Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 903

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: termination of parental rights under the safe haven law. (FE)

Children — Protection and services Children — Special educational needs County — Human services County — Planning District attorney Maternal and infant care

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, stopped here
  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

Under current law, a parent may relinquish a newborn child who is 72 hours old or younger to a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, or hospital staff member, and that person is required to protect the health and safety of the child and deliver the child to the intake worker for the juvenile court. Once the child is in the custody of the intake worker, the juvenile court must determine whether to continue to hold the newborn child in custody and, within 30 days of that determination, to establish a permanency plan for the child that ensures a placement or home for the child that provides long-term stability. Under current law, the juvenile court may terminate parental rights of the parents of a child who has been relinquished. This law is commonly referred to as the safe haven law.

Under this bill, the district attorney, corporation counsel, or other official designated by a county is required to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of a relinquished newborn child or, if a petition has already been filed, to join the petition. Under the bill, the petition must be filed in the county in which the relinquishment occurred no sooner than 30 days after the date on which the child was relinquished and no later than 60 days after the date on which the juvenile court found probable cause to believe that the child was relinquished.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Dittrich (R) , Doyle (D) , Gundrum (R) , Hurd (R) , Knodl (R) , Maxey (R) , Moses (R) , Nedweski (R) , O'Connor (R) , Piwowarczyk (R)

2 cosponsors

Jacque (R) , James (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 3

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0

Passed 9–0 Feb 11, 2026 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 Children and Families, Ayes 6, Noes 3

Passed 6–3 Feb 11, 2026 official source full page

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

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Mar 11, 2026 official source full page

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

Full history

  1. Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Moses, Dittrich, Doyle, Gundrum, Hurd, Knodl, Maxey, Nedweski, O'Connor and Piwowarczyk; cosponsored by Senators James and Jacque

  2. Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Children and Families

  3. Feb 5, 2026 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Moses

  5. Feb 10, 2026 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  8. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 6, Noes 3

  9. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 11:44 AM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 14

  11. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  16. Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Feb 23, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  18. Feb 25, 2026 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families

  19. Mar 3, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  20. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  21. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  22. Mar 11, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  23. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  24. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  25. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  26. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  27. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  30. Mar 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-20-2026

  31. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  32. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026

  33. May 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  34. May 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82