Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB12

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Report Pass: 3/17/25
• Refer: 3/17/25
• Refer: 5/9/25
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to renumber and amend 251.07; to amend 165.25 (6) (c), 251.07 (title), 252.04 (9) and 895.46 (5) (b); to create 251.07 (1) and 252.01 (5) of the statutes; Relating to: state agency status for certain physician assistants and advanced practice nurses who provide services without compensation for local health departments or school districts. (FE)

Summary

AB12 would expand and clarify when certain health care professionals are treated as state agents of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services while providing unpaid services for local public health programs. Specifically, it covers physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurse prescribers who are not employees of a local health department but volunteer their services for programs that require medical oversight, and it also addresses unpaid professionals selected to supervise school district or local health department immunization programs. The bill makes these individuals eligible for state-agent legal protections for those covered duties, including defense by the attorney general and payment of judgments and costs by DHS when the conduct occurred within the scope of the agency relationship. It also updates statutory definitions and cross-references to include physician assistants and advanced practice nurse prescribers in the relevant public health and liability provisions, and it authorizes them to issue immunization orders under DHS protocols when selected by a school district or local health department.

Impact

AB12 would amend multiple statutes governing public health administration, state liability, and legal defense of public servants. It would broaden the category of people treated as DHS agents under sections related to attorney general representation, claims against state agents, and indemnification, and it would revise immunization program supervision rules to expressly include physician assistants and advanced practice nurse prescribers. The practical effect is to extend state legal protections and liability coverage to certain unpaid medical professionals supporting local health departments and school immunization programs.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill was generally intended as a technical and supportive public health measure, aimed at making it easier for local health departments and school districts to use qualified volunteer medical professionals. There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history showing opposition or debate in the provided materials, and the bill’s framing is administrative rather than controversial. However, the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not complete the legislative process despite its limited and targeted scope.

Contention

The main policy issue embedded in AB12 is the extension of state-agent status and indemnification to unpaid physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurse prescribers. Potential concerns could include the fiscal exposure to DHS if claims are brought against these individuals, and whether expanding state liability protections for volunteers is appropriate. Another possible point of discussion is the bill’s inclusion of physician assistants and advanced practice nurse prescribers in immunization supervision authority, which may raise questions about scope of practice and oversight, though no specific opposition is documented in the provided record.