Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB844: 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
»
SB844: Bill Text
Up
Up
2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5807/1
CMH:cdc
2025 SENATE BILL 844
January 15, 2026 - Introduced by Senators
Drake
,
L. Johnson
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Ratcliff
and
Spreitzer
, cosponsored by Representatives
Roe
,
Clancy
,
DeSmidt
,
Goodwin
,
Joers
,
Johnson
,
Madison
,
McCarville
,
Miresse
,
Sheehan
,
Sinicki
,
Stroud
,
Subeck
and
Udell
. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
SB844,1,6
1
An Act
to amend
subchapter II (title) of chapter 949 [precedes 949.20], 949.20
2
(1), 949.20 (3), 949.20 (9), 949.24 (1), 949.24 (3), 949.26 (1) and 949.26 (3);
to
3
create
20.455 (5) (dm), 165.934, 949.20 (2L) and 949.20 (3d) of the statutes;
4
relating to:
forensic examinations done on a crime victim to gather evidence,
5
modifying administrative rules relating to reimbursement for forensic
6
examinations, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if a health care provider performs an examination on a victim of a sex offense to gather evidence, the Department of Justice must award the provider the costs of the examination. The award does not depend upon whether the victim of the sex offense cooperates with law enforcement or whether the sex offense is investigated or prosecuted. Under this bill, DOJ must also award a health care provider the costs of an examination the provider performs on a victim to gather evidence regarding an offense that involves an allegation of domestic abuse or that involves strangulation. The bill also treats the administrative rules to increase the maximum award for such an examination to $3,000.
Under current law, DOJ administers various grant programs, including a program that awards grants to organizations that provide services to victims of sexual assault. This bill requires DOJ to administer a program to award grants to health care facilities that create a new position for a health care provider who conducts, or that create a recruitment, retention, or training program for health care providers who conduct, examinations to gather evidence regarding an offense that involves an allegation of domestic abuse or that involves strangulation.
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:
SB844,1
1
Section
1
.
20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
2
insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table
SB844,2
9
Section
2
.
20.455 (5) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB844,2,12
10
20.455
(5)
(dm)
Grants for recruiting and retaining health care providers to
11
conduct examinations.
Biennially, the amounts in the schedule to provide grants to
12
health care facilities under s. 165.934 and to administer the grant program.
SB844,3
13
Section
3
.
165.934 of the statutes is created to read:
SB844,2,16
14
165.934
Grants to health care facilities to conduct examinations of
15
victims.
(1)
Definition.
In this section, “department” means the department of
16
justice.
SB844,3,2
1
(2)
Grants.
The department shall provide grants to health care facilities
2
that are eligible under sub. (3).
SB844,3,4
3
(3)
Grant eligibility.
A health care facility is eligible to apply for and
4
receive a grant under this section if the facility meets all of the following criteria:
SB844,3,9
5
(a) The health care facility creates a new position for a health care provider
6
who conducts, or creates a recruitment program, a retention program, or a training
7
program for health care providers who conduct, examinations described under s.
8
949.20 (3) for offenses that involve an allegation of domestic abuse or that involve
9
strangulation.
SB844,3,12
10
(b) The health care facility provides that it will maintain any position or
11
program created with the grant moneys for a period determined by the department
12
after the grant funding ends.
SB844,3,17
13
(4)
Goals.
When providing grants under this section, the department shall
14
attempt to provide funding to recruit or retain a number of health care providers
15
who conduct examinations described under s. 949.20 (3) in each county that is one
16
more than the number of such health care providers that the county has on the
17
effective date of this subsection .... (LRB inserts date).
SB844,4
18
Section
4
.
Subchapter II (title) of chapter 949 [precedes 949.20] of the
19
statutes is amended to read:
SB844,3,20
20
CHAPTER 949
SB844,3,23
21
SUBCHAPTER II
22
SEXUAL ASSAULT
FORENSIC
23
EXAMINATION COMPENSATION
SB844,5
1
Section
5
.
949.20 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,4,4
2
949.20
(1)
“Cooperate with a law enforcement agency” means to report
a sex
3
an
offense to a law enforcement agency or to aid a law enforcement agency in the
4
investigation of
a sex
an
offense.
SB844,6
5
Section
6
.
949.20 (2L) of the statutes is created to read:
SB844,4,7
6
949.20
(2L)
“Domestic abuse” has the meaning given in s. 813.12 (1) (am) 1. or
7
2.
SB844,7
8
Section
7
.
949.20 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,4,16
9
949.20
(3)
“Examination costs” means the costs of an examination
that is done
10
to gather evidence
regarding a sex offense
and, if the offense involved is a sex
11
offense
, any procedure during that examination process that tests for or prevents a
12
sexually transmitted disease
,
and any medication provided or prescribed,
during
13
that
related to the
examination
process
, that prevents or treats a sexually
14
transmitted disease that the person performing the examination or procedure
15
believes could be a consequence of the sex offense. “Examination costs” does not
16
include any processing or administrative costs, attorney fees, or other expenses.
SB844,8
17
Section
8
.
949.20 (3d) of the statutes is created to read:
SB844,4,20
18
949.20
(3d)
“Examination to gather evidence” means an examination that is
19
done on a victim to gather evidence regarding a sex offense, an offense that involves
20
an allegation of domestic abuse, or an offense that involves strangulation.
SB844,9
21
Section
9
.
949.20 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,5,2
22
949.20
(9)
“Victim” means a person against whom a sex offense
, an offense
1
that involves an allegation of domestic abuse, or an offense that involves
2
strangulation
has been committed.
SB844,10
3
Section
10
.
949.24 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,5,6
4
949.24
(1)
Eligibility.
Any health care provider who conducts an
5
examination to gather evidence
regarding a sex offense
may apply for an award
6
under this subchapter.
SB844,11
7
Section
11
.
949.24 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,5,15
8
949.24
(3)
Medical records.
An applicant shall submit to the department
9
reports from any physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse who treated or examined
10
the victim to gather evidence
regarding a sex offense
, performed any procedure
11
during that treatment or examination that tests for or prevents a sexually
12
transmitted disease, or provided or prescribed any medication to prevent or treat a
13
sexually transmitted disease. The applicant may not submit to the department any
14
other records than those pertaining to the examination, treatment, procedure, or
15
medication for which the applicant is seeking an award.
SB844,12
16
Section
12
.
949.26 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,5,20
17
949.26
(1)
Except as provided in sub. (1m), the department shall make an
18
award under this section to a health care provider who conducts an examination to
19
gather evidence
regarding a sex offense
to reimburse the health care provider only
20
for the examination costs, as follows:
SB844,6,2
21
(a) If, under sub. (2) (b), the health care provider is not authorized to seek
22
payment from insurance or another available source of payment, the award shall be
1
the examination costs, regardless of whether the victim, or any guardian of the
2
victim, cooperates with a law enforcement agency regarding the
sex
offense.
SB844,6,7
3
(b) If, under sub. (2) (b), the health care provider is authorized to seek
4
payment from insurance or another available source of payment and the victim, or
5
any guardian of the victim, does not cooperate with a law enforcement agency
6
regarding the
sex
offense, the award shall be the examination costs, reduced by any
7
payment to be received as a result of the authorization under sub. (2) (b).
SB844,13
8
Section
13
.
949.26 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB844,6,12
9
949.26
(3)
The department may not refuse to make an award under this
10
section because the victim or the guardian of the victim does not cooperate with a
11
law enforcement agency regarding the
sex
offense, or due to lack of an investigation
12
or prosecution of the
sex
offense.
SB844,14
13
Section
14
.
Jus 11.16 (4) of the administrative code is amended to read:
SB844,6,22
14
Jus 11.16
(4)
Maximum amount of award.
The department will pay two-
15
thirds of the amount billed for eligible services, up to a maximum of
$1200
$3,000
16
for each examination. In exceptional cases, the department in its sole discretion
17
may approve an award in excess of the maximum amount if the health care provider
18
submits evidence that that maximum amount did not fairly and equitably
19
compensate it for the costs incurred in conducting the examination. Beginning
20
January 1,
2017
2027
, the maximum amount of an award shall be adjusted
21
annually by the “inflation factor” as defined in s. 79.05 (1) (am), Stats., and certified
22
by the department of revenue under s. 79.05 (2m), Stats.
SB844,15
23
Section
15
. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB844,7,4
1
(
1
)
Grant administrator.
The authorized FTE positions for the department
2
of justice are increased by 1.0 GPR positions to be funded from the appropriation
3
under s. 20.455 (5) (dm) for the purpose of administering the grant program under
4
s. 165.934.
SB844,16
5
Section
16
. Fiscal changes.
SB844,7,14
6
(
1
)
Examination training.
In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the
7
appropriation to the department of justice under s. 20.455 (5) (a), the dollar amount
8
for fiscal year 2025-26 is increased by $100,000 to increase the authorized FTE
9
positions for the department by 0.5 GPR positions to train health care providers on
10
how to conduct examinations to gather evidence of domestic abuse and
11
strangulation. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the
12
department of justice under s. 20.455 (5) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2026-
13
27 is increased by $100,000 to provide funding for the position authorized under
14
this subsection.
SB844,17
15
Section
17
. Effective date.
SB844,7,17
16
(
1
)
Notwithstanding s. 227.265, this act takes effect on the day after
17
publication.
SB844,7,18
18
(end)
Down
Down
/2025/related/proposals/sb844
true
proposaltext
/2025/related/proposals/sb844
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB844
proposaltext/2025/REG/SB844
section
true
Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
SB844: 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