Chapter 69

69.18(3)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (c) or (e), the person who has moved a corpse under sub. (1) (a) shall complete a report for final disposition in the manner prescribed by the state registrar and, within 24 hours after being notified of the death, mail or present a copy of the report to the coroner or medical examiner in the county of the place of death and mail or present a copy to the local registrar in the registration district of the place of death. If the cause of death is subject to an investigation under s. 979.01 or 979.03, the report for final disposition shall be submitted to the coroner or medical examiner in the county in which the event which caused the death occurred.

69.18(3)(b) (b) If a medical certification for a corpse is required under sub. (2) (d), no person may embalm the corpse or effect its final disposition without satisfying the requirements for a report under par. (a) and without obtaining the written permission of the person required to complete the medical certification under sub. (2) (d).

69.18(3)(c) (c) No person may effect a final disposition of a corpse brought into this state unless the corpse is accompanied by written authorization for final disposition under the law of another state.

69.18(3)(d) (d) No person may remove a corpse from this state if the place of death was in this state unless the corpse is accompanied by a copy of the report for final disposition. If a medical certification is required for the corpse under sub. (2) (d), the corpse must be accompanied by the report and the written permission of the coroner or medical examiner to embalm and effect final disposition. No person may remove a stillbirth from this state if the delivery of the stillbirth was in this state unless the stillbirth is accompanied by a report for final disposition.

69.18(3)(e) (e) Except as provided under par. (d), no report under par. (a) is required to effect final disposition of a stillbirth. No person may effect final disposition of a stillbirth without the written authorization of any of the following persons, in order of priority stated, when persons in prior classes are not available at the time of authorization, and in the absence of actual notice of opposition by a member of the same or a prior class:

69.18(3)(e)1. 1. A parent of the stillbirth.

69.18(3)(e)2. 2. An adult brother or sister of the stillbirth.

69.18(3)(e)3. 3. A grandparent of the stillbirth.

69.18(3)(e)4. 4. Any other person authorized or under obligation to dispose of the stillbirth.

69.18(3)(f) (f) Every person in charge of a place in which interment or other disposition of corpses occurs shall maintain a written record of every corpse interred there. The record shall include the name of the decedent, the place of death, the date of burial and the name and address of the funeral director or other person in charge of the funeral.

69.18(3)(g) (g) If a deceased person had a disease which the department determines is communicable and dangerous to the public health, the corpse of the person may not be moved nor final disposition effected except under conditions prescribed by the department.

69.18(4) (4) Authorization for disinterment and reinterment.

69.18(4)(a) (a) Subject to s. 157.111, the coroner or medical examiner of the county in which a decedent’s corpse is interred shall issue an authorization for disinterment and reinterment upon receipt of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction or upon receipt of a written application for disinterment and reinterment signed by the person in charge of the disinterment and by any of the following persons, in order of priority stated, when persons in prior classes are not available at the time of application, and in the absence of actual notice of contrary indications by the decedent or actual notice of opposition by a member of the same or a prior class:

69.18(4)(a)1g. 1g. An individual specified under s. 154.30 (2) (b).

69.18(4)(a)1m. 1m. The decedent’s spouse.

69.18(4)(a)2. 2. An adult son or daughter of the decedent.

69.18(4)(a)3. 3. Either parent of the decedent.

69.18(4)(a)4. 4. An adult brother or sister of the decedent.

69.18(4)(a)5. 5. A guardian of the person of the decedent at the time of the decedent’s death.

69.18(4)(a)6. 6. Any other person authorized or under obligation to dispose of the decedent’s corpse.

69.18(4)(bm) (bm) A cemetery authority may disinter and reinter buried human remains as provided under s. 157.112 without first obtaining an authorization under par. (a).

69.18 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1985 a. 332 s. 253; 1989 a. 307; 1993 a. 386; 1995 a. 357; 1997 a. 114; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 273; 2005 a. 266; 2007 a. 58; 2013 a. 168; 2017 a. 334; 2021 a. 23, 130; 2021 a. 238 s. 45; 2023 a. 171, 172, 173.

69.18 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. DHS 135 and 136, Wis. adm. code.

69.18 Annotation Sub. (2) (f) does not require a death certificate to state the basis of a patient’s treatment or the type of treatment. Neuman v. Circuit Court, 231 Wis. 2d 440, 605 N.W.2d 280 (Ct. App. 1999), 99-0714.

69.186 69.186 Induced abortion reporting.

69.186(1) (1) On or before January 15 annually, each hospital, clinic or other facility in which an induced abortion is performed shall file with the department a report for each induced abortion performed in the hospital, clinic or other facility in the previous calendar year. Each report shall contain all of the following information with respect to each patient obtaining an induced abortion in the hospital, clinic or other facility:

69.186(1)(a) (a) The state and, if this state, the county, of residence.

69.186(1)(b) (b) Patient number.

69.186(1)(c) (c) Race.

69.186(1)(d) (d) Age.

69.186(1)(e) (e) Marital status.

69.186(1)(f) (f) Month and year in which the induced abortion was performed.

69.186(1)(g) (g) Education.

69.186(1)(h) (h) The number of weeks since the patient’s last menstrual period.

69.186(1)(hf) (hf) The probable postfertilization age of the unborn child, as defined in s. 253.107 (1) (c), and whether an ultrasound was used to assist in making the determination of postfertilization age of the unborn child, or, if the probable postfertilization age of the unborn child was not determined, the nature of the medical emergency, as defined in s. 253.10 (2) (d).

69.186(1)(hm) (hm) Whether the abortion was a chemically induced abortion, a surgical abortion or a surgical abortion following a failed or incomplete chemical abortion.

69.186(1)(i) (i) Complications, if any, resulting from performance of the induced abortion.

69.186(1)(j) (j) If the patient is a minor, whether consent was provided under s. 48.375 (4) (a) 1. for the abortion and, if so, the relationship of the individual providing consent to the minor; or, if consent under s. 48.375 (4) (a) 1. was not provided, on which of the bases under s. 48.375 (4) (a) 2. or (b) 1., 1g., 1m., 2. or 3. the abortion was performed.

69.186(1)(k) (k) If the unborn child is considered to be capable of experiencing pain under s. 253.107 (3) (a), the nature of the medical emergency, as defined in s. 253.10 (2) (d), that the pregnant woman had.

69.186(1)(L) (L) If the unborn child is considered to be capable of experiencing pain under s. 253.107 (3) (a), a statement whether the method of abortion used was one that, in reasonable medical judgment, provided the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive or, if such a method was not used, the basis of the determination that termination of the pregnancy in that manner posed a greater risk either of the death of the pregnant woman or of the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the woman than other available methods.

69.186(2) (2) The department shall collect the information under sub. (1) in a manner which the department shall specify and which ensures the anonymity of a patient who receives an induced abortion, a health care provider who provides an induced abortion and a hospital, clinic or other facility in which an induced abortion is performed. The department shall publish annual demographic summaries of the information obtained under this section, except that the department may not disclose any information obtained under this section that reveals the identity of any patient, health care provider or hospital, clinic or other facility and shall ensure anonymity in all of the following ways:

69.186(2)(a) (a) The department may use information concerning the patient number under sub. (1) (b) or concerning the identity of a specific reporting hospital, clinic or other facility for purposes of information collection only and may not reproduce or extrapolate this information for any purpose.

69.186(2)(b) (b) The department shall immediately destroy all reports submitted under sub. (1) after information is extrapolated from the reports for use in publishing the annual demographic summary under this subsection.

69.186 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1995 a. 309; 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 56.

69.19 69.19 Court-ordered death records. If a person has died in this state and final disposition of the person’s corpse has been effected but no death record is on file one year after a death, a person with a direct and tangible interest in having a death record registered may petition the circuit court of the county in which the death is alleged to have occurred. If the court finds that the petitioner has established the facts of the death required on the death record, the clerk of the court shall report the court’s determination to the state registrar in the manner prescribed by the state registrar, along with the fee required under s. 69.22. Upon receipt of the report, the state registrar shall register the death record.

69.19 History History: 1985 a. 315; 2017 a. 334.

69.20 69.20 Disclosure of information from vital records.

69.20(1) (1) A person with a direct and tangible interest in a vital record is any of the following:

69.20(1)(a) (a) The registrant of the vital record.

69.20(1)(b) (b) A member of the registrant’s immediate family.

69.20(1)(c) (c) The parent of a registrant, unless the parent is a birth parent whose parental rights to the registrant have been terminated under ch. 48.

69.20(1)(d) (d) The registrant’s legal custodians or guardians.

69.20(1)(e) (e) A representative authorized by any person under pars. (a) to (d), including an attorney.

69.20(1)(f) (f) Any other person who demonstrates a direct and tangible interest when information is necessary for the determination or protection of a personal or property right.

69.20(2) (2) 

69.20(2)(a) (a) Except as provided under sub. (3), information in the part of a record of birth, divorce or annulment, termination of domestic partnership, marriage, or a declaration of domestic partnership that is designated on the record as being collected for statistical or medical and statistical use only and information in the part of a death record that is designated on the record as being collected as statistical-use-only information under s. 69.18 (1m) (c) may not be disclosed to any person except the following:

69.20(2)(a)1. 1. The subject of the information, or, if the subject is a minor, his or her parent or guardian.

69.20(2)(a)2. 2. For a death record, any of the persons specified under s. 69.18 (4) (a) 1g. to 6. or an individual who is authorized in writing by one of the persons.

69.20(2)(b) (b) Except as provided under sub. (3), the state registrar and local registrars may not permit inspection of or disclose information contained in any record of a birth which occurred after September 30, 1907 if the mother of the subject of the record was not married at any time from the conception to the birth of the subject of the record, unless the inspection is by or the information is disclosed to a person who has a direct and tangible interest in such record.

69.20(2)(c) (c) Except as provided under sub. (3), until 50 years after a decedent’s date of death, the state registrar and a local registrar may not permit inspection of or disclose information contained in the portion under s. 69.18 (1m) (b) 2. and 3. of the death record to anyone except to a person specified under sub. (1), or to a direct descendent of the decedent.

69.20(3) (3) 

69.20(3)(a) (a) The state registrar or a local registrar may effect a disclosure of information prohibited under sub. (2) if a court of competent jurisdiction orders the disclosure and specifies the vital record which is to be disclosed.

69.20(3)(b) (b) The state registrar may effect disclosure of information prohibited under sub. (2) if the person to whom the information will be disclosed has signed and given to the state registrar a written agreement specifying the conditions under which the information will be used, as designated by the state registrar and if:

69.20(3)(b)1. 1. The information will be used for health or demographic research or for a public health program.

69.20(3)(b)2. 2. The information will be used by the federal agency responsible for compilation of national statistics and if the federal agency shares the cost of collecting, processing and transmitting the data. The federal agency may not use the information for any purpose except compilation of national statistics unless the federal agency specifies the other purpose to the state registrar and the state registrar gives written authorization for such use.

69.20(3)(b)3. 3. The information is from the vital record of a registrant who is a resident of another state or who was born in another state and is transmitted to the office responsible for keeping the vital statistics in such state under an interstate cooperation agreement which requires that the information be used for statistical and administrative purposes only and which provides for the retention and disposition of such copies. If under such an agreement the state registrar receives information from an office responsible for keeping the vital statistics in another state, the state registrar may not use the information for any purpose except the compilation of statistics.

69.20(3)(b)4. 4. The information is from a birth record which indicates that the registrant has a congenital disability and is submitted to the department of public instruction.

69.20(3)(b)5. 5. The information is submitted to a public school system in this state for the purpose of compiling demographic statistics related to planning.

69.20(3)(c) (c) Notwithstanding sub. (2), a local registrar may disclose information on a birth record or issue a copy of the record to a local health department, as defined in s. 250.01 (4), for health or demographic research or a public health program if the local health department pays the copying costs and if the birth of the registrant occurred within the boundaries of the political subdivision served by the local health department or the registrant is a resident of the political subdivision. The local health department may not disclose any information from any copy which it receives under this paragraph to any person and shall destroy the copy no later than one year after receipt.

69.20(3)(d) (d) Subject to par. (f), the state or a local registrar may disclose information from the vital record of a specified registrant, except information under sub. (2) (a), to a federal agency, to any agency of the government of this state or to any agency of a county, city, town or village if the agency requests the information for use in the conduct of its official duties.

69.20(3)(e) (e) Public use indexes of birth, death, marriage, divorce, domestic partnership, termination of domestic partnership, or annulment records that are filed in the system of vital records at the state or local level are accessible only by inspection at the office of the state registrar or of a local registrar and may not be copied or reproduced except as follows:

69.20(3)(e)1. 1.

69.20(3)(e)1.a. a. Birth record index information may be copied or reproduced for the public only after 100 years have elapsed from the year in which the birth occurred. No information in the index that has been impounded under s. 69.15 may be released.

69.20(3)(e)1.b. b. Subdivision 1. a. does not apply to birth record indexes of events that occurred before October 1, 1907.

69.20(3)(e)2. 2. Indexes of death, marriage, divorce, domestic partnership, termination of domestic partnership, or annulment records may be copied or reproduced for the public after 24 months have elapsed from the year in which the event occurred.

69.20(3)(e)3. 3. Beginning January 1, 2003, any information that is obtained from an index under subd. 1. or 2. and that is released shall contain the following statement: “This information is not a legal vital record index. Inclusion of any information does not constitute legal verification of the fact of the event.”

69.20(3)(f) (f) The state or a local registrar may disclose a social security number on a vital record to the department of children and families or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) in response to a request under s. 49.22 (2m).

69.20(3)(g) (g) The state or local registrar, upon request of the department of revenue, may disclose information on vital records, including a social security number, to the department of revenue only for the following purposes related to administering state taxes and collection of debts referred to the department of revenue:

69.20(3)(g)1. 1. Locating persons, or the assets of persons, who have failed to file tax returns, have underreported their taxable income, or are delinquent debtors.

69.20(3)(g)2. 2. Identifying fraudulent tax returns and credit claims.

69.20(3)(g)3. 3. Providing information for tax-related prosecutions.

69.20(3)(h) (h)

69.20(3)(h)1. 1. In this paragraph, “qualified independent researcher” means a faculty member of a university who satisfies all of the following:

69.20(3)(h)1.a. a. The faculty member has an approved protocol from an institutional review board for human subjects research to work with data containing personal information for the purposes of evaluating the program under s. 119.23.

69.20(3)(h)1.b. b. The faculty member has received from the state and properly managed data containing personal information for the purposes of evaluating the program under s. 119.23 before July 14, 2015.

69.20(3)(h)2. 2. The state registrar shall effect a disclosure of information prohibited under sub. (2) to a qualified independent researcher for the purpose of cross-matching the information disclosed by the registrar with information in a database that both is in the possession of the qualified independent researcher and contains information regarding pupils participating in the program under s. 119.23. The state registrar may charge a fee to the qualified independent researcher for the information that does not exceed the cost incurred by the state registrar to provide the information.

69.20(4) (4) Under procedures that are promulgated by rule, the state registrar and every local registrar shall protect vital records from mutilation, alteration, theft, or fraudulent use and shall protect the privacy rights of registrants and their families by strictly controlling direct access to any vital record.

69.20 History History: 1985 a. 315; 1993 a. 27; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27, 191; 2001 a. 16; 2007 a. 20, 58; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55, 157; 2017 a. 334.

69.20 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DHS 142, Wis. adm. code.