Wisconsin 2025 Regular Session Status: To Executive Bipartisan · 12 R · 1 D cosponsors

AB 237 — Relating to: the age at which an infant is covered under the safe haven law.

Last action — Published 3-14-2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 02, 2025. It awaits signature.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 90% · high confidence

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 15 sponsors

    1 primary, 14 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (12 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

An Act to amend 48.195 (1m) (a) (intro.), 48.355 (2d) (b) 5. and 48.415 (1m) of the statutes;

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

47 added · 52 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest amendments to Bill AB 237 extend the coverage of the safe haven law to newborns up to 30 days old, increasing the current limit from 72 hours. This change is significant because it provides parents with a longer time frame to safely relinquish custody of their infants without facing legal consequences, potentially reducing the number of infants abandoned in unsafe situations. Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements, such as creating a brochure with health information for parents who use the safe haven option, ensuring they have access to vital resources.

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- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0371/1 EHS:skw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 237 January 5, 2026 - Offered by RepresentatUNDRUM .
- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRB-2206/1 EHS:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 237 May 2, 2025 - Introduced by RepresentativesUNDRUM , O'ONNOR , NOVAK, BRILL, M AXEY, KREIBICH, PRADO , K ITCHENS , W ICHGERS , G OEBEN , B EHNKE , GUSTAFSON and K NODL , cosponsored by Senators H UTTON and C ABRAL - GUEVARA .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Children and Families.
1.
A N A CT to amend 48.195 (1m) (a) (intro.), 48.355 (2d) (b) 5.
Page 1, line 2:
and 48.415 (1m) of the statutes;
delete “the age at which an infant is covered under” and substitute “various changes to”.
relating to:
2.
the age at which an infant is covered under the safe haven law.
Page 2, line 7:
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, commonly referred to as the “safe haven law,” a child whom a law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member reasonably believes to be 72 hours old or younger (newborn infant) may be taken into custody under circumstances in which a parent of the newborn infant relinquishes custody of the newborn infant to the law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician, or hospital staff member and does not express an intent to return for the newborn infant or in which a parent of the newborn infant leaves the child in a newborn infant safety device installed in a supporting wall of a hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency.
after that line insert:
Under current law, a parent who relinquishes custody of a child under the safe haven law and any person who assists the parent in that relinquishment are immune from any civil or criminal liability for any good faith act or omission in connection with the relinquishment.
“SECTION 1c.
This bill changes the maximum age at which a newborn infant falls under the safe haven law from 72 hours old to 30 days old.
48.195 (1r) (a) 7.
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2206/1 EHS:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 237 SECTION 1 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
of the statutes is created to read:
S ECTION 1.
48.195 (1r) (a) 7.
48.195 (1m) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
The device displays a quick response code that links to the video recording described under sub.
48.195 (1m) (a) (intro.) In addition to being taken into custody under s.
(7).
48.19, a child whom a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, or hospital staff member reasonably believes to be 72 hours 30 days old or younger may be taken into custody under circumstances in which a parent of the child relinquishes custody of the child by any of the following methods and does not express an intent to return for the child:
S ECTION 1g.
S ECTION 2.
48.195 (2) (d) 8.
48.355 (2d) (b) 5.
of the statutes is created to read:
of the statutes is amended to read:
48.195 (2) (d) 8.
48.355 (2d) (b) 5.
In the case of a child who the person has reason to believe is an Indian child, the tribal agent, as defined in s.
That the parent has been found under s.
48.981 (1) (i), of the Indian child’s tribe.
48.13 (2m) to have relinquished custody of the child under s.
- 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRBa0371/1 EHS:skw S ECTION 1k.
48.195 (1m) when the child was 72 hours 30 days old or younger, as evidenced by a final order of a court of competent jurisdiction making that finding.
48.195 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 48.195 (3) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:
S ECTION 3.
48.195 (3) (a) (intro.) Subject to par.
48.415 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
(b), a law enforcement officer, emergency medical services practitioner, or hospital staff member who takes a child into custody under sub.
48.415 (1m) R ELINQUISHMENT.
(1m) (a) 1.
Relinquishment, which shall be established by proving that a court of competent jurisdiction has found under s.
shall make available to the parent who relinquishes custody of the child the a brochure that includes all of the following:
48.13 (2m) that the parent has relinquished custody of the child under s.
1.
48.195 (1m) when the child was 72 hours 30 days old or younger.
The maternal and child health toll-free telephone number maintained by the department under 42 USC 705 (a) (5) (E).
S ECTION 1p.
48.195 (3) (a) 2.
to 5.
of the statutes are created to read:
48.195 (3) (a) 2.
A statement advising the parent of all of the following:
a.
That the parent has the right to remain anonymous.
b.
That the provision of any identifying information is voluntary on the part of the parent, and the choice to not provide that information will not affect the parent’s ability to relinquish the child.
c.
That any identifying information provided by the parent will be treated as confidential.
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3.
An explanation of the steps the parent is required to take if the parent changes his or her mind about relinquishing the child.
4.
An explanation of the importance to the future well-being of a child of knowing information regarding the child’s social and health history.
5.
An explanation of the importance to an Indian child of maintaining a social and cultural connection to the Indian child’s tribe and clan and the potential benefits of tribal enrollment.
- 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRBa0371/1 EHS:skw 6.
A quick response code that links to the video recording described under sub.
(7).
S ECTION 1t.
48.195 (7) of the statutes is created to read:
48.195 (7) B ROCHURE AND VIDEO .
The department shall develop written materials for inclusion in the brochure under sub.
(3) (a) and a video recording of the information under sub.
(3) (a) 1.
to 5.
The department shall consult with the Indian tribes in this state in developing the materials described in sub.
(3) (a) 5.
S ECTION 1x.
48.195 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
48.195 (8) INDIAN CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS .
Section 48.028 and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901 to 1963, apply to any Indian child who is relinquished under this section.”.
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Action History

  1. Published 3-14-2026

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 3-13-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 94

  3. Presented to the Governor on 3-12-2026

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 2-16-2026

  5. LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1)

  6. Received from Senate concurred in

  7. Ordered immediately messaged

  8. Senator Dassler-Alfheim added as a cosponsor

  9. Read a third time and concurred in

  10. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  11. Ordered to a third reading

  12. Read a second time

  13. Rules suspended and taken up

  14. Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  15. Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  16. Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  17. Received from Assembly

  18. Ordered immediately messaged

  19. Read a third time and passed

  20. Rules suspended

  21. Ordered to a third reading

  22. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  23. Read a second time

  24. Placed on calendar 2-10-2026 by Committee on Rules

  25. Referