Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB1161: Bill Text
Skip navigation
Home
Documents
Senate
Assembly
Committees
Service Agencies
Docs
Options
Help
2025 Biennium
Statutes
Admin. Rules
Indices
Miscellaneous
Archives
Home
Bill, Rule, and Appointment Histories
Senators
Representatives
Committees
Text of Introduced Proposals
Amendment Text
Acts
Veto Messages
Enrolled Bills
Votes
Assembly and Senate Floor Calendars
Schedule of Committee Activities
Assembly and Senate Journals
Committee Records (ROCPs)
Legislative Rules
All Session-Related Documents
Subject Index to Acts
Subject Index to Legislation
Subject Index to Journals
Author Index to Legislation
Subject Index to Clearinghouse Rules
Miscellaneous Budget Documents
Executive Orders
Rulings of the Chair
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules
Opinions of the Attorney General
Town Law Forms
Law
Districts
Session
Drafting Files
Feeds
Preferences
Show tree
Hide tree
Feedback
Help
Home
Senate Home
Senators
Committees
Session
Chief Clerk
Sergeant at Arms
Civics Education
Human Resources
Assembly Home
Representatives
Committees
Session
Chief Clerk
Sergeant at Arms
Human Resources
Schedule
Joint
Senate
Assembly
Study
Legislative Audit Bureau
Legislative Council
Legislative Fiscal Bureau
Legislative Human Resources Office
Legislative Reference Bureau
Legislative Technology Services Bureau
Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
SB1161: Bill Text
Up
Up
2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-6548/1
SWB&EKL:cdc
2025 SENATE BILL 1161
March 19, 2026 - Introduced by Senator
Marklein
. Referred to Committee on Health.
SB1161,1,8
1
An Act
to renumber
256.15 (7);
to amend
256.15 (4m) (a) and 256.15 (4m) (b);
2
to create
71.05 (6) (b) 59., 256.15 (4) (g), 256.15 (4m) (a) 2., 256.15 (7) (b) and
3
256.15 (10g) of the statutes;
relating to:
ambulance staffing, late renewal and
4
reinstatement of an emergency medical services practitioner license or
5
emergency medical responder certificate, license and certification reciprocity
6
standards for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services
7
practitioners, and a tax subtraction for stipends received by volunteer
8
emergency responders.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes various changes related to ambulance staffing and certain licensing and certification requirements for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners.
Under current law, a physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse is permitted to staff an ambulance, but under current administrative rules promulgated by the Department of Health Services, a physician assistant or registered nurse may not practice at a higher level of care than the level at which the ambulance service provider is licensed. The bill provides that, when a licensed physician or physician assistant or licensed registered nurse is staffing an ambulance or an emergency medical responder department, DHS may not limit the physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse from practicing within the scope of practice of the individual license of the physician, physician assistant or registered nurse.
Current law allows a rural ambulance service provider to upgrade the service level of an ambulance to the highest level of license of any emergency services practitioner staffing that ambulance if approved by the medical director. The bill adds the same allowance for rural emergency medical responder departments, but requires that if a member of a rural emergency medical responder department performs services within the scope of the member’s level of license, but above the transporting ambulance service provider’s service level, that member must accompany the patient to the hospital.
The bill also adopts in statute certain standards for late renewals and reinstatement of licenses and certificates for emergency medical services practitioners and emergency medical responders. Under current administrative rules promulgated by DHS, an individual may renew a license that has been expired less than six months. The bill allows late renewal for up to 12 months after expiration. Current administrative rules also allow reinstatement of a license or certificate that has been expired for over six months but less than two years if certain requirements are met. The bill specifies requirements modified from those in the current DHS administrative rules for reinstatement of a license or certificate that has been expired for over 12 months but less than three years, and also establishes requirements for reinstatements of a license or certificate that has been expired for three years or more, but less than six years. Current DHS administrative rules allow reinstatement of a license expired more than two years only if the applicant has successfully recompleted the training and examination requirements for the initial license or certificate within the 24 months immediately preceding submission of the application for reinstatement. Under the bill, that timeline would be extended to apply only when a license or certificate has been expired for six years or more.
