Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: threats to health care providers and providing a penalty.
Crime and criminals — Felony Hospitals and health care facilities Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on Legislature — Employment relations joint committee on Medical service — Occupations Physician
- Introduced, completed
- Passes Assembly, completed
- Passes Senate, completed
- Governor signs, completed
- Law, completed
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, it is a Class H felony to threaten a health care provider or a person who works in a health care facility under specific circumstances.
This bill defines "health care provider" and "health care facility" to include certain workers, such as emergency medical technicians, who may not work at a health care facility. These definitions align with the definition of those terms under current battery provisions. The bill also provides that the felony penalty applies if the threat is in response to an action taken by a health care provider in his or her official capacity, regardless of whether the action occurred at a health care facility.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 6
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 passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0
Passed 8–0 Feb 4, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0
Passed 8–0 Mar 3, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 Mar 16, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Kurtz, Novak, Behnke, Dittrich, Duchow, Knodl, Kreibich, Maxey, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Sinicki, Tucker and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Wanggaard, Cabral-Guevara, James and Nass
- Jan 23, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Jan 29, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 30, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Kaufert added as a coauthor
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Feb 4, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Made a special order of business at 9:33 PM on 2-19-2026 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 15
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 19, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 23, 2026 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 27, 2026 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Mar 3, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Mar 3, 2026 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Mar 3, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Mar 16, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Senator Smith added as a cosponsor
- Mar 17, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly
LRB correction
- Mar 24, 2026 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 3-24-2026
- Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026
- Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 197
- Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly
Published 4-4-2026