The Committee on Insurance Public Hearing (5/8)
The Committee on Insurance held a public hearing last Thursday, 5/8, on two bills.
AB 107Â allows a health care cooperative to convert into a nonprofit organization. This bill passed out of committee today (5/14).
AB 225Â provides clarity on the determination of a proper venue by stating a court may not consider the location of an insurance company that is named as a party to the civil action or special proceeding only because either (1) the insurance company issued a policy of insurance to a policyholder against whom a claim is being made or (2) the insurance company, by virtue of a payment made to its policyholder, has a right to be reimbursed out of any proceeds from the civil action or special proceedings, as provided under current law.
Session (5/13)
Yesterday, the Assembly met for session. I voted in favor of all but one.
AB 8 clarifies that Direct Primary Care (DPC) is not health insurance, requires providers to clearly explain what services are covered, outlines the elements of a valid DPC agreement, and prohibits discrimination.
AB 11Â requires hospitals to obtain written informed consent from a patient before a pelvic exam is
performed on the patient solely for educational purposes while the patient is under general anesthesia or otherwise unconscious.
AB 12 allows physician assistants and advanced practice nurses to serve as the medical advisor to the local health officer.
This bill is a trailer bill to 2021 Act 192, which allowed for a physician assistant (PA), advanced practice nurses (APN), or both to be appointed to serve on a local board of health. In short, this bill will update the law to allow for physician assistants and advanced practice nurses to also serve as medical advisors in the event that a county cannot find a willing physician to serve on the board of health. This bill also allows PAs and APNs to supervise an immunization program for a school district or local health department.
AB 22 would create a one-time exemption for the City of Middleton from the 12% law. Under current law, the total equalized value of taxable property within a new or amended tax incremental district (TID) cannot exceed 12% of the municipality’s total equalized value. This would allow the city to create a new TID to retain a great company with many family-supporting jobs that is actively being recruited away from Wisconsin.
AB 23 creates a Palliative Care Council through the Department of Health Services to promote high-quality palliative care and improve awareness and access to this specialized type of medical care.
AB 43Â would, under specific circumstances, allow a woman to obtain hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives, including common birth control pills, through a prescription from a pharmacist.
Under current state law, women can only obtain most birth control through a prescription from a physician or an advanced practice nurse (APN)Â who has met the required qualifications.
I voted no on this bill. Current law requires that in order to pick up prescription drugs from a pharmacy, they have to be prescribed to you by a doctor. You are also able to purchase non-prescription drugs from a pharmacy as well. If we are going to create a third category of prescriptions from a pharmacist, then it should be part of a larger discussion and not about birth control only. We shouldn’t create a special status in law for a single drug.
AB 44 seeks to improve Wisconsin’s death records process by allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers (APNPs) to pronounce deaths—an authority already granted to hospice nurses and physician assistants—bringing the state in line with most of the country.
AB 45Â ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Dietitian Licensure Compact, which provides for the ability of a dietitian to become eligible to practice in other compact states.
In order for a compact to be established, seven states must enact legislation joining the compact. At this time, three states have enacted legislation to join the dietitian compact—Alabama, Nebraska, and Tennessee.
AB 134 is a trailer bill to 2023 Wisconsin Act 126, which requires all local candidates to file their reports through the campaign finance information system (CFIS). This bill changes the implementation date of when that requirement is supposed to go into effect – July 1, 2025. This bill changes that start date to December 1, 2027.
The provisions included in the state statute regarding whistleblower protections as well as other legal protections for local clerks will be unaffected by this date change, as those provisions will be exempt from this bill and remain in effect starting on July 1, 2025.
AB 137Â would allow the Village of DeForest to make long-term infrastructure investments and enhance economic development by providing the following changes to state law for tax incremental district (TID) Number 9:
• Extends the life of TID Number 9 from 20 years to 30 years.
• Provides the Village of DeForest with a one-time exemption from the 12% limit.
Under current law, the total equalized value of taxable property within a new or amended TID cannot exceed 12% of the municipality’s total equalized value.
AB 140 exempts Port Washington’s Tax Incremental District 5 from the twelve percent rule. This will allow them to continue towards the development of a state-of-the-art data and server center.
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who attended one or multiple of my listening sessions.
It has always been important to me to listen to my constituents on issues that are impacting them, so I appreciate all of you who took time out of your day to attend and chat.
In-District Events
Thursday, May 15th, the Kaukauna American Legion Post 41 is hosting a Suicide Prevention and Awareness Seminar at the Kaukauna Recreation Department (207 Reaume  Avenue, Kaukauna) in the Street, Park and Recreation Building. The seminar begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 17th, will be the Wrightstown Village Wide Rummage Sale from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 24th, and Sunday, May 25th, will be a Memorial Day Celebration at the St. Isidore the Farmer Parish Community Church in Tisch Mills.
Monday, May 26th, is the Appleton Memorial Day Parade at 9 a.m.
Monday, May 26th, is the Mishicot Memorial Day Parade at 12 p.m.
Monday, May 26th, is the Wrightstown Memorial Day Parade at 2 p.m.
Friday, May 30th, will be a Memorial Day Ceremony at Sunset Park in Kimberly at 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 31st, is the Mishicot FFA Alumni Truck and Tractor Pull at 314 W Main St in Mishicot at 1 p.m.
