This bill prohibits disability insurance policies and self-insured health plans from using artificial intelligence to deny prior authorization requests for medical necessity or experimental treatments. Instead, it requires that a licensed human healthcare provider must review these specific requests before any denial can occur. The law applies to limited service health organizations, preferred provider plans, and defined network plans, with exceptions for plans covered by collective bargaining agreements. If passed, the restrictions would take effect at the start of the fourth month following the bill's publication.
This bill establishes a tuition loan program for Wisconsin residents enrolled in higher education who commit to working full-time in teaching, firefighting, or law enforcement for at least 10 years after completing their training. The program provides loans covering total tuition costs for up to four years of undergraduate study at University of Wisconsin System institutions or two years at technical colleges, with funds allocated equally among the three career fields. Eligible students must maintain satisfactory academic progress, apply annually, and repay loans at a 5 percent annual interest rate, though repayment is deferred while they work in their chosen profession and 50 to 100 percent of the loan is forgiven if they remain in the state and profession for seven or ten years respectively. The bill also grants the Higher Educational Aids Board authority to create rules for administering the program and includes a $1.5 million appropriation for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years.
This bill would require grocery retailers in the state to disclose when they use algorithms to set personalized prices for essential consumer goods like food and household products. It prohibits retailers from displaying algorithmically set prices on electronic screens in stores and bans using consumer data from brokers to determine these prices. The law also forbids pricing that varies based on protected characteristics like race, sex, or disability. Violations could result in fines of up to $2,000 per incident, and individuals harmed by violations could sue for damages and legal fees.
This bill would allow Wisconsin school districts to increase their revenue limits when they spend money on energy efficiency projects. The adjustment applies to districts that adopt a resolution authorizing the increase and meet specific requirements, including using performance contracts for the project and financing it with bonds or loans of 20 years or less. Eligible projects must reduce energy or operational costs, conserve water, or improve metering accuracy, and the revenue limit increase would last for each school year the district pays debt service on the financing. The bill updates existing statutes to clarify how these adjustments are calculated and applies to resolutions adopted on the effective date of the law.
This bill prohibits employers from including clauses in employment contracts that prevent former employees from recruiting other current or former employees after leaving their job. It applies to all workers, including assistants, servants, employees, and agents, and declares such nonsolicitation provisions illegal and unenforceable as unreasonable restraints on trade. Employers must post a notice in conspicuous locations and on their websites explaining that these post-employment recruitment restrictions are void. The law takes effect for any employment contract that is entered into, extended, modified, or renewed on the bill's effective date.
This bill creates a revolving loan program to provide gap funding for workforce housing projects that have already received some financial assistance but still need additional funds to complete construction. It authorizes the state housing authority to issue up to $50 million in bonds to establish a dedicated fund for these loans, which will be repaid by developers and reused to fund future projects. The program targets residential housing where costs do not exceed 30% of 120% of the area median income, benefiting developers and local governments that partner on eligible workforce housing initiatives. The bill also amends existing statutes to exempt these new bonds from certain spending limitations and requires coordination with the state building commission before issuing any bonds.
This bill allows private individuals, families, and private employers to choose health care coverage through plans offered by the Group Insurance Board, expanding options beyond traditional state employee plans. It creates new statutory provisions for health savings accounts for both state employees and private sector participants who select high-deductible health plans, with separate accounts established to track funds from each group. The legislation grants the Group Insurance Board rule-making authority to manage enrollment, premium collection, and coverage procedures for these expanded options. Additionally, the bill authorizes the collection of administrative fees from state agencies, individuals, and private employers to fund the operation of these health savings account programs.
This bill modifies how Wisconsin distributes the state Blue Book and highway maps to legislative members. It requires legislative offices to request specific quantities of the Blue Book before printing, with each Senator capped at 600 copies and each Assembly Representative at 350 copies. The bill also establishes free distribution limits for highway maps, providing 50 service maps and 500 folded maps to each legislator without charge, while allowing paid requests for additional copies. Additionally, it mandates that audit report summaries be distributed using the same method as the Blue Book.
This bill requires health care plans to publicly disclose their prior authorization requirements on their websites in plain language, making it easier for patients and providers to understand which services need approval before being covered. It mandates that plans maintain complete lists of required authorizations, including when rules began and ended, and ensures clinical review criteria are based on nationally recognized, evidence-based standards. The legislation also grants the state insurance commissioner authority to create rules regarding prior authorization exemptions and establishes protections against claim denials when prior authorization rules change after services are already provided.
This bill prohibits employers from including postemployment nonsolicitation clauses in employment contracts, which would prevent former employees from recruiting their current coworkers for other jobs. The law declares such provisions illegal, void, and unenforceable because they impose an unreasonable restraint on trade after employment ends. Employers must post notices in conspicuous locations and on their websites explaining that these clauses are unenforceable. The restrictions apply to contracts entered into, extended, modified, or renewed on the bill's effective date.
This bill, titled the "Our Care, Our Options Act," would create a legal process allowing mentally capable adults with terminal illnesses to request medication to end their lives within six months of diagnosis. It requires patients to make both oral and written requests to their doctors, with a 15-day waiting period between the initial and final requests, though this wait can be waived if death is expected within 15 days. Two separate medical providers must confirm the patient's diagnosis, prognosis, and mental capacity, while also ensuring the patient understands all treatment options and risks before proceeding. The legislation defines specific protections against coercion or undue influence and establishes penalties for violations, while also clarifying that providers who object to participating may refer patients to other qualified providers without facing disciplinary action.
This bill requires unregulated pregnancy centers to obtain written authorization from individuals before disclosing their personal health information, with specific requirements for what the authorization must include and how long it remains valid. The law defines unregulated pregnancy centers as facilities that do not provide abortions or emergency contraception and are not covered by existing medical privacy laws, while also establishing rules for when information can be shared without consent, such as for legal compliance or law enforcement cooperation. Centers must notify individuals if their health data is breached and face penalties for violating these privacy protections, while also being prohibited from discriminating against people who refuse to authorize information sharing. The bill creates a new section in the state statutes to establish these requirements and specifies that the law takes effect three months after publication.
