Senate Bill 701
Eliminating certain abortion prohibitions
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.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 3, 2016
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. No public hearing was held.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 13, 2016: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill repeals a statute relating to abortion that has been held unenforceable by a federal court. Under that statute, any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class H felony.
"Unborn child" is defined as a human being from the time of conception until born alive. Any person, other than the mother, who intentionally destroys the life of an unborn quick child or causes the mother's death by an act done with intent to destroy the life of an unborn child is guilty of a Class E felony.
Read the full summary Show less
None of these penalties apply to a therapeutic abortion that is performed by a physician, is necessary, or advised by two other physicians as necessary, to save the life of the mother, and, unless an emergency prevents, is performed in a licensed maternity hospital.
The statute was cited, in Roe v. Wade , 410 U.S. 113 (1973), as similar to a Texas statute that was held to violate the due process clause of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Because of the Roe v. Wade decision, a subsequent decision by a federal district court, Larkin v. McCann , 368 F. Supp. 1352 (E.D. Wis., 1974), held the statute unenforceable.
This bill repeals that statute.
Who's behind it
5 senators are its . All 5 are Democrats.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 15 names Hide the names
Authors (5)
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Nikiya Harris Dodd · Democrat, Senate
- Mark Miller · Democrat, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Fred A. Risser · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (10)
- Mandela Barnes · Democrat, Assembly
- Terese Berceau · Democrat, Assembly
- Dianne Hesselbein · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Sondy Pope · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Mark Spreitzer · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- Josh Zepnick · Democrat, Assembly
What happened
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Apr 13, 2016
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 3, 2016
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Feb 3, 2016
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Feb 3, 2016
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 3, 2016 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Risser, Miller, Harris Dodd, Ringhand and C. Larson; cosponsored by Representatives Subeck, Berceau, Ohnstad, Hesselbein, Sargent, Barnes, Zepnick, Pope and Spreitzer
- Feb 3, 2016 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Feb 3, 2016 · Senate
Senator L. Taylor added as a coauthor
- Apr 13, 2016 · Senate
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
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
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor