253.02(2)
(2) The department shall maintain a maternal and child health program within the division, to promote the reproductive health of individuals and the growth, development, health and safety of infants, children and adolescents. The program shall include all of the following:
253.02(2)(a)
(a) Reproductive health services, including health services prior to conception and family planning services, as defined in
s. 253.07 (1) (b).
253.02(2)(b)
(b) Pregnancy-related services to pregnant women from the time of confirmation of the pregnancy through the maternal postpartum period, including pregnancy information, referral and follow-up, early identification of pregnancy and prenatal services.
253.02(2)(c)
(c) Infant and preschool health services to children from birth to 5 years of age, including neonatal health services, preventive health services for children and parent education and support services.
253.02(2)(d)
(d) Child and adolescent health services to promote the physical and psychosocial health of children and adolescents, including preventive health services for children, adolescent health services, teen pregnancy prevention services, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and mental health-related services.
253.02(2)(e)
(e) General maternal and child health services, including health education, oral health, nutrition, childhood and adolescent injury prevention and family health benefits counseling.
253.02(2)(f)
(f) Health services to children with special health care needs.
253.02(2)(g)
(g) Maternal and child health system coordination services that promote coordination of public and private sector activities in areas of the maternal and child health program described in
pars. (a) to
(f).
253.02(2m)
(2m) Nothing in this section authorizes the performance, promotion, encouragement or counseling in favor of, or referral either directly or through an intermediary for, voluntary termination of pregnancy. Nothing in this section prohibits the providing of nondirective information explaining any of the following:
253.02(3)
(3) The department shall designate a subunit within the division to have responsibility for the maternal and child health program. The subunit shall be comprised of an adequate number of interdisciplinary professional staff with expertise in maternal and child health who will assume responsibility for all of the following:
253.02(3)(a)
(a) Planning, coordination, data collection and evaluation of the program.
253.02(3)(b)
(b) Providing consultation and technical assistance to local health professionals.
253.02(3)(c)
(c) Coordinating the program activities with related activities conducted under the authority of other state and federal agencies.
253.02(4)
(4) The department shall collaborate with community-based organizations that serve children, adolescents, and their families to promote health and wellness, and to reduce childhood and adolescent obesity.
253.03
253.03
State plan; reports. The department shall prepare and submit to the proper federal authorities a state plan for maternal and child health services. The plan shall conform with all requirements governing federal aid for this purpose and shall be designed to secure for this state the maximum amount of federal aid which can be secured on the basis of the available state, county, and local appropriations. The department shall make such reports, in such form and containing such information, as may from time to time be required by the federal authorities and shall comply with all provisions that may be prescribed to assure the correctness and verification of the reports. The secretary may appoint a maternal and child health program advisory committee under
s. 15.04 (1) (c) to assist the department in meeting the requirements of this section.
253.03 History
History: 1993 a. 27 s.
369.
253.04
253.04
Private rights. No official, agent or representative of the department may, under this section, enter any home over the objection of the owner or take charge of any child over the objection of the parent or of the person standing in the place of a parent or having custody of the child. Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the power of a parent, guardian or person standing in the place of a parent to determine what treatment or correction shall be provided for a child or the agency to be employed for that purpose.
253.04 History
History: 1993 a. 27 s.
370.
253.05
253.05
Federal funds. The department shall use sufficient funds from the appropriation under
s. 20.435 (1) (a) for the promotion of the welfare and hygiene of maternity and infancy to match federal funds received by the state.
253.05 History
History: 1993 a. 27 s.
371.
253.07
253.07
Family planning. 253.07(1)(a)
(a) "Family planning" means voluntary action by individuals to prevent or aid conception. "Family planning" does not include the performance, promotion, encouragement or counseling in favor of, or referral either directly or through an intermediary for, voluntary termination of pregnancy, but may include the providing of nondirective information explaining any of the following:
253.07(1)(b)
(b) "Family planning services" mean counseling by trained personnel regarding family planning; distribution of information relating to family planning; and referral to licensed nurse practitioners within the scope of their practice, licensed physicians or local health departments for consultation, examination, medical treatment and prescriptions for the purpose of family planning. "Family planning" does not include the performance, promotion, encouragement or counseling in favor of, or referral either directly or through an intermediary for, voluntary termination of pregnancy, but may include the providing of nondirective information explaining any of the following:
253.07(2)(a)(a) The department shall provide for delivery of family planning services throughout the state by developing and by annually reviewing and updating a state plan for community-based family planning programs.
253.07(2)(b)
(b) The department shall allocate state and federal family planning funds under its control in a manner which will promote the development and maintenance of an integrated system of community health services. It shall maximize the use of existing community family planning services by encouraging local contractual arrangements.
253.07(2)(c)
(c) The department shall coordinate the delivery of family planning services by allocating family planning funds in a manner which maximizes coordination between the agencies.
253.07(2)(d)
(d) The department shall encourage maximum coordination of family planning services between county social services departments, family planning agencies and local health departments to maximize the use of health, social service and welfare resources.
