Wisconsin Senate Bill SB1119

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to create 253.17 of the statutes; Relating to: protection of pregnant individuals’ information, authorization for disclosure, data breach, and providing a penalty.

Summary

SB1119 would create a new state law governing how certain pregnancy services centers handle and disclose information about clients. The bill applies to “unregulated pregnancy centers,” defined as pregnancy services centers that do not directly provide abortions or emergency contraception, or referrals for those services, and that are not otherwise covered by medical privacy laws. It would prohibit those centers from disclosing nonpublic personal health information unless the individual provides a valid written or electronic authorization, and it requires a verbal disclosure that the center is not a HIPAA-covered entity before obtaining that authorization. The bill sets detailed requirements for a valid authorization, including the identity and signature of the individual, a description of the information to be disclosed, the recipients and purpose of the disclosure, revocation rights, and the authorization’s duration. The authorization may last no longer than 24 months, and centers must keep authorizations and revocations for six years. The bill also bars unfair discrimination against individuals who refuse to authorize disclosure and requires breach notification if computerized health information is accessed by unauthorized persons. Violations would be treated as unfair and deceptive trade practices under current law.

Impact

If enacted, SB1119 would add s. 253.17 to the Wisconsin statutes and impose new privacy, consent, record-retention, and breach-notification obligations on unregulated pregnancy centers. It would also extend enforcement through Wisconsin’s unfair and deceptive trade practices law, potentially allowing state consumer-protection remedies for violations. The bill would affect pregnancy services centers, their staff and volunteers, and any entities handling their client health information, while leaving disclosures required by law or related to investigations and law enforcement cooperation exempt.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or vote breakdown, so there is no detailed public discussion to gauge support or opposition. The bill’s introduction by multiple senators and assembly cosponsors suggests organized interest, but its final status indicates it failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to be framed as a privacy-protection measure for pregnant individuals, with an emphasis on informed consent and transparency.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the bill’s targeted regulation of “unregulated pregnancy centers,” which are defined in a way that excludes centers providing abortions, emergency contraception, or referrals for those services. Supporters would likely view the bill as protecting clients from disclosure of sensitive pregnancy-related information and ensuring they understand that these centers are not HIPAA-covered providers. Opponents could argue that the bill singles out a particular type of pregnancy center, imposes burdensome compliance requirements, and may be seen as regulating speech or operations of faith-based or advocacy-oriented organizations. The breach-notification and unfair-trade-practice provisions also create potential enforcement exposure that could be viewed as significant by affected centers.