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Bills from the 2009–10 session

Assembly Bill 141

Requiring distribution of autism-related information, requiring a referral when certain diagnoses are made, providing funding for the Medical Assistance autism benefit, licensure of autism paraprofessionals, creating an autism paraprofessional board, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation

Topics: Health Services, Department of: Health, Medical assistance, Medical service, Persons with disabilities, Physician, Regulation and Licensing, Department of

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Mar 13, 2009

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the joint committee on Finance. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the Department of Health Services (DHS) provides in-home services, under a Medical Assistance (MA) waiver of federal law, to children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and who would not otherwise be eligible for MA benefits. This bill requires DHS to provide autism services under the MA autism benefit to all individuals who are eligible for the services and prohibits DHS from using a waiting list to limit or delay the provision of those services to eligible individuals. The bill also creates a sum sufficient general purpose revenue appropriation to DHS for the autism benefit. In addition, DHS is required to seek a waiver or an amendment to the existing waiver if DHS determines that that is necessary for the provision of the services to all individuals who are eligible and to authorize federal financial participation for MA reimbursement for providing the services to all eligible individuals.

The bill requires a health care provider who diagnoses a patient with a condition, injury, or illness other than alcoholism, drug dependency, or mental illness, that requires further treatment, to provide the patient (or, if a minor, the patient's parent, guardian, or legal custodian) with any necessary and appropriate referral for further treatment or services.

Read the full summary

In addition, the bill directs DHS to annually distribute to parents of children with autism information regarding therapies such parents may provide at home to complement the child's treatment or individualized education program. DHS must distribute the information to local educational agencies and physicians.

The bill requires licensure of persons who engage in autism paraprofessional practice, defined as the provision of services for compensation to an individual with autism for which current law does not require a licensure as a physician, physician assistant, nurse, chiropractor, pharmacist, psychologist, or other professional specified in the bill.

The bill creates an Autism Paraprofessional Board (board) composed of two psychiatrists, one pediatrician, one psychologist, one social worker, and two public members. The public members must each be the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with autism. The bill requires the board to promulgate rules that establish educational criteria and practice standards for autism paraprofessionals and permits the board to promulgate rules that create ethical standards and continuing education requirements for autism paraprofessionals.

Under the bill, the board may discipline an autism paraprofessional who does any of the following: 1) intentionally makes a material misstatement in an application for a license or for renewal; 2) engages in autism paraprofessional practice while impaired by alcohol or other drugs; 3) makes a substantial misrepresentation that is relied upon by a client; or 4) violates any law that substantially relates to autism paraprofessional practice.

Who's behind it

21 lawmakers are its ⁠. All 21 are Republicans.

2 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 23 names

Authors (21)

Signed on in support (2)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

What happened

  1. Apr 28, 2010

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. May 14, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Mar 30, 2009

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Mar 13, 2009

    Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.

  5. Mar 13, 2009

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 13, 2009 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Newcomer, Petersen, Bies, Nygren, Kleefisch, Vukmir, Spanbauer, Van Roy, Suder, A. Ott, Roth, Lothian, Honadel, Vos, Tauchen, Knodl, Murtha, LeMahieu, Gunderson, Meyer and Brooks;Cosponsored by Senators Leibham and Schultz

  2. Mar 13, 2009 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to joint committee on Finance

  3. Mar 30, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. May 14, 2009 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary