Wisconsin Legislative Spotlight

The Week of March 15, 2010

The next general business floorperiod of the Wisconsin Legislature is scheduled to run from April 13 to April 22, 2010, the last scheduled general floorperiod of the 2009-2010 Legislative Session. The schedule of floorperiods for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session was established by 2009 Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Check the Assembly and Senate Daily Floor Calendars for items which will be considered during floor sessions.

Retirements

Representatives Thomas Lothian (32nd) and Donald Friske (35th) announced that they would not seek reelection this year.

Committee Activity

For information on upcoming events refer to the Schedule of Committee Activities.

Recently Signed Legislation

Governor Doyle signed a number of bills into law recently, including:

• Act 146 (2009 Assembly Bill 614), requiring health care providers to disclose the median billed charge for certain health services.
• Act 148 (2009 Assembly Bill 57), permitting a woman to breast feed in any public or private location she is otherwise authorized to be.
• Act 157 (2009 Assembly Bill 574), authorizing the use of lightweight utility vehicles on certain highways.
• Act 158 (Senate Bill 415), requiring carbon monoxide detectors in dwellings containing one or two units.

Other Recent Action

The Senate and Assembly passed a number of bills, including:

• 2009 Senate Bill 44, relating to requiring a mental health check as part of Department of Justice background check for handgun purchases.
• 2009 Senate Bill 227, relating to interim successors for legislators, meetings of the legislature and legislative committees, and temporary seat of government for the legislature.
• 2009 Senate Bill 399, relating to authorizing two or more cities, villages, towns, or counties, or a combination of such political subdivisions, to create a commission to issue conduit revenue bonds and exercise eminent domain authority.
• 2009 Senate Bill 483, relating to prohibiting health insurance policies and self-insured health plans from excluding coverage for injuries based on the use of alcohol or controlled substances.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 135, relating to allowing an allowing an individual income tax deduction for certain amounts contributed by a divorced or legally separated parent to his or her child's college savings account or college tuition and expenses program.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 413, relating to crimes against children committed by certain persons and creating a penalty.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 599, relating to a speed limit for the operation of snowmobiles during the hours of darkness.

The following are a selection of bills to be enrolled:

• 2009 Senate Bill 303, relating to requesting a person who operates a vehicle that is involved in an accident that causes death or injury to submit to a test for intoxication.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 485, relating to required judicial findings and orders when a child is placed outside the home, termination of parental rights warnings, mandatory child abuse or neglect reporters, the confidentiality of social services records, changing from day care to child care the term used to describe care and supervision for children for less than 24 hours a day, and renumbering the definition of neglect.
• 2009 Assembly Bill 579, relating to special distinguishing registration plates associated with Marquette University.

Recent Bill Introductions

As of March 12, 843 Assembly bills and 614 Senate bills have been introduced. Recently introduced legislation can be found on the Legislature's Searchable Infobases site.

Resources from the LRB Library

This week the Assembly Committee on Insurance held a hearing on 2009 Assembly Bill 789 - Mandatory insurance coverage of the services of behavioral analysts for autism treatment.

The Library staff recommends the following resources related to this topic:

Autism Treatment / Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 2008. (Wisconsin Brief 08-14)

Frequently Asked Questions on Mandated Coverage for Autism Services / Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, 2010.

"Increase in Autism: Is There an Epidemic or Just Better Diagnosis?" / Congressional Quarterly, 2003. (CQ Researcher 2003, v. 13, no. 23) call number: (361.7/C762b)

Report of the Governor's Task Force on Autism / Wisconsin Office of the Governor, 2004.

Social and Financial Report on Senate Bill 3, Relating to Health Insurance Coverage of Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders / Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, 2009.

Web sites:

Information for Families, Providers and County Staff about Autism Services and the Children's Long-Term Support Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waivers / Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

NCSL Autism Legislation Database and Related Resources

Recent Publications

• The Legislative Reference Bureau reference section has produced Legislative Brief 10-1, Human Growth and Development Instruction - 2009 Act 134.
• The Legislative Audit Bureau released an auditor’s opinion on State of Wisconsin Investment Board Financial Statements and a letter report on Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority (WHEFA).
• The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Status of the State's General Fund.
• The Legislative Council Staff published an Informational Memorandum on Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign finance.

For more information about Legislative Service Agency publications, see the left panel of the Spotlight index page.

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Last revised: November 13, 2012