control. AB 290 made sure women of all ages could get birth control, offered more types of birth control, and made sure pharmacists were well-trained.
AB 330 / SB 309 - 12 Month Contraceptive Care Act
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 5 (6%) D: 38 (76%)
Currently, Wisconsin health insurance plans only allow women to get enough birth control to last 30 or 90 days. This bill would allow women already taking birth control to get enough to last a full year before needing a refill - making it easier to use correctly.
AB 334 / SB 312 - Red Flag Law - Prevent Domestic Violence Abusers From Having Guns
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 23 (46%)
This bill would make sure that people who are found to be abusive to their partner or family are not allowed to have a gun. If they get or keep a gun anyway, they can be fined up to $25,000 or sent to prison for up to ten years, or both.
AB 346 / SB 324 - Expanding Coverage for Postpartum Women for 12 Months After Birth
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 1 (1%) D: 35 (70%)
New moms have a lot of medical needs after having a baby. They may have complications from childbirth, pain, depression, or anxiety. And they are caring for a newborn at the same time! Sadly, in Wisconsin, new moms are covered by Medicaid for only 60 days after having a baby. This bill would allow new moms to have health insurance coverage for a full year, so they can stay healthy during this important time.
AB 367 / SB 419 - Abortion Access Protection Act
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 47 (84%)
Repeals Wisconsin’s 1849 statute, which became unenforceable with the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Roe v. Wade, that makes performing an abortion a felony criminal offense.
AB 378 / SB 420 - Prevent Teen Dating Violence
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 7 (9%) D: 23 (46%)
This bill would make sure that Wisconsin public schools teach about teen dating violence in an age-appropriate way at least once in middle school and once in high school. School boards could choose to use the recommended curriculum or create a similar one on their own. This bill would also make sure schools are encouraged to use the best, most effective policies to prevent and handle teen dating violence in schools.
AB 381 - Access to Tampons & Pads in Schools
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 21 (42%)
This bill would make sure that tampons and pads would be available for free in the bathrooms of all state buildings, including schools.
AB 394 / SB 361- Fully Expand Medicaid in Wisconsin
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 48 (96%)
This bill would allow Wisconsin to use federal money to offer health insurance to anyone earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level ($17,609/year). This means 83,000 more people in Wisconsin would have health care coverage and Wisconsin would save about $834 million over the next six years.
AB 398 / SB 316 - Prohibit the Shackling of Pregnant & Laboring Women in Prison
Received a Senate Committee Hearing but denied hearing in Assembly Committee
Support: R: 5 (6%) D: 39 (78%)
When a woman who is pregnant, in labor, or just had a baby is forced to wear handcuffs or other physical restraints, she is more likely to injure herself and her baby, and is more likely to have medical complications. This bill would make sure prisons do not use physical restraints on pregnant, laboring, or postpartum women.
AB 506 / SB 513 - Right to Breastfeed at Work
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 4 (5%) D: 23 (46%)
This bill would make sure that women who must clock-out or take unpaid break time to breastfeed or pump milk are still able to count this time when adding up hours worked in order to receive benefits.
AB 666 / SB 596 -Wisconsin Family Medical Leave Act
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 38 (76%)
At some point in their lives, many people will need to take time off of work to care for a new baby or family member who is sick or injured. This is called “family medical leave”. Right now in Wisconsin, people may only use family medical leave to care for their child, spouse, or parent. This bill adds grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings to this list, as well as family members in active duty. The bill also makes sure that more businesses, even those with fewer employees, offer family medical leave. Finally, the bill allows certain people to still receive benefits while taking family medical leave.
AB 694 / SB 635 - Requiring Consent for Pelvic Exams
Received a Senate Committee Hearing but denied hearing in Assembly Committee
Support: R: 12 (15%) D: 15 (30%)
This bill would make sure that hospitals get written and verbal consent from patients before a health care professional or medical student performs a pelvic exam on them, even if they are under anesthesia or unconscious.
AB 927 / SB 833 - Allow Cities to Pass Local Paid Leave Laws
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 22 (44%)
At some point in their lives, many people will need to take time off of work to care for a new baby or family member who is sick or injured. This is called “family medical leave”.  Right now in Wisconsin, cities, villages, towns, and counties are not allowed to pass their own laws that require local employers to offer family medical leave. This bill makes these local laws okay.
AB 961 - Allow Cities to Increase Minimum Wage
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 30 (60%)
Bill increases the minimum wage to $15/hr  and repeals local preemption laws regarding minimum wage
AB 1028 / SB 897 - Respect Women Act: Right to Medically Accurate Information and Care
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 24 (48%)
“Medically accurate information” is information that is known to be true based on medical science. This bill says that health care professionals must give medically accurate information and care to their patients. It says that no one (and no other laws) may force a health care professional to treat a patient in way that is not medically accurate. If a health care professional chooses to offer medically accurate information or care, even when someone else is telling them not to, they can not get fired from their job for doing so.
AB 1029 / SB 898 - Respect Women Act: Access to Care Bill
GOP Majority Never Gave This Bill Any Hearings
Support: R: 0 (0%) D: 24 (48%)
The bill creates a statuatory right for women to obtain safe, legal abortion according to principles established in Roe v Wade and subsequent case law. This bill does not create a new legal right, but codifies current federal constitutional protections in Wisconsin law.