WCC Capitol Update - October 23, 2015

[I'd just link to this, but while it came by email it isn't posted on the WCC website yet.]

Contents Include:
1.  Senate Health Committee Passes Two Pro-Life Bills
2.  Upcoming Hearings of Interest
3.  New Bills of Interest
...



Senate Health Committee Passes Two Pro-Life Bills
The Senate Health Committee on October 16 passed two pro-life bills. Senate Bill 237 (Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield) would prohibit federal Title X funds from going to a private, nonprofit entity that provides abortion services, i.e., Planned Parenthood.  The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) supported the bill.  Senate Bill 260 (Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville) would prohibit the sale and use of abortion-derived fetal body parts.  The WCC supported the bill.  Both bills are now available for floor votes.

Upcoming Hearings of Interest
(N.B.  Only bills of interest are flagged.  In most cases, committees will be considering other bills as well.)

Assembly Children and Families, 10 am, Wed, Oct 28, 415-NW
AB-267 Child Abuse and Human Trafficking (Billings, Jill (D)) The investigation of a child abuse report in which a person who is not a caregiver of the child is suspected of permitting, allowing, or encouraging the child to engage in prostitution; and prohibiting prosecuting a person under the age of 18 with committing an act of prostitution.

New Bills of Interest
AB-343 Operator's Licenses (Zamarripa, JoCasta (D)) Issuance of motor vehicle operator's licenses and identification cards by the Department of Transportation. Referred to Assembly Transportation

AB-399 Dependent Care Tax Credit (Sargent, Melissa (D)) Creating a nonrefundable individual income tax credit based on the federal tax credit for certain expenses for household and dependent care services. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means

AB-406 Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Use (Loudenbeck, Amy (R)) Use of the reasonable and prudent parent standard for making decisions concerning the participation of a child placed in out-of-home care in age or developmentally appropriate activities, permanency planning for a child 14 years of age or over, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and granting rule-making authority. Referred to Assembly Children and Families

AB-407 Successor Guardian Appointment (Loudenbeck, Amy (R)) Appointment of a successor guardian for a child in need of protection or services and eligibility of a successor guardian for subsidized guardianship payments, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, and granting rule-making authority. Referred to Assembly Children and Families

AB-410 Cemetery Authorities (Sanfelippo, Joe (R)) Powers and duties of cemetery authorities; inheritance of cemetery lots in which human remains are buried; exemption of cemeteries from certain requirements concerning excavation; the powers and duties of the Cemetery Board, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the Department of Financial institutions; requiring the exercise of rule-making authority; and providing a penalty.Referred to Assembly State Affairs and Government Operations

AB-414 Medical Assistance Purchase Plan (Jacque, Andre (R)) Eligibility for and premiums under the Medical Assistance purchase plan and disregarding assets in an independence account and retirement benefits for purposes of determining eligibility and cost-sharing requirements under a number of Medical Assistance and long-term care programs.Referred to Assembly Public Benefits Reform

AB-423 School Choice Accountability (Pope, Sondy (D)) Accountability provisions for private schools participating in a parental choice program, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Education

AB-428 Repeated Child Physical Abuse (Heaton, Dave (R)) Repeated acts of physical abuse of the same child and providing a criminal penalty. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety

AB-429 Child Abuse or Neglect Case Referral (Macco, John (R)) Referral of cases of suspected or threatened child abuse or neglect to the sheriff or police department, coordination of the investigation of those cases, and referral of those cases to the district attorney for criminal prosecution. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety

AB-430 Victim Advocate Accompany Victims (Murtha, John (R)) Granting victims of certain crimes the right to be accompanied by a victim advocate. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety

AB-431 Child Neglect (Tranel, Travis (R)) Neglect of a child and providing criminal penalties. Referred to Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety

AB-440 Child Support Income Withholding (Neylon, Adam (R)) Child support income withholding orders, deferred prosecution agreements, determining the amount of a home visitation program grant, modifications to the references to Milwaukee County by population, modifications to certain appropriations, and making an appropriation. Referred to Assembly Children and Families ...