AB639: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-2606/1

MED:skw&wlj

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 639

November 7, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Rodriguez, Gundrum, Stroud, Behnke, Knodl, Kreibich, Mursau and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senator Testin. Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.

AB639,1,5 An Act to repeal 466.03 (2) (f); to amend 46.03 (44), 255.07 (1) (d), 450.11 (7) (b), 466.04 (3) (a) 4., 466.05 (title), 466.05 (1) (a), 466.07 (2) (h), 961.01 (19) (a), 961.23 (6) and 961.41 (3j); to create 77.54 (14) (f) 1m., 450.11 (8) (g), 466.01 (6) (a) 4m., 466.01 (9) and (10), 466.05 (3), 466.052 and 961.397 of the statutes; relating to: naturopathic doctors.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law provides for the licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors and limited-scope naturopathic doctors, which have a more limited scope of practice than that of naturopathic doctors, by the Naturopathic Medicine Examining Board. This bill makes changes related to the regulation and scope of practice of naturopathic doctors.

Under current law, naturopathic doctors are limited to recommending, dispensing, and administering nonprescription drug products. The bill allows naturopathic doctors to prescribe, dispense, and administer prescription drugs. However, the bill prohibits naturopathic doctors from prescribing schedule I or II controlled substances. The bill also adds naturopathic doctors to various other provisions related to drugs, including a provision exempting certain health care practitioners from the limitation on purchasing pseudoephedrine products.

Under current law, the board is authorized, but not required, to promulgate rules to adopt minimum malpractice insurance requirements for naturopathic doctors and limited-scope naturopathic doctors. The board’s current rules do not require it. The bill 1) statutorily requires naturopathic doctors to have in effect malpractice insurance, as provided in the bill and 2) repeals the board’s authority to require higher levels of malpractice insurance for naturopathic doctors by rule.

The changes related to prescribing drugs and the requirement to have in effect malpractice insurance do not apply to limited-scope naturopathic doctors, and the bill further repeals the board’s authority to require malpractice insurance for limited-scope naturopathic doctors by rule.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB639,1 Section 1. 46.03 (44) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,2,10 46.03 (44) Sexually transmitted disease treatment information. Prepare and keep current an information sheet to be distributed to a patient by a physician, physician assistant, or certified advanced practice nurse prescriber providing expedited partner therapy to that patient under s. 448.035 or, 448.9725, or 466.052. The information sheet shall include information about sexually transmitted diseases and their treatment and about the risk of drug allergies. The information sheet shall also include a statement advising a person with questions about the information to contact his or her physician, pharmacist, or local health department, as defined in s. 250.01 (4).

AB639,2 Section 2. 77.54 (14) (f) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB639,2,12 77.54 (14) (f) 1m. A naturopathic doctor.

AB639,3 Section 3. 255.07 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,3,2 255.07 (1) (d) “Health care practitioner” means a physician, a naturopathic doctor, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice nurse who is certified to issue prescription orders under s. 441.16.

AB639,4 Section 4. 450.11 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,3,7 450.11 (7) (b) Information communicated to a physician, naturopathic doctor, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber in an effort to procure unlawfully a prescription drug or the administration of a prescription drug is not a privileged communication.

AB639,5 Section 5. 450.11 (8) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB639,3,10 450.11 (8) (g) The naturopathic medicine examining board, insofar as this section applies to naturopathic doctors.

AB639,6 Section 6. 466.01 (6) (a) 4m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB639,3,13 466.01 (6) (a) 4m. Prescribing, dispensing, and administering prescription drugs, subject to s. 961.397.

AB639,7 Section 7. 466.01 (9) and (10) of the statutes are created to read:

AB639,3,15 466.01 (9) “Prescription drug” has the meaning given in s. 450.01 (20) (a).

AB639,3,16 (10) “Prescription order” has the meaning given in s. 450.01 (21).

AB639,8 Section 8. 466.03 (2) (f) of the statutes is repealed.

