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Legislation to Watch
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| Pro-Choice Legislation: |
| Birth Control Protection Act |
| Bill Number: |
AB 467/SB 232 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB467 - 7/24/07: referred to Assembly Health committee, 2/26/08: motion to withdraw from committee failed 44-53; SB 232 - Passed Senate 19-14 |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Robson, Rep. Sinicki |
Birth control is basic health care used by over 90% of American women during their lifetimes. Yet, there have been several recent incidents of rogue pharmacists who personally oppose birth control refusing to fill women's prescriptions. This bill protects access to birth control. It ensures that no woman is ever refused her birth control prescription at a pharmacy counter in Wisconsin again. It also clarifies that birth control methods should never be included in the definition of abortion under Wisconsin law--something opponents of birth control have been trying to accomplish for years. Senate: After surviving an amendment added by Sen. Vinehout that gutted the bill, the bill passed the Senate 19-14. |
| Cervical Cancer Education & Prevention Bill |
| Bill Number: |
AB 492/SB 252 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 492: 9/26/07 Hearing held in Assembly Public Health Committee; SB 252: 10/17/07 Hearing held in Senate Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sens. Taylor & Wirch, Reps. Hines & Grigsby |
This legislation requires the state to provide educational materials about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to schools and parents/guardians and recommend vaccination for sixth grade girls. This bill does not require the vaccine. Cervical cancer, caused in most cases by HPV, kills 4,000 women in the United States each year. The HPV vaccine could prevent up to 70% of cervical cancer cases and subsequent deaths. This vaccination has been approved FDA and the Center for Disease Control recommends this vaccine as a routine procedure for girls age 11-12 years old. This groundbreaking vaccine can save the lives of Wisconsin women and this legislation gives Wisconsin an opportunity to be a leader in cervical cancer prevention. In clinical studies the vaccine has been 100% effective in preventing disease from the two high-risk types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. To learn more about the HPV Vaccine, read our fact sheet. |
| Compassionate Care for Rape Victims |
| Bill Number: |
AB377 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
3/13/08 Signed into law by Governor Doyle |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Robson, Rep. Musser, Rep. Pocan |
This bill would ensured that sexual assault survivors have the tools they need to prevent unintended pregnancy following an assault. It would make information and access to emergency contraception available in emergency rooms statewide. Emergency contraception, commonly known as the "morning after" pill, drastically reduces the chance of unintended pregnancy if taken within 5 days of unprotected sexual intercourse or assault. It is most effective if taken within 12 hours of sexual contact. Over 25,000 American women become pregnant every year as a result of rape or incest -- almost all of these could be prevented if every sexual assault survivor had timely access to emergency contraception. This bill would ensure that all rape victims receive compassionate care, as recommended by health care professionals and sexual assault victims' advocates. Click here to read NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin's testimony on the bill Anti-choice Assembly legislators tried to add three amendments to the bill:
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| Comprehensive Sex Education |
| Bill Number: |
AB 750/SB 405 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 750: 2/4/08 - Referred to Assembly Education Committee; SB 405: 1/22/08 - Referred to Senate Education Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Taylor, Rep. Grigsby |
The Comprehensive Sex Education bill works to ensure that Wisconsin youth receive comprehensive, medically accurate, age appropriate sex education, including information about abstinence as well as preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Giving young people truthful information about contraceptives and sexuality reduces unintended pregnancy and disease. This year, the teen pregnancy rate in the United States increased for the first time in over a decade. More than half of all American teens aged 15-19 years old have had sexual intercourse. Each year, almost 900,000 pregnancies occur among these teens, and 48% of all new STI cases occur among teens and young adults aged 15-24. Comprehensive sex education works. Research demonstrates that successful sex education programs employ a comprehensive approach that teaches about abstinence, but also provides critical information about preventing unintended pregnancy and disease. Responsible sex education programs that discuss both abstinence and contraception delay the onset of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of sex, increase contraceptive use, do not increase the number of sexual partners teens have and help protect teens form STIs, pregnancy and HIV. Compare abstinence-only until marriage sex education and comprehensive sex education. Read our fact sheet. Read 10 Important Fact about Sexuality Education. |
| Parents' Right to Know |
| Bill Number: |
AB 747/SB 400 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 747 - 1/17/08: Referred to Senate Education Committee; SB 400 - 2/4/08: Referred to Assembly Education Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Taylor, Rep. Grigsby |