The bill also changes certain reciprocity standards. Under current DHS administrative rules, in order to be eligible to apply for a license based on an out-of-state license as an emergency medical services practitioner or out-of-state certificate as an emergency medical responder, the applicant must meet certain requirements, including that the individual present 1) documentation of a current license or certificate issued by another state at or above the level being applied and a completed verification of licensure form from every state the individual has ever been licensed or certified as an emergency medical responder or emergency medical services practitioner; and 2) a completed verification of education form documenting completion of an initial course equivalent to the training required for an initial license or certificate under the applicable Wisconsin curriculum, as determined by the department and, if initial training was completed prior to the current licensing period, documentation of completion of an approved refresher course, as determined by the department. Under the bill, if such an applicant holds current national registry of emergency medical technicians certification at or above the certification or license levels for which the applicant seeks a license or certificate, DHS may not require the applicant to meet those requirements.
The bill also provides an income tax subtraction of up to $2,000 for stipends received by individuals who serve as volunteer emergency responders in this state. The stipend must be based on the number of calls or shifts worked, time on call, or a similar metric and must be paid by a local governmental unit or an entity with which the local governmental unit contracts to provide firefighting or emergency medical services. The bill defines “emergency responder” as an emergency medical responder; an emergency medical services practitioner, which includes an emergency medical technician or paramedic; or a firefighter.
Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB1161,1
1
Section
1
.
71.05 (6) (b) 59. of the statutes is created to read:
SB1161,2,8
2
71.05
(6)
(b) 59. a. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, an
3
amount received by an individual as a stipend from a local governmental unit or
4
qualified entity that is provided for service during the taxable year as a volunteer
5
emergency responder in this state and is based on the number of calls or shifts
6
worked, time on call, or a similar metric. The amount of a subtraction under this
7
subdivision may not exceed the lesser of $2,000 or the amount of the stipend that is
8
included in the individual’s federal adjusted gross income in the taxable year.
SB1161,2,11
9
b. In this subdivision, “emergency responder” means an emergency medical
10
responder, as defined in s. 256.01 (4p), emergency medical services practitioner, as
11
defined in s. 256.01 (5), or a firefighter.
SB1161,3,2
12
c. In this subdivision, “qualified entity” means a nonprofit entity with which
1
a local governmental unit contracts to provide firefighting or emergency medical
2
services.
SB1161,2
3
Section
2
.
256.15 (4) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB1161,3,8
4
256.15
(4)
(g) If a licensed physician assistant or physician or licensed
5
registered nurse is staffing an ambulance or an emergency medical responder
6
department, the department may not limit the physician assistant, physician, or
7
registered nurse from practicing within the scope of practice permitted by the
8
individual license of the physician assistant, physician, or registered nurse.
SB1161,3
9
Section
3
.
256.15 (4m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1161,3,10
10
256.15
(4m)
(a) In this subsection
, “rural
:
SB1161,3,13
11
1. “Rural
ambulance service provider” means an ambulance service provider
12
for which the population of the largest single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11),
13
in the ambulance service provider’s service area is less than 10,000.
SB1161,4
14
Section
4
.
256.15 (4m) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB1161,3,18
15
256.15
(4m)
(a) 2. “Rural emergency medical responder department” means
16
an emergency medical responder department for which the population of the largest
17
single municipality, as defined in s. 5.02 (11), in the emergency medical responder
18
department’s service area is less than 10,000.
SB1161,5
19
Section
5
.
256.15 (4m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1161,4,5
20
256.15
(4m)
(b) An ambulance operated by a rural ambulance service
21
provider that is licensed under sub. (5)
or a rural emergency medical responder
22
department
at any level may upgrade its service level to the highest level of license
23
of any
member of a responding emergency medical responder department or
24
emergency medical services practitioner staffing
that
the transporting
ambulance
1
if the medical director approves a proposal submitted to him or her by the rural
2
ambulance service provider.
If a member of a rural emergency medical responder
3
department performs services within the scope of the member’s level of license, but
4
above the transporting ambulance service provider’s service level, that member
5
shall accompany the patient to the hospital.
SB1161,6
6
Section
6
.
256.15 (7) of the statutes is renumbered 256.15 (7) (a).
SB1161,7
7
Section
7
.
256.15 (7) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB1161,4,10
8
256.15
(7)
(b) 1. The department may not require an applicant who meets the
9
requirements under subd. 2. to do any of the following in order to be eligible to apply
10
for a license or certificate:
SB1161,4,14
11
a. Present documentation of a current license or certificate issued by another
12
state at or above the level being applied and a completed verification of licensure
13
form from every state the individual has ever been licensed or certified as an
14
emergency medical responder or emergency medical services practitioner.
SB1161,4,19
15
b. Present a completed verification of education form documenting completion
16
of an initial course equivalent to the training required for an initial license or
17
certificate under the applicable Wisconsin curriculum, and, if initial training was
18
completed prior to the current licensing period, present documentation of
19
completion of an approved refresher course.