AB639,9 Section 9. 466.04 (3) (a) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,3,20 466.04 (3) (a) 4. Proof of compliance with any the applicable malpractice insurance requirements under s. 466.03 (2) (f) 466.05 (3).

AB639,10 Section 10. 466.05 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,3,22 466.05 (title) Practice; malpractice insurance.

AB639,11 Section 11. 466.05 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,4,2 466.05 (1) (a) A naturopathic doctor may practice naturopathic medicine and may practice expedited partner therapy as provided in s. 466.052.

AB639,12 Section 12. 466.05 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

AB639,4,6 466.05 (3) (a) Except as provided in par. (c), no naturopathic doctor may practice as provided in sub. (1) unless he or she has in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage evidenced by one of the following:

AB639,4,8 1. Personal liability coverage in the amounts specified for health care providers in s. 655.23 (4).

AB639,4,10 2. Coverage under a group liability policy providing individual coverage for the naturopathic doctor in the amounts specified in s. 655.23 (4).

AB639,4,15 (c) A naturopathic doctor who is a state, county, or municipal employee, or federal employee or contractor covered under the federal tort claims act, as amended, and who is acting within the scope of his or her employment or contractual duties is not required to maintain in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage.

AB639,4,19 (d) Except as provided in par. (c), a naturopathic doctor is in compliance with par. (a) if the naturopathic doctor’s employer has in effect malpractice liability insurance coverage that is at least the minimum amount specified in s. 655.23 (4) and that provides coverage for claims against the naturopathic doctor.

AB639,4,20 (e) This subsection does not apply to limited-scope naturopathic doctors.

AB639,13 Section 13. 466.052 of the statutes is created to read:

AB639,4,22 466.052 Expedited partner therapy. (1) In this section:

AB639,4,23 (b) “Antimicrobial drug” has the meaning given in s. 448.035 (1) (b).

AB639,4,24 (c) “Expedited partner therapy” has the meaning given in s. 448.035 (1) (c).

AB639,5,10 (2) A naturopathic doctor may provide expedited partner therapy if a patient is diagnosed as infected with a chlamydial infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis and the patient has had sexual contact with a sexual partner during which the chlamydial infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis may have been transmitted to or from the sexual partner. The naturopathic doctor shall attempt to obtain the name of the patient’s sexual partner. A prescription order for an antimicrobial drug prepared under this subsection shall include the name and address of the patient’s sexual partner, if known. If the naturopathic doctor is unable to obtain the name of the patient’s sexual partner, the prescription order shall include, in ordinary, bold- faced capital letters, the words, “expedited partner therapy” or the letters “EPT.”

AB639,5,14 (3) The naturopathic doctor shall provide the patient with a copy of the information sheet prepared by the department of health services under s. 46.03 (44) and shall request that the patient give the information sheet to the person with whom the patient had sexual contact.

AB639,5,18 (4) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a naturopathic doctor is immune from civil liability for injury to or the death of a person who takes any antimicrobial drug if the antimicrobial drug is prescribed, dispensed, or furnished under this section and if expedited partner therapy is provided as specified under this section.

AB639,5,21 (b) The immunity under par. (a) does not extend to the donation, distribution, furnishing, or dispensing of an antimicrobial drug by a naturopathic doctor whose act or omission involves reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct.

AB639,14 Section 14. 466.07 (2) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,6,3 466.07 (2) (h) Engaged in unprofessional or unethical conduct in violation of the code of ethics established in the rules promulgated under s. 466.03 (1) (a). In this paragraph, “unprofessional or unethical conduct” does not include providing expedited partner therapy as described in s. 466.052.

AB639,15 Section 15. 961.01 (19) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB639,6,10 961.01 (19) (a) A physician, naturopathic doctor, advanced practice nurse, dentist, veterinarian, podiatrist, optometrist, scientific investigator or, subject to s. 448.975 (1) (b), a physician assistant, or other person licensed, registered, certified or otherwise permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to, administer or use in teaching or chemical analysis a controlled substance in the course of professional practice or research in this state.

AB639,16 Section 16. 961.23 (6) of the statutes is amended to read: