All Roll Calls
Yes: 105 • No: 23
WisconsinAB5982025-2026 Wisconsin Legislature (Biennial Session)HouseWALLET
An Act to renumber and amend 50.06 (1) and 50.06 (4); to amend 50.06 (2) (b), 50.06 (2) (c), 50.06 (5) (a) (intro.), 50.06 (5) (b), 50.06 (6), 50.06 (7), 50.08 (1) (b) and 154.225 (1) (c); to create 50.06 (1) (a), 50.06 (1) (b), 50.06 (1) (d), 50.06 (4) (b), 50.06 (4) (c), 50.06 (5) (am), 50.06 (5) (ar), 50.06 (8), 54.36 (1m), 54.50 (3) (cm), 59.42 (4) and 146.82 (2) (a) 7m. of the statutes; Relating to: consent to admissions to certain health care facilities by patient representatives without requiring a petition for guardianship or protective placement. (FE)
Sponsored By: Barbara Dittrich (Republican), Bob Donovan (Republican), Steve Doyle (Democratic), Russell Goodwin (Democratic), Rick Gundrum (Republican), Karen Hurd (Republican), Tara Johnson (Democratic), Daniel Knodl (Republican), Rob Kreibich (Republican), Tony Kurtz (Republican), Maureen McCarville (Democratic), Paul Melotik (Republican), Jeffrey Mursau (Republican), Todd Novak (Republican), Jerry O'Connor (Republican), Lori Palmeri (Democratic), William Penterman (Republican), Jim Piwowarczyk (Republican), Priscilla Prado (Democratic), Amaad Rivera-Wagner (Democratic), Jessie Rodriguez (Republican), Ann Roe (Democratic), Joe Sheehan (Democratic), Christine Sinicki (Democratic), Patrick Snyder (Republican), Angela Stroud (Democratic), Shelia Stubbs (Democratic), Lisa Subeck (Democratic), Rob Swearingen (Republican), Robert Wittke (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Community-based residential facilityGuardian and wardHospitals and health care facilitiesMedical assistanceNursing homes and adult careReports
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 7 mixed.
Hospital price disclosures gain state backup
Wisconsin must adopt and enforce federal hospital price-disclosure rules if they are repealed without substantively similar replacements. This also applies if the federal rule for shoppable-service prices alone is repealed; state rules cannot substantively differ from the repealed rules. The health department must check complaints, review noncompliance analyses, and audit hospital websites. It must maintain a public list showing hospital violations, dates, penalties, warnings, and corrective-action communications. The department must review federal enforcement yearly and report to lawmakers when it finds the federal agency is not enforcing the rules.
Guardianship cases must use existing care records
Physicians and psychologists preparing guardianship reports must request and review qualifying incapacity statements held by probate. They can also review representatives’ declarations. In temporary guardianship cases involving this admission route, petitioners must promptly request statements and submit them for private court review, or report none found. Unless a later statement shows changed circumstances, an incapacity statement counts as initial proof that immediate temporary guardianship is needed. These statements are confidential, need no separate proof of authenticity, and can be challenged on grounds allowed by law.
Care records stay confidential with filing fees
Health records can be shared with probate officials for this law’s incapacity-statement process. Probate officials must keep the statements and signed declarations confidential until the person dies, then remove them under state protocols. Qualifying temporary-guardianship petitioners, specified relatives, examining clinicians, courts, county legal counsel, and court-authorized people can request copies. Relatives must meet the law’s relationship requirements unless a court allows disclosure for good cause. The person submitting a qualifying statement or declaration pays $8 per document for safekeeping.
Care representatives gain legal and bill protections
Representatives receive criminal and civil liability protection for good-faith decisions that follow this law. Protection excludes bad faith and spending for someone else’s benefit. A representative who is not the patient’s spouse is not personally liable for authorized goods or services. Facilities and providers also receive legal protections for specified capacity findings, compliance, and reasonable unsuccessful efforts to obtain decisions. Health professionals commit unprofessional conduct if they fail to make a good-faith transfer effort when needed for compliance.
Care representatives gain limited payment powers
Representatives using this admission route can make health decisions, enroll the person in Wisconsin Medicaid, and approve care spending. They can request Family Care screenings and waive financial screening for private-pay admission, unless Medicaid eligibility is expected within six months. They cannot approve spending when an authorized durable-power-of-attorney agent can do so. Authority ends when a guardian is appointed, the person leaves facility care, an unknown health-care power of attorney is found, or capacity returns. If the person remains in the facility after 60 days without a guardian, authority gets one 30-day extension for discharge planning.