SB1161,4,21
20
2. Subdivision 1. applies to an applicant for a license or certificate in this state
21
who meets all of the following requirements:
SB1161,4,23
22
a. Has an out-of-state license as an emergency medical services practitioner
23
or out-of-state certificate as an emergency medical responder.
SB1161,5,2
24
b. Holds a current national registry of emergency medical technicians
1
certification at or above the certification or license levels for which the applicant
2
seeks a license or certificate.
SB1161,8
3
Section
8
.
256.15 (10g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB1161,5,9
4
256.15
(10g)
Expiration date; expired license or certification; late
5
renewal; reinstatement.
Licenses and certificates obtained under this section
6
expire on June 30 of the year that license renewal under sub. (10) or certificate
7
renewal under sub. (8) (cm) is required. If a license or certificate obtained under
8
this section expires, the department shall enforce the following renewal and
9
reinstatement requirements, as applicable:
SB1161,5,18
10
(a)
Late renewal
. An individual may renew a license or certificate under this
11
section that has been expired 12 months or less by applying to the department for
12
license or certificate renewal as specified under applicable administrative rules
13
promulgated by the department and submitting the late renewal fee specified by
14
the department. Upon the department’s renewal of the applicant’s license or
15
certificate, the emergency medical services practitioner or emergency medical
16
responder shall be credentialed as required by rules promulgated by the
17
department before performing emergency medical care as an emergency medical
18
services practitioner or emergency medical responder.
SB1161,5,21
19
(b)
Reinstatement of license or certificate.
1. In order to reinstate a lapsed
20
license or certificate that has been expired for over 12 months but for which less
21
than 3 years has lapsed, an applicant shall do all of the following:
SB1161,5,23
22
a. Apply to the department for reinstatement of licensure or certification in
23
the manner specified by rules promulgated by the department.
SB1161,6,3
24
b. Complete, at any time during the current or previous applicable license or
1
certification period, the relevant refresher course or continuing education required
2
by the department for renewal of the applicable emergency services practitioner
3
license or emergency medical responder certificate.
SB1161,6,5
4
c. Maintain a current national registry of emergency medical technicians
5
certification.
SB1161,6,6
6
d. Submit the reinstatement fee specified by the department.
SB1161,6,9
7
2. In order to reinstate a license or certificate that has been expired for at
8
least 3 years, but for which less than 6 years has lapsed, an applicant shall do all of
9
the following:
SB1161,6,12
10
a. Apply to the department for reinstatement of licensure or certification in
11
the same manner specified by rules promulgated by the department for
12
reinstatement under subd. 1. a.
SB1161,6,16
13
b. Complete, during the current license or certificate period, 2 times the
14
required hours of the relevant refresher course or continuing education required by
15
the department for renewal of the applicable emergency services practitioner
16
license or emergency medical responder certificate.
SB1161,6,18
17
b. Maintain a current national registry of emergency medical technicians
18
certification.
SB1161,6,22
19
3. A license or certificate that has been expired for 6 years or more may be
20
reinstated only if the applicant has successfully completed the training and
21
examination requirements for the initial license or certificate within the 24 months
22
immediately preceding submission of the application for reinstatement.
SB1161,7,2
23
4. Upon reinstatement of licensure or certification by the department under
24
subds. 1. to 3., the emergency medical services practitioner or emergency medical
1
responder shall be credentialed as required by rules promulgated by the
2
department before performing emergency medical care.
SB1161,9
3
Section
9
. Initial applicability.
SB1161,7,6
4
(
1
)
The treatment of ss. 256.15 (7) and (10g) first applies to an application for
5
a license or certificate or renewal or reinstatement of a license or certificate filed on
6
the effective date of this subsection.
SB1161,10
7
Section
10
. Effective dates.
This act takes effect on the day after
8
publication, except as follows:
SB1161,7,11
9
(
1
)
The treatment of ss. 256.15 (4) (g), (4m) (a) and (b), (7), and (10g) and
10
Section
9 (1) of this act takes effect on the first day of the 3rd month beginning
11
after publication.
Down
Down
/2025/related/proposals/sb1161
true
proposaltext
/2025/related/proposals/sb1161
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB1161
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB1161
section
true
Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
SB1161: Bill Text
×
Details for
PDF view
Link
(Permanent link)
Bookmark this location
View toggle
Go to top of document
Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Search in this agency
Search in this chapter group
Search in this chapter
Search in this section
Cross references for section
Acts affecting this section
References to this
1970 Statutes Annotations
Appellate Court Citations
Administrative Code Index
Reference lines
Clear highlighting