Senate Bill 695
Searching for a biological sibling who has been adopted, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)
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
Jan 16, 2020
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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 1, 2020: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families. 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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a person 18 years of age or over whose birth parent's rights have been terminated or who has been adopted in this state may file an affidavit with the Department of Children and Families allowing DCF to release contact information about that person to his or her birth parents if they request it. Under current law, only a birth parent is allowed to request the information about his or her birth child.
This bill allows an adult biological sibling or the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a biological sibling who is a minor child to request information about a person whose birth parent's parental rights have been terminated in this state, or about that person's adoptive parents, if that person is a minor child. Under the bill, DCF is required to release the information about an adult biological sibling or the adoptive parent of a minor biological sibling if the information is requested and if the adult sibling or adoptive parent has filed an affidavit authorizing the release of the information.
Read the full summary Show less
Under the bill, if there is no affidavit on file for a sibling or adoptive parent of a sibling, DCF or an agency contracted with by DCF is required to search for any biological siblings or adoptive parents of a biological sibling of the requester or the requester's child. If a search is conducted and an adult biological sibling or adoptive parent of a minor biological sibling of the requester or the requester's child is found, DCF or the contracted agency is required to inform the biological sibling or adoptive parent of the purpose of the search and to give him or her the opportunity to file an affidavit allowing his or her information to be released to the requester.
Who's behind it
4 senators are its . All 4 are Democrats.
17 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (4)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Bob Wirch · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (17)
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Jill Billings · Democrat, Assembly
- David Bowen · Democrat, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Taylor · Democrat, Assembly
- Dave Considine · Democrat, Assembly
- David Crowley · Democrat, Assembly
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Gary Hebl · Democrat, Assembly
- LaKeshia Myers · Democrat, Assembly
- Greta Neubauer · Democrat, Assembly
- Tod Ohnstad · Democrat, Assembly
- Melissa Sargent · Democrat, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
- JoCasta Zamarripa · Democrat, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
What happened
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Apr 1, 2020
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 25, 2020
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 28, 2020
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Jan 16, 2020
Sent to the Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families.
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Jan 16, 2020
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Jan 16, 2020 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Smith, Bewley, Wirch and Larson; cosponsored by Representatives L. Myers, Considine, Crowley, Doyle, Subeck, Zamarripa, C. Taylor, Sinicki, Sargent, Neubauer, Hebl, Emerson, Brostoff, Bowen, Billings and Anderson
- Jan 16, 2020 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families
- Jan 28, 2020 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Mar 25, 2020 · Senate
Representative Ohnstad added as a cosponsor
- 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.
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
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.
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
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate