Cracking down on fake emotional support, service animals among notable bills from May
While state budget negotiations happen in the background, Wisconsin lawmakers have been busy introducing dozens of bills, spanning from mental health care for college students to protecting endangered bees.
Several hundred pieces of legislation are pitched each session, and only a fraction end up becoming law. Around 300 proposals have been introduced since lawmakers reconvened at the state Capitol in January.
Here's a roundup of notable ones from May. Most haven't yet received public hearings, the first step on the path to becoming law. You can read our April roundup here.
Republicans leading the bill say business and property owners have reported higher cases of emotional support and service animal misrepresentation, with owners using fake harnesses or vests.
The bill would enshrine in law landlords' ability to ask tenants for documentation showing a prescription for an emotional support animal. Tenants who provide false documentation or health care providers who don't have a 30-day, established relationship with the patient could face a $500 fine.
Under the bill, people who bring fake service animals in public places could face a $200 fine. The state Department of Workforce Development would be required to create signs for businesses that say "task-trained service animals are welcome" and misrepresenting a service animal is against state law.
The bill "does not infringe on the federal protections under the Fair Housing Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. It simply reinforces responsible and verifiable use of those protections in Wisconsin," lawmakers argue.
Disability Rights Wisconsin didn't immediately have comment on the bill but is reviewing the proposal. Other states have moved to crack down on people passing off their pets as service animals.
Authors: Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton; Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc
Lawmakers introduced a group of bills aimed at protecting pollinators. One would name the endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee the official state native insect. Another would create a "Protect Pollinators" license plate, generating revenue for the state's endangered species fund.
While there are some Republican supporters, the bills have typically been sponsored by Democrats in past sessions and never made it far in the state Legislature. Bees, butterflies and other insects keep ecosystems thriving, and a whole week in mid-June is dedicated to pollinators.
Authors: Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay; Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee; Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay; Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Chase; Rep. Lee Snodgrass; D-Appleton; Rep. Vincent Miresse, D-Stevens Point
More: These Wisconsin specialty license plates were the most popular in 2024
This bill would require the University of Wisconsin System to contract with a vendor to provide virtual mental health services for students, beyond traditional business hours. Campuses have already utilized telehealth, lawmakers note.
"Telehealth services have proven to be effective in shortening waiting times to see a provider, and allow patients to receive care at their convenience," bill authors wrote.
The bill doesn't include any new funding. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' budget proposal included $22 million for the UW System to support student mental health, including telehealth services and 57 new counselor positions.
Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee removed several UW-related portions of Evers' budget at their first meeting, but didn't strike the mental health provisions. The budget will likely be signed later this summer, so it's not clear if mental health funding for UW will be in the final version.
Authors: Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp; Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville
More: The state of mental health across Wisconsin's public universities in 4 charts
In Wisconsin, each city, town or village sets its own early voting hours and locations, where voters can cast an absentee ballot in-person starting two weeks before Election Day. This bill would require municipalities to offer a minimum of 20 hours of early voting.
Bill authors argue early voting access has become unequal between large cities and smaller towns. Milwaukee offered 10 sites for the November election, for example.
But some election officials told VoteBeat it wouldn't make sense for communities with only a few dozen voters and limited clerk capacity. Supporters plan to propose funding in the budget to help smaller communities reach the 20-hour minimum.
Authors: Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton; Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater; Rep. Scott Krug, R-Rome
More: Wisconsin early voting surges compared with the 2023 spring election
This bipartisan proposal would require the state Department of Health Services to work with health care providers to develop informational materials on menopause and perimenopause, the transitional phase.
Those handouts would include information like symptoms, treatments, when to consult a provider, the biological process and how to talk to friends and family.
The bill is modeled after legislation in Pennsylvania, where public testimony highlighted the "difficulty women have in being heard and taken seriously discussing menopause and the issues that surround it," lawmakers said.
Authors: Sen. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton; Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton; Rep. Karen DeSanto, D-Baraboo
This proposal could provide up to $2 million for a data sharing pilot program for police and sheriff's departments in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. The grant would reduce siloed data between agencies, helping solve cases faster, bill authors argue.
The bill was introduced May 12 and quickly received a hearing May 27 in the Senate. It has at least one Democratic cosponsor. The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, which supports the bill, testified that the proposal would help agencies struggling with staffing.
"While geographic boundaries may define our jurisdictions, the individuals committing crimes do not recognize or respect those lines," the association said. "Effective information sharing is essential to modern policing."
Authors: Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine; Rep. Bob Donovan, R-Greenfield
This bipartisan bill would allow funeral processions to use flashing purple lights. Current law allows flashing amber lights during the procession, but that can be ambiguous to divers, lawmakers argue.
Bill authors point out purple is a symbol of mourning in many cultures and would be distinct from red and blue lights used by emergency vehicles. Wisconsin would join about a dozen other states that use purple lights for funeral processions, including North Carolina.
Authors: Sen. Julian Bradley, R-New Berlin; Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit; Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah
Two lawmakers are leading a resolution that urges the "overdue induction" of Jack Vainisi into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Vainisi scouted and drafted 12 future Hall of Famers, from Bart Starr to Ray Nitschke, and played an important role in persuading the team to hire Vince Lombardi. He "may have had more influence on the Packers dynasty than any player or coach," lawmakers wrote.
Resolutions are different than bills — they express the opinion of lawmakers but don't carry the force of state law. The Hall of Fame selection process is intense, with a 50-person selection committee and only a handful of new enshrinees each year.
Authors: Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken; Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-New Richmond
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Legislature's May bills include fake service animals
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