Gov. Evers Signs Fourteen Bills; Vetoes Two

MADISON -- Gov. Tony Evers today, in addition to signing Senate Bill 3, now Wisconsin Act 9, this morning in Wausau, signed fourteen more bills, including Assembly 148, which continues licensure processes adopted during the COVID-19 health emergency for healthcare providers who hold licenses in other states to serve Wisconsinites until their permanent license is instated.

“Wisconsin's healthcare providers have done extraordinary work over the past year and it's been all hands on deck,” said Gov. Evers. “Communities across Wisconsin are experiencing a healthcare workforce shortage, and this bill will help us expand that workforce during this critical time.”

Assembly Bill 148, now Wisconsin Act 10:

Requires DHS to provide Medicaid reimbursements to a hospital for providing nursing facility-level custodial care; and
Authorizes, in certain situations, healthcare providers licensed in another state or territory to provide services for which they are licensed or certified.

The governor also signed today Senate Bill 79, relating to extension and outreach hours as countable teaching hours for state specialists at certain UW System institutions.

“Our state specialists are doing amazing work on the ground and in their communities, helping farmers adapt and grow their businesses and supporting the agricultural industry that is the backbone of our state,” said Gov. Evers. “I am glad to sign this bill today so they can continue doing their good work and be recognized for going above and beyond for our farmers and our state.”

Senate Bill 79, now Wisconsin Act 11:

Allows for the extension and outreach hours of state specialists at UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, or UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences to be utilized for the purpose of teaching hours on the UW System's accountability dashboard.

Additionally, the governor acted on the following bills.

Senate Bill 10, now Wisconsin Act 12:

Allows hours at non-bachelor degree awarding institutions to count towards the required 150 semester hours to become a CPA in the state of Wisconsin.

Senate Bill 28, now Wisconsin Act 13:

Clarifies state statue to reflect that any person who is placed at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center, not only those committed, and who intentionally causes bodily harm to an officer, employee, agent, visitor, or other resident of the facility is guilty of a Class H felony.

Senate Bill 45, now Wisconsin Act 14:

Amends Administrative Code to allow certain man-made materials to contain bear bait.

Senate Bill 48, now Wisconsin Act 15:

Allows an individual to win a certificate for a Class A bear hunting license more than once.

Senate Bill 54, now Wisconsin Act 16:

Prohibits the DNR from limiting the use, possession, or control of shot shells based on shot size for hunting fur-bearing animals during the designated open season.

Senate Bill 74, now Wisconsin Act 17:

Requires at least 40 hours of instruction for initial registration as a home inspector, but does not require continuing education for a person's first two biennial renewal dates;
Specifies that a person who is registered or licensed in good standing as a home inspector in another state must be granted reciprocal registration as a home inspector in Wisconsin, and the other state's requirements must meet or exceed Wisconsin's requirements;
Specifies that a written home inspection report must use the term "defect," if the home inspector finds a condition in that home that would impair the health or safety of those living there or who adversely affect the normal life of a home component;
Requires certain specific elements of a written home inspection report, including a summary page that contains certain notices, list of conditions of the home that are labeled as defects, the property address, the home inspector's name, and any other items requiring further evaluation or maintenance; and
Removes an alternative disciplinary filing procedure, states that the bill is not intended to change the standard of liability for a home inspector, and grants rulemaking authority to the Department of Safety and Professional Services to implement the bill.

Senate Bill 109, now Wisconsin Act 18:

Allows a student to attend a fully virtual school option in the 2021-22 school year, if the school board offers the fully virtual option in the school district governed by that board or a charter school offers the fully virtual option in the school district it is located in.

Senate Bill 110, now Wisconsin Act 19:

Specifies that for the purposes of open enrollment, an application to a nonresident school board for a student to attend a virtual charter school does not count towards the three district application limit.

Senate Bill 116, now Wisconsin Act 20:

Allows a stipulation for legal custody and physical placement of a child that includes modifications to legal custody or physical placement upon the known occurrence of a reasonably certain, specified future event in the child's life that is set to occur within two years, if the parties agree to the modification.

Assembly Bill 32, now Wisconsin Act 21:

Allowing certain establishments to sell alcoholic beverages made on premises for consumption off premises if packaged in a sealed, a tamper-evident container.

Assembly Bill 63, now Wisconsin Act 22:

Modernizes Wisconsin's psychology licensing laws by streamlining the licensing process, aligning training standards with nationally recognized standards, and allowing psychologists who have received their doctoral degree to apply immediately for their license and individuals who have received their doctoral degree but have not yet completed their supervised training hours to receive an interim license for two years while they complete their supervised training, among several other provisions.

Assembly Bill 125, now Wisconsin Act 23:

Creates a Medical Examination Board Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board;
Modifies the requirement for a physician assistant to be supervised by a physician to collaborating with a physician;
Eliminates the physician to physician assistance ratio requirement of one physician to four physician assistants; and
Allows a hospital or a clinic to establish practice requirements for collaboration to ensure quality of patient care.

Gov. Evers today also vetoed two bills. The governor’s veto messages are available below.