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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

AB 975

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: abortion if the probable postfertilization age of an unborn child is 14 or more weeks and requiring a referendum. (FE)

Abortion Referendum

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Assembly, not reached
  3. Passes Senate, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law regulates the performance of abortions in a number of ways,

including prohibiting the performance or inducement of an abortion, or an attempt

to perform or induce an abortion, if the postfertilization age of the unborn child is 20

or more weeks, except in the case of a medical emergency. Current law defines the

postfertilization age of the unborn child to mean the number of weeks that have

elapsed from the probable time of fertilization of a woman's ovum. This bill retains

that definition and amends the 20-week prohibition to prohibit any person from

performing, inducing, or attempting to perform or induce an abortion if the probable

postfertilization age of the unborn child is 14 or more weeks, except in the case of a

medical emergency.

Under the bill, as under current law, a medical emergency means a condition,

in a physician's reasonable medical judgment, that so complicates the medical

condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her

pregnancy to avert her death or for which a 24-hour delay in performance or

inducement of an abortion will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible

impairment of one or more of the woman's major bodily functions.

This bill requires a referendum before giving effect to the prohibition created

in the bill. Under the bill, at the April 2024 election, the electors would vote on the

question whether the statutory provisions treated in the bill shall take effect “thus

prohibiting under Wisconsin Statutes an abortion if the probable postfertilization

age of the unborn child is 14 or more weeks, except in the case of a medical

emergency?”. If a majority of votes cast in the election approves the question, the

prohibition takes effect on the day after the election results are certified. If the

question is not approved by a majority of votes cast, this act does not take effect.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Armstrong (R) , August (R) , Binsfeld (R) , Born (R) , Brooks (R) , Callahan (R) , Dallman (R) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Duchow (R) , Green (R) , Hurd (R) , Kitchens (R) , Krug (R) , Kurtz (R) , Macco (R) , Michalski (R) , Moses (R) , Mursau (R) , Nedweski (R) , Neylon (R) , Novak (R) , Oldenburg (R) , Plumer (R) , Rozar (R) , S. Johnson (R) , Schmidt (R) , Snyder (R) , Sortwell (R) , Spiros (R) , Summerfield (R) , Swearingen (R) , Vos (R) , Wittke (R) , Zimmerman (R)

5 cosponsors

Felzkowski (R) , James (R) , Knodl (R) , Testin (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 3 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 9, Noes 7

Passed 9–7 Jan 23, 2024 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 9, Noes 7

Passed 9–7 Jan 23, 2024 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 90–9 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 90

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 92–7 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 92

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 91–8 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 91

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 92–7 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 92

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 92–7 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 92

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 53–46 Jan 25, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 53

Nay · 46

Full history

  1. Jan 19, 2024 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Nedweski, Rozar, Binsfeld, Dittrich, Duchow, Hurd, Armstrong, August, Born, Brooks, Callahan, Dallman, Donovan, Green, S. Johnson, Kitchens, Kurtz, Krug, Macco, Melotik, Michalski, Moses, Mursau, Neylon, Novak, Oldenburg, Plumer, Schmidt, Snyder, Sortwell, Spiros, Summerfield, Swearingen, Vos, Wittke and Zimmerman; cosponsored by Senators Felzkowski, Knodl, Testin and James

  2. Jan 19, 2024 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

  3. Jan 19, 2024 · Assembly

    Representative Melotik withdrawn as a coauthor

  4. Jan 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Rozar

  5. Jan 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  6. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  7. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 10:30 AM on 1-25-2024 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 23

  8. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Rozar

  9. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 offered by Representative Rozar

  10. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  11. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 3 adoption recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 9, Noes 7

  12. Jan 23, 2024 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care, Ayes 9, Noes 7

  13. Jan 24, 2024 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 3)

  14. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  15. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 5 offered by Representative Wichgers

  16. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 5 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  17. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  18. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 90, Noes 9

  19. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 offered by Representative Wichgers

  20. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 4 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  21. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  22. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 92, Noes 7

  23. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 offered by Representative Wichgers

  24. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 3 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  25. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  26. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 91, Noes 8

  27. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 offered by Representative Wichgers

  28. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 2 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  29. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  30. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 92, Noes 7

  31. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers

  32. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  33. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  34. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 92, Noes 7

  35. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 adopted

  36. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  37. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  38. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 46

  39. Jan 25, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  40. Jan 25, 2024 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  41. Feb 1, 2024 · Senate

    Senator Wanggaard added as a cosponsor

  42. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Licensing, Constitution and Federalism

  43. Apr 15, 2024 · Senate

    Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1