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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Senate Bill 419

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.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 17, 2019

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection. 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.

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. 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.

Read the full summary

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. The unenforceability of the statute following the Roe v.

Wade decision was noted in a subsequent decision by a federal district court, Larkin v. McCann , 368 F. Supp. 1352 (E.D. Wis., 1974).

Who's behind it

12 senators are its ⁠. All 12 are Democrats.

35 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 47 names

Authors (12)

Signed on in support (35)

What happened

  1. Apr 1, 2020

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Sep 17, 2019

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection.

  3. Sep 17, 2019

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 17, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Risser, Johnson, Bewley, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Larson, Miller, Ringhand, Shilling, Smith, L. Taylor and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Subeck, C. Taylor, Zamarripa, Anderson, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Considine, Crowley, Emerson, Fields, Hesselbein, Hintz, Kolste, B. Meyers, L. Myers, Milroy, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Shankland, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Stuck, Goyke, Gruszynski, Haywood, Hebl, Riemer, Vruwink, McGuire, Cabrera and Vining

  2. Sep 17, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection

  3. Apr 1, 2020 · 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.

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

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