LRB-5789/1
TJD:ahe
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
March 19, 2020 - Introduced by Senators Erpenbach, Johnson, Wirch, Smith,
Ringhand, L. Taylor, Larson, Shilling, Risser, Bewley and Miller,
cosponsored by Representatives C. Taylor, Emerson, Neubauer, Spreitzer,
Anderson, Sinicki, Hintz, Subeck, Considine, Ohnstad, Zamarripa and
Crowley. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.
SB898,1,5 1An Act to repeal 46.245, 253.095, 253.10, 253.105, 441.07 (1g) (f), 457.26 (2)
2(gm), 632.8985, 940.04 and 940.15 (5); to amend 48.375 (4) (a) 1., 69.186 (1)
3(hf), 69.186 (1) (k), 253.107 (1) (b), 448.02 (3) (a), 939.75 (2) (b) 1. and 968.26 (1b)
4(a) 2. a.; and to create 253.094 of the statutes; relating to: right to choose an
5abortion and elimination of certain abortion-related regulations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
The bill specifies that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to
obtain a safe and legal abortion. Under the bill, the state may prohibit a woman from
obtaining an abortion after viability unless her life or health is endangered. Also
under the bill, a law or rule of this state that restricts a woman's access to abortion
is unenforceable if the law or rule does not confer any legitimate health benefit. Any
person that is or may be aggrieved by the enforcement of a law or rule passed or
promulgated after the effective date of the bill that would be unenforceable under the
bill may bring an action in state or federal court for injunctive relief or damages
against a state or local official who enforces or attempts to enforce such a law or rule.
In addition, the bill repeals various abortion-related laws, including all of the
following:
1. The bill eliminates requirements for voluntary and informed consent before
the performance of an abortion. Current law requires that a woman upon whom an
abortion is to be performed or induced must give voluntary and informed written
consent to an abortion. Except in a medical emergency, a woman's consent to an

abortion is considered informed only if, before the abortion is performed or induced
at a time specified in current law, the physician or an assistant has, in person, orally
provided the woman with certain information and given to the woman certain
written materials.
2. This bill eliminates the prohibition on giving a woman an abortion-inducing
drug unless the physician who provided the drug for the woman performs a physical
exam on the woman and is physically present in the room when the drug is given to
the woman.
3. The bill eliminates the prohibition on coverage of abortions by qualified
health plans offered through an exchange in this state.
4. The bill eliminates the prohibition on performing abortions by a physician
that does not have admitting privileges in a hospital within 30 miles of the location
where the abortion is to be performed. Under a federal appellate court ruling, the
requirement to have admitting privileges currently may not be enforced.
5. Under current law, any person, other than the mother, who intentionally
destroys the life of an unborn child may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned
for not more than six years, or both. Any person, other than the mother, who
intentionally destroys the life of an unborn quick child or causes the mother's death
by an act done with intent to destroy the life of an unborn child may be fined not more
than $50,000, imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both. None of these penalties
apply to a therapeutic abortion that is performed by a physician; that is necessary,
or advised by two other physicians as necessary, to save the life of the mother; and
that is performed, except on an emergency basis, in a licensed maternity hospital.
These provisions were cited, along with other provisions not affected by this bill that
prohibit performing an abortion generally, in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), as
substantially similar to a Texas statute that was held to violate the due process
clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The bill repeals these
provisions. The bill also repeals the criminal penalty on a person who is not a
physician and who intentionally performs an abortion. The bill, however, does not
affect any other criminal prohibition or limitation on abortion in current law, such
as the prohibition on performing an abortion after the fetus or unborn child has
reached viability, or any other homicide prohibition. The bill also does not affect a
separate provision in current law that prohibits prosecution of and imposing or
enforcing a fine or imprisonment against a woman who obtains an abortion or
otherwise violates any abortion law with respect to her unborn child or fetus.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB898,1 1Section 1. 46.245 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,2 2Section 2 . 48.375 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,3,9
148.375 (4) (a) 1. The person or the person's agent has, either directly or through
2a referring physician or his or her agent, received and made part of the minor's
3medical record, under the requirements of s. 253.10, the voluntary and informed
4written consent of the minor and the voluntary and informed written consent of one
5of her parents; or of the minor's guardian or legal custodian, if one has been
6appointed; or of an adult family member of the minor; or of one of the minor's foster
7parents, if the minor has been placed in a foster home and the minor's parent has
8signed a waiver granting the department, a county department, or the foster parent
9the authority to consent to medical services or treatment on behalf of the minor.
SB898,3 10Section 3 . 69.186 (1) (hf) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,3,1511 69.186 (1) (hf) The probable postfertilization age of the unborn child, as defined
12in s. 253.107 (1) (c), and whether an ultrasound was used to assist in making the
13determination of postfertilization age of the unborn child,
or, if the probable
14postfertilization age of the unborn child was not determined, the nature of the
15medical emergency, as defined in s. 253.10 (2) (d) 253.107 (1) (b).
SB898,4 16Section 4 . 69.186 (1) (k) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,3,1917 69.186 (1) (k) If the unborn child is considered to be capable of experiencing
18pain under s. 253.107 (3) (a), the nature of the medical emergency, as defined in s.
19253.10 (2) (d) 253.107 (1) (b), that the pregnant woman had.
SB898,5 20Section 5. 253.094 of the statutes is created to read:
SB898,3,25 21253.094 Right to abortion. (1) Every woman has the fundamental right to
22choose to obtain a safe and legal abortion, except that the state may prohibit a woman
23from obtaining an abortion after viability. The state may not prohibit a woman from
24obtaining an abortion at any time during her pregnancy if her life or health is
25endangered.
SB898,4,4
1(2) (a) Except as provided in sub. (1), a law or rule of this state that restricts
2a woman's access to abortion is unenforceable if the law or rule does not confer any
3legitimate health benefit, such as by expanding a woman's access to health care
4services or by, according to evidence-based research, increasing the woman's safety.
SB898,4,95 (b) Any person that is or may be aggrieved by the enforcement of a law or rule
6passed or promulgated after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts
7date], that violates this subsection may bring an action in state or federal court for
8injunctive relief or damages against a state or local official who enforces or attempts
9to enforce such a law or rule.
SB898,6 10Section 6. 253.095 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,7 11Section 7. 253.10 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,8 12Section 8. 253.105 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,9 13Section 9 . 253.107 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,4,1914 253.107 (1) (b) “Medical emergency" has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (d)
15means a condition, in a physician's reasonable medical judgment, that so complicates
16the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion
17of her pregnancy to avert her death or for which a 24-hour delay in performance or
18inducement of an abortion will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible
19impairment of one or more of the woman's major bodily functions
.
SB898,10 20Section 10. 441.07 (1g) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,11 21Section 11. 448.02 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,5,1522 448.02 (3) (a) The board shall investigate allegations of unprofessional conduct
23and negligence in treatment by persons holding a license or certificate granted by the
24board. An allegation that a physician has violated s. 253.10 (3), 448.30 or 450.13 (2)
25or has failed to mail or present a medical certification required under s. 69.18 (2)

1within 21 days after the pronouncement of death of the person who is the subject of
2the required certificate or that a physician has failed at least 6 times within a
36-month period to mail or present a medical certificate required under s. 69.18 (2)
4within 6 days after the pronouncement of death of the person who is the subject of
5the required certificate is an allegation of unprofessional conduct. Information
6contained in reports filed with the board under s. 49.45 (2) (a) 12r., 50.36 (3) (b),
7609.17 or 632.715, or under 42 CFR 1001.2005, shall be investigated by the board.
8Information contained in a report filed with the board under s. 655.045 (1), as created
9by 1985 Wisconsin Act 29, which is not a finding of negligence or in a report filed with
10the board under s. 50.36 (3) (c) may, within the discretion of the board, be used as the
11basis of an investigation of a person named in the report. The board may require a
12person holding a license or certificate to undergo and may consider the results of one
13or more physical, mental or professional competency examinations if the board
14believes that the results of any such examinations may be useful to the board in
15conducting its investigation.
SB898,12 16Section 12. 457.26 (2) (gm) of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,13 17Section 13. 632.8985 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,14 18Section 14 . 939.75 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,5,2119 939.75 (2) (b) 1. An act committed during an induced abortion. This
20subdivision does not limit the applicability of ss. 940.04, 940.13, 940.15 and 940.16
21to an induced abortion.
SB898,15 22Section 15. 940.04 of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,16 23Section 16. 940.15 (5) of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,17 24Section 17 . 968.26 (1b) (a) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,6,6
1968.26 (1b) (a) 2. a. Section 940.04, 940.11, 940.19 (2), (4), (5), or (6), 940.195
2(2), (4), (5), or (6), 940.20, 940.201, 940.203, 940.205, 940.207, 940.208, 940.22 (2),
3940.225 (3), 940.29, 940.302 (2) (c), 940.32, 941.32, 941.38 (2), 942.09 (2), 943.10,
4943.205, 943.32 (1), 946.43, 946.44, 946.47, 946.48, 948.02 (3), 948.03 (2) (b) or (c),
5(3), or (4), 948.04, 948.055, 948.095, 948.10 (1) (a), 948.11, 948.13 (2) (a), 948.14,
6948.20, 948.23 (1), (2), or (3) (c) 2. or 3., or 948.30 (1).
SB898,18 7Section 18 . Nonstatutory provisions.
SB898,6,108 (1) Reference changes. Wherever a reference to s. 253.10 (2) (a) appears in the
9statutes, the legislative reference bureau shall substitute a reference to s. 69.01
10(13m), as it defines the term “induced abortion.”
SB898,6,1111 (End)
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