2025-2026 Legislative Session
Healthy Moms & Families
Protect Maternal and Infant Health
Black infants in Wisconsin are nearly three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants, and maternal deaths remain significantly higher for Black mothers despite the state’s overall low maternal mortality rate. Thousands of new mothers on BadgerCare lose health coverage just 60 days after giving birth, even though postpartum complications and mental health risks often persist for months. Meanwhile, Wisconsin remains one of the only states that still collects childbirth costs from low-income, unmarried fathers through Medicaid birth cost recovery, a policy that disproportionately impacts Black families and does not support the mother or child, as the money goes directly to the Medicaid program rather than to the family.
Prevent Lead Poisoning in Children
Although childhood lead poisoning has declined statewide, the burden remains heaviest in Milwaukee and disproportionately affects Black and Latino children living in older rental housing. In 2023, more than 6 percent of tested children in Wisconsin had elevated blood lead levels under current CDC guidelines. Lead exposure early in life is linked to developmental delays, behavioral problems, and long-term health issues, yet the state continues to fall short in providing proactive testing, full funding for lead service line replacement, and targeted support for high-risk communities.
Policies that Change the Narrative
Birth Equity Act
The infant mortality rate for Black babies in Wisconsin is 14.3% compared to 4.9% for white babies. We cannot accept this fate without change any longer - lives are at stake. That is why I am proud to introduce the Birth Equity Act, which seeks to disrupt our state's most onerous barriers to child and maternal health, while also bringing awareness to these pervasive disparities. This legislative package includes six bills that will:
- Provide an at-home wellness visit, upon request, within the first seven days of delivery
- Mandate insurance coverage of maternal mental health risk screenings
- Repeal Wisconsin’s Medicaid birth cost recovery law
- Establish pregnancy as a qualifying event for employer-sponsored health plans
- Remove the sales tax on breastfeeding equipment and supplies
- Expand access to dental care for pregnant BadgerCare recipients
The Birth Equity Act is a significant first step toward instituting actionable policy and system changes for Wisconsin’s BIPOC mothers and infants.
Respect Act
Starting a family, becoming a parent, and ending a pregnancy are some of the most personal, private decisions of our lives. Every person should be able to make these decisions without political interference. That is why I was proud to introduce the Respect Act along with my colleagues, Sen. Kelda Roys and Rep. Francesca Hong. This legislative package includes two bills that will:
- Ensure that patients in Wisconsin can obtain a safe and legal abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned
- Require that patient care and information be grounded in evidence-based, medically accurate science
The Respect Act supports both patients and healthcare professionals by keeping politicians out of the exam room. Moreover, it will restore the rights of Wisconsinites to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions, free from harassment, intimidation, political interference, or false information.
SCHOOL Act
There are two bills included in the SCHOOL Act. The first bill, 2019 Senate Bill 423, addresses lead in school drinking water by requiring testing and, if necessary, requiring that contaminated water sources be taken offline and replaced with clean water sources while incentivizing long-term remediation by buying down the interest rate of BCPL loans. The second bill, 2019 Senate Bill 424, tackles lead in the drinking water of daycares, group homes, and summer camps by requiring testing as a component of licensure and, if necessary, ensuring that contaminated water sources be taken offline and replaced with clean water sources.
Co-authored with Rep. Haywood, this bill lets Wisconsin borrow $200 million more to help replace old lead water pipes. The money would go toward forgivable loans that cover up to half the cost for homeowners and other private property owners to replace lead service lines, reducing lead in drinking water without putting the full cost on residents
2025–2027 Budget Policies & Their Outcomes
Extend Postpartum BadgerCare to 12 Months
Extending BadgerCare eligibility for postpartum mothers from 60 days to 12 months would allow consistent medical care during a high-risk period for complications, mental health challenges, and chronic conditions. The proposal included $24.4 million to expand eligibility for women earning up to 306 percent of the federal poverty level.
Outcome: Not included in the GOP budget proposal passed into law.
Add Doula Services to Medicaid
The Governor proposed adding doula services to Medicaid benefits. Doulas offer prenatal support, labor coaching, and postpartum guidance that reduce complications during childbirth. The budget proposed $626,400 in the first year and $1.25 million in the second year to implement this benefit statewide.
Outcome: Not included in the GOP budget proposal passed into law.
Increase Child Care Subsidies (Wisconsin Shares)
To make child care more affordable for low-income families, the budget funded several changes to the Wisconsin Shares subsidy program. This included $123.2 million to raise maximum reimbursement rates to the 75th percentile of local market rates, $10 million specifically to raise reimbursement for infant and toddler care, and $4.4 million to waive copays for families earning up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. The Governor had also proposed capping copays at 7 percent of income for all families in the program, but this component was not adopted.
Outcome: Included with modifications. Funding for higher reimbursement rates and copay waivers for families under the poverty line was included. Copay caps for other families were not adopted.
Support for Kinship and Foster Caregivers
The Governor proposed increasing funding for kinship care assessments and payments by $27.4 million to support relatives and other caregivers who step in to care for children. These placements help keep children with familiar adults and prevent them from being institutionalized.
Outcome: Reduced by GOP to $14.3 million.
Expand Homeless Services for Families
The Governor proposed adding $1 million to expand case management services for families experiencing homelessness. These funds support housing placement, job searches, and connections to medical or behavioral health care.
Outcome: Reduced by GOP to $500,000 over the biennium.
Emergency Assistance for Families in Crisis
Emergency Assistance helps families facing eviction, domestic violence, or utility shutoffs stay safe and housed. The Governor proposed increasing this funding by $8.6 million, raising the program total to over $10 million per year.
Outcome: Fully included in the final budget.
Expand Earned Income Tax Credit for Working Families
The Governor proposed increasing Wisconsin’s Earned Income Tax Credit by $72.5 million over the biennium. This expansion would have raised the state match to 16 percent for families with one child, 25 percent for two children, and 43 percent for three or more children.
Outcome: Reduced to $32.7 million, cutting $39.8 million from the Governor’s proposal.
Increase SSI Caretaker Supplement
The Governor proposed increasing funding for the SSI Caretaker Supplement by $16.5 million. This program supports low-income families caring for someone who receives Supplemental Security Income, often a disabled child or adult.
Outcome: Not included in budget bassed by GOP