Chapter 253, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

253.01 Definition. In this chapter, “division” means the division within the department that has primary responsibility for health issues. History: 1993 a. 27.

253.02 Department; powers and duties. (1) In this section: (a) “Children with special health care needs” means children who have health problems that require intervention beyond routine and basic care, including children with or at risk for disabilities, chronic illnesses and con…

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 …

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 …

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. History: 1993 a. 27 s. 371.

253.06 State supplemental food program for women, infants and children. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (ag) “Alternate participant” means a person who has been authorized by a participant to request benefits, participate in nutrition education, bring an infant or child to a Wo…

253.065 Dietetic internship program. (1) The department shall establish a dietetic internship program with federal moneys from the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children authorized under 42 USC 1786. If the department determines that it may not impleme…

253.07 Women’s health block grant. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (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 eithe…

253.075 Family planning and related preventive health services grant. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “AIDS” means acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. (b) “Family planning” has the meaning given in s. 253.07 (1) (a). (c) “Family planning and related preventive health servic…

253.08 Pregnancy counseling services. The department shall award grants from the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (eg) to individuals and organizations to provide pregnancy counseling services. For a program to be eligible under this section, an applicant must demonstrat…

253.085 Outreach to low-income pregnant women. (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 …

253.09 Abortion refused; no liability; no discrimination. (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 pe…

253.095 Requirements to perform abortions. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “abortion” has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (a). (2) ADMITTING PRIVILEGES REQUIRED. No physician may perform an abortion, as defined in s. 253.10 (2) (a), unless he or she has admitting privileges i…

253.10 Voluntary and informed consent for abortions. (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The legislature finds that: 1. Many women now seek or are encouraged to undergo elective abortions without full knowledge of the medical and psychological risks of abortion, development …

253.105 Prescription and use of abortion-inducing drugs. (1) In this section: (a) “Abortion” has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (a). (b) “Abortion-inducing drug” has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (am). (c) “Physician” has the meaning given in s. 448.01 (5). (2) No person…

253.107 Probable postfertilization age; later-term abortions. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Abortion” has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (a). (b) “Medical emergency” has the meaning given in s. 253.10 (2) (d). (c) “Probable postfertilization age of the unborn child” …

253.11 Infant blindness. (1) For the prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum or infant blindness the attending physician or midwife shall use a prophylactic agent approved by the department. (2) In a confinement not attended by a physician or nursemidwife, if one or both eyes of an i…

253.115 Newborn hearing screening. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Hearing loss” means an inability in one or both ears to detect sounds at 30 decibels hearing level or greater in the frequency region of 500 to 4,000 hertz that affects speech recognition and auditory compr…

253.12 Birth defect prevention and surveillance system. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Birth defect” means any of the following conditions affecting an infant or child that occurs prior to or at birth and that requires medical or surgical intervention or interferes with n…

253.13 Tests for congenital disorders. (1) TESTS; REQUIREMENTS. (a) In this subsection, “nurse-midwife” means an individual who is licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse and possesses a certified nurse-midwife specialty designation under s. 441.09. (b) The attending ph…

253.14 Sudden infant death syndrome. (1) The department shall prepare and distribute printed informational materials relating to sudden infant death syndrome. The materials shall be directed toward the concerns of parents of victims of sudden infant death syndrome and shall be di…

253.15 Shaken baby syndrome and impacted babies. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Board” means the child abuse and neglect prevention board. (b) “County department” means a county department of human services or social services under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23. (c) “Health …

253.16 Reducing fetal and infant mortality and morbidity. (1) In this section, “infant” means a child from birth to 12 months of age. (2) In a county with a population of at least 190,000 but less than 230,000, from the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (1) (eu), the departme…

253.165 Right to breast-feed. A mother may breast-feed her child in any public or private location where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be. In such a location, no person may prohibit a mother from breast-feeding her child, direct a mother to move to a different …