The Parents' Right to Know bill requires schools boards that teach abstinence-only education (opposed to comprehensive sexuality education) to notify each student's parent or guardian that the student is receiving abstinence-only education. Abstinence-only education teaches abstinence as the only morally correct option of sexual expression for teenagers and the only 100% to prevent unintended pregnancy and STDs. Abstinence only education usually excludes any supplemental information regarding sexual health and reproduction including information about contraception and condoms. The notice must also state that abstinence-only education does not teach students how to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, other than by remaining abstinent and that a student, at the request of his or her parent or guardian, may be excused from abstinence-only education. Click here to read our fact sheet comparing abstinence-only and comprehensive sex ed. |
| Right to Breast Feed in the Work Place |
| Bill Number: |
AB 160/SB 75 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB160 - 3/12/07: Referred to Assembly Labor Committee; SB75 - 3/6/08 Passed Senate 28-4 |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sens Lassa; Rep Cullen |
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| Right to Breast Feed without Harassment or Penalty |
| Bill Number: |
AB 104/SB 30 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 104: 3/20/07 Assembly Public Hearing held in Health Committee; SB 30: 10/31/07 Passed State Senate, referred to Assembly Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Risser, Rep. Wasserman |
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| Women's Health & Safety Act |
| Bill Number: |
AB 749/SB 398 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 749: 2/4/08 - Referred to Assembly Judiciary and Ethics Committee; SB 398: 2/27/08 - Hearing held in Senate Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Miller, Rep. Berceau |
This bill would eliminate Wisconsin's Criminal Abortion Ban that dates from the mid-1800's. The abortion ban carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail for doctors (and up to $50,000 in fines) who provide abortions and up to 3.5 years in jail (and up to $10,000 in fines) for women who have an abortion or attempt to perform an abortion on themselves. There is no exception for cases of rape or incest or pregnancies that risk the health of the woman.Although Wisconsin's Criminal Abortion Ban is unenforceable right now because of Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court has signaled its willingness to dismantle Roe's protections for women. That means, in Wisconsin, the Criminal Abortion Ban will immediately go back into effect, and abortion will once again become a crime in our state.
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| Anti-Choice Legislation: |
| State version of the Federal Abortion Ban |
| Bill Number: |
AB 710/SB 416 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
AB 710: 2/28/08 Passed in the Assembly 59-38, referred to Senate Health Committee; SB 416: 1/25/08 Referred to Senate Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Fitzgerald, Reps. J. Ott & Staskunas |
This bill replicates the Federal Abortion Ban (upheld in early 2007 by a 5-4 anti-choice US Supreme Court) by outlawing a procedure that doctors consider the safest for some women under certain circumstances. It does not include an exception for women whose health is in jeopardy. The ban would prevent physicians from considering the safest abortion method to protect their patient’s health. The ban allows state and local prosecutors to violate women’s privacy to investigate possible violations of the ban. We could see local district attorneys prying into women’s private medical records; “investigating” miscarriages; and harassing doctors, medical workers, and pregnant women and their families. Like the Federal Abortion Ban, the state version does not include an exception for women whose health is in jeopardy. The ban prevents doctors from providing the best care to particular high-risk patients putting their health at risk and allows politicians to interfere with the personal and private medical decisions a woman makes with her family. Learn how your State Representative voted on this bill. [pdf] Pro-Choice Assembly legislators tried to add two amendments to the bill:
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| Teen Pregnancy Promotion Bill |
| Bill Number: |
AB 852/SB 460 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
2/21/08 - AB 852 referred to Assembly Children and Family Law Committee; 2/5/08 - SB 460 referred to Senate Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Sen. Grothman, Rep. LeMahieu |
The Teen Pregnancy Promotion Bill would deny teens access to contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancy by increasing the minimum age requirement for participation in the Family Planning Waiver from 15 to 18. The Family Planning Waiver provides contraceptive services and other reproductive health care services to eligible women in Wisconsin. Services include routine reproductive health care visits, birth control supplies, pregnancy testing and counseling, emergency contraception, pap smears and cancer screenings, and sexually transmitted infection tests and treatment. A 2006 study among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years showed that 77% of the recent decade-and-a-half long decline in the pregnancy rate was attributable to improved contraception use. Last year, the teen-pregnancy rate increased in America for the first time in 15 years. |
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