253.07(2)(e)
(e) The department shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement and administer this section.
253.07(3)
(3) Individual rights, medical privilege. 253.07(3)(a)(a) The request of any person for family planning services or his or her refusal to accept any service shall in no way affect the right of the person to receive public assistance, public health services or any other public service. Nothing in this section may abridge the right of the individual to make decisions concerning family planning, nor may any individual be required to state his or her reason for refusing any offer of family planning services.
253.07(3)(b)
(b) Any employee of the agencies engaged in the administration of the provisions of this section may refuse to accept the duty of offering family planning services to the extent that the duty is contrary to his or her personal beliefs. A refusal may not be grounds for dismissal, suspension, demotion, or any other discrimination in employment. The directors or supervisors of the agencies shall reassign the duties of employees in order to carry out the provisions of this section.
253.07(3)(c)
(c) All information gathered by any agency, entity or person conducting programs in family planning, other than statistical information compiled without reference to the identity of any individual or other information which the individual allows to be released through his or her informed consent, shall be considered a confidential medical record.
253.07(4)
(4) Family planning services. From the appropriation under
s. 20.435 (5) (f), the department shall allocate funds in the following amounts, for the following services:
253.07(4)(a)
(a) For each fiscal year, $225,000 to establish and maintain 2 city-based clinics for delivery of family planning services under this section, in the cities of Milwaukee, Racine or Kenosha.
253.07(4)(b)
(b) For each fiscal year, $67,500 to subsidize the provision by family planning agencies under this section of papanicolaou tests to individuals with low income. In this paragraph, "low income" means adjusted gross income that is less than 200% of the poverty line established under
42 USC 9902 (2).
253.07(4)(c)
(c) For each fiscal year, $54,000 to subsidize the provision by family planning agencies under this section of follow-up cancer screening.
253.07(4)(d)
(d) For each fiscal year, $31,500 as grants to applying family planning agencies under this section for employment in communities of licensed registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse-midwives or licensed physician assistants who are members of a racial minority.
253.07(4)(e)
(e) For each fiscal year, $36,000 to initiate, in areas of high incidence of the disease chlamydia, education and outreach programs to locate, educate and treat individuals at high risk of contracting the disease chlamydia and their partners.
253.07 History
History: 1977 c. 418;
1979 c. 89;
1991 a. 39 s.
3695;
1993 a. 27 s.
379; Stats. 1993 s. 253.07;
1993 a. 105, s.
13;
1997 a. 27,
67.
253.07 Annotation
Toward greater reproductive freedom: Wisconsin's new family planning act. 1979 WLR 509.
253.08
253.08
Pregnancy counseling services. The department shall make grants from the appropriation under
s. 20.435 (5) (eg) to individuals and organizations to provide pregnancy counseling services. For a program to be eligible under this section, an applicant must demonstrate that moneys provided in a grant under
s. 20.435 (5) (eg) will not be used to engage in any activity specified in
s. 20.9275 (2) (a) 1. to
3.
253.08 History
History: 1985 a. 29;
1993 a. 27 s.
377; Stats. 1993 s. 253.08;
1997 a. 27.
253.085
253.085
Outreach to low-income pregnant women. 253.085(1)(1) The department shall conduct an outreach program to make low-income pregnant women aware of the importance of early prenatal and infant health care and of the availability of medical assistance benefits under
subch. IV of ch. 49 and other types of funding for prenatal and infant care, to refer women to prenatal and infant care services in the community and to make follow-up contacts with women referred to prenatal and infant care services.
253.085(2)
(2) In addition to the amounts appropriated under
s. 20.435 (5) (ev), the department shall allocate $250,000 for each fiscal year from moneys received under the maternal and child health services block grant program,
42 USC 701 to
709, for the outreach program under this section.
253.085 History
History: 1987 a. 399;
1991 a. 39;
1993 a. 27 s.
47; Stats. 1993 s. 253.085;
1995 a. 27;
1997 a. 27.
253.09
253.09
Abortion refused; no liability; no discrimination. 253.09(1)(1) No hospital shall be required to admit any patient or to allow the use of the hospital facilities for the purpose of performing a sterilization procedure or removing a human embryo or fetus. A physician or any other person who is a member of or associated with the staff of a hospital, or any employee of a hospital in which such a procedure has been authorized, who shall state in writing his or her objection to the performance of or providing assistance to such a procedure on moral or religious grounds shall not be required to participate in such medical procedure, and the refusal of any such person to participate therein shall not form the basis of any claim for damages on account of such refusal or for any disciplinary or recriminatory action against such person.
253.09(2)
(2) No hospital or employee of any hospital shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from a refusal to perform sterilization procedures or remove a human embryo or fetus from a person, if such refusal is based on religious or moral precepts.
253.09(3)
(3) No hospital, school or employer may discriminate against any person with regard to admission, hiring or firing, tenure, term, condition or privilege of employment, student status or staff status on the ground that the person refuses to recommend, aid or perform procedures for sterilization or the removal of a human embryo or fetus, if the refusal is based on religious or moral precepts.
253.09(4)
(4) The receipt of any grant, contract, loan or loan guarantee under any state or federal law does not authorize any court or any public official or other public authority to require:
253.09(4)(a)
(a) Such individual to perform or assist in the performance of any sterilization procedure or removal of a human embryo or fetus if the individual's performance or assistance in the performance of such a procedure would be contrary to the individual's religious beliefs or moral convictions; or
253.09(4)(b)1.
1. Make its facilities available for the performance of any sterilization procedure or removal of a human embryo or fetus if the performance of such a procedure in such facilities is prohibited by the entity on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions; or
253.09(4)(b)2.
2. Provide any personnel for the performance or assistance in the performance of any sterilization procedure or assistance if the performance or assistance in the performance of such procedure or the removal of a human embryo or fetus by such personnel would be contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of such personnel.
253.09 History
History: 1973 c. 159; Stats. 1973 s. 140.275;
1973 c. 336 s.
54; Stats. 1973 s. 140.42;
1979 c. 34;
1993 a. 27 s.
222; Stats. 1993 s. 253.09;
1993 a. 482.
253.10
253.10
Voluntary and informed consent for abortions. 253.10(1)(1)
Legislative findings and intent. 253.10(1)(a)1.
1. Many women now seek or are encouraged to undergo elective abortions without full knowledge of the medical and psychological risks of abortion, development of the unborn child or of alternatives to abortion. An abortion decision is often made under stressful circumstances.
253.10(1)(a)2.
2. The knowledgeable exercise of a woman's decision to have an elective abortion depends on the extent to which the woman receives sufficient information to make a voluntary and informed choice between 2 alternatives of great consequence: carrying a child to birth or undergoing an abortion.
253.10(1)(a)3.
3. The U.S. supreme court has stated: "In attempting to ensure that a woman apprehend the full consequences of her decision, the State furthers the legitimate purpose of reducing the risk that a woman may elect an abortion, only to discover later, with devastating psychological consequences, that her decision was not fully informed." Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey,
112 U.S. 2791, 2823 (1992).
253.10(1)(a)4.
4. It is essential to the psychological and physical well-being of a woman considering an elective abortion that she receive complete and accurate information on all options available to her in dealing with her pregnancy.
253.10(1)(a)5.
5. The vast majority of elective abortions in this state are performed in clinics that are devoted solely to providing abortions and family planning services. Women who seek elective abortions at these facilities normally do not have a prior patient-physician relationship with the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion, normally do not return to the facility for post-operative care and normally do not continue a patient-physician relationship with the physician who performed or induced the abortion. In most instances, the woman's only actual contact with the physician occurs simultaneously with the abortion procedure, with little opportunity to receive personal counseling by the physician concerning her decision. Because of this, certain safeguards are necessary to protect a woman's right to know.
253.10(1)(a)6.
6. A reasonable waiting period is critical to ensure that a woman has the fullest opportunity to give her voluntary and informed consent before she elects to undergo an abortion.
253.10(1)(b)
(b) It is the intent of the legislature in enacting this section to further the important and compelling state interests in all of the following:
253.10(1)(b)1.
1. Protecting the life and health of the woman subject to an elective abortion and, to the extent constitutionally permissible, the life of her unborn child.
253.10(1)(b)2.
2. Fostering the development of standards of professional conduct in the practice of abortion.
253.10(1)(b)3.
3. Ensuring that prior to the performance or inducement of an elective abortion, the woman considering an elective abortion receive personal counseling by the physician and be given a full range of information regarding her pregnancy, her unborn child, the abortion, the medical and psychological risks of abortion and available alternatives to the abortion.
253.10(1)(b)4.
4. Ensuring that a woman who decides to have an elective abortion gives her voluntary and informed consent to the abortion procedure.
253.10(2)(a)
(a) "Abortion" means the use of an instrument, medicine, drug or other substance or device with intent to terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be pregnant or for whom there is reason to believe that she may be pregnant and with intent other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the infant after live birth or to remove a dead fetus.
253.10(2)(c)
(c) "Disability" means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of having such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment. "Disability" includes any physical disability or developmental disability, as defined in
s. 51.01 (5) (a).
253.10(2)(d)
(d) "Medical emergency" means a condition, in a physician's reasonable medical judgment, that so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death or for which a 24-hour delay in performance or inducement of an abortion will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of one or more of the woman's major bodily functions.
253.10(2)(e)
(e) "Probable gestational age of the unborn child" means the number of weeks that have elapsed from the probable time of fertilization of a woman's ovum, based on the information provided by the woman as to the time of her last menstrual period, her medical history, a physical examination performed by the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion or by any other qualified physician and any appropriate laboratory tests performed on her.
253.10(2)(f)
(f) "Qualified person assisting the physician" means a social worker certified under
ch. 457, a registered nurse or a physician assistant to whom a physician who is to perform or induce an abortion has delegated the responsibility, as the physician's agent, for providing the information required under
sub. (3) (c) 2.