Courts can check care representatives’ spending
After a petition and hearing, courts can direct representatives to protect the person’s interests and restrict decisions or spending. Courts can require status reports and spending accounts within 72 hours of an order. Courts can appoint an independent attorney, called a guardian ad litem, to protect the person’s interests. Petitioners can be charged proceeding costs, while the person’s available income or assets can pay that attorney’s reasonable fees. Counties can also bear attorney fees, with allocation and payment limits set by law.
Families gain a time-limited care admission option
A patient’s representative can approve facility admission without first filing guardianship or protective-placement petitions. This route is only for incapacitated people moving directly from a hospital inpatient unit. It excludes people diagnosed with developmental disabilities or the mental illness defined by this law. Representatives cannot approve new admissions after the date three years after the provision takes effect. The supplied text does not give the calendar cutoff date.
Patients get clearer incapacity checks
This admission route requires personal exams and a signed incapacity statement from two physicians, or one physician and one advanced practice clinician. Age, eccentricity, and physical disability do not establish incapacity, alone or together. Examiners cannot be relatives or have claims on the person’s estate. Clinicians must place the statement in health records and send copies to probate and the county adult-at-risk agency within 72 hours after admission. A later finding that capacity has returned requires a new statement filed and sent within 72 hours.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Barbara Dittrich
Republican • House
Bob Donovan
Republican • House
Steve Doyle
Democratic • House
Russell Goodwin
Democratic • House
Rick Gundrum
Republican • House
Karen Hurd
Republican • House
Tara Johnson
Democratic • House
Daniel Knodl
Republican • House
Rob Kreibich
Republican • House
Tony Kurtz
Republican • House
Maureen McCarville
Democratic • House
Paul Melotik
Republican • House
Jeffrey Mursau
Republican • House
Todd Novak
Republican • House
Jerry O'Connor
Republican • House
Lori Palmeri
Democratic • House
William Penterman
Republican • House
Jim Piwowarczyk
Republican • House
Priscilla Prado
Democratic • House
Amaad Rivera-Wagner
Democratic • House
Jessie Rodriguez
Republican • House
Ann Roe
Democratic • House
Joe Sheehan
Democratic • House
Christine Sinicki
Democratic • House
Patrick Snyder
Republican • House
Angela Stroud
Democratic • House
Shelia Stubbs
Democratic • House
Lisa Subeck
Democratic • House
Rob Swearingen
Republican • House
Robert Wittke
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Brienne Brown
Democratic • House
Rachael Cabral-Guevara
Republican • Senate
Jodi Emerson
Democratic • House
Dan Feyen
Republican • Senate
Jenna Jacobson
Democratic • House
Jesse James
Republican • Senate
Joel Kitchens
Republican • House
Clint Moses
Republican • House
Romaine Quinn
Republican • Senate
Jeff Smith
Democratic • Senate
Eric Wimberger
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/17/2026
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 28, Noes 5
Yes: 28 • No: 5
House vote • 2/19/2026
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 77, Noes 18
Yes: 77 • No: 18
Actions Timeline
Published 3-21-2026
3/20/2026HouseReport approved by the Governor on 3-20-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 115
3/20/2026HouseRepresentative J. Jacobson added as a coauthor
3/20/2026HouseRepresentative Emerson added as a coauthor
3/19/2026HousePresented to the Governor on 3-19-2026
3/19/2026HouseReport correctly enrolled on 3-18-2026
3/18/2026HouseLRB correction (Assembly Substitute Amendment 3)
3/18/2026HouseReceived from Senate concurred in
3/18/2026HouseOrdered immediately messaged
3/17/2026SenateSenator Smith added as a cosponsor
3/17/2026SenateRead a third time and concurred in, Ayes 28, Noes 5
3/17/2026SenateRules suspended to give bill its third reading
3/17/2026SenateOrdered to a third reading
3/17/2026SenateRead a second time
3/17/2026SenateRepresentative Kitchens added as a coauthor
3/16/2026SenatePlaced on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
3/16/2026SenatePublic hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
3/16/2026SenateRepresentative Brown added as a coauthor
3/6/2026SenateAvailable for scheduling
2/25/2026SenateRead first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
2/25/2026SenateReceived from Assembly
2/23/2026SenateOrdered immediately messaged
2/19/2026HouseRead a third time and passed, Ayes 77, Noes 18
2/19/2026HouseRules suspended
2/19/2026HouseOrdered to a third reading
2/19/2026House
Bill Text
Assembly Substitute Amendment 3
2/19/2026
Bill Text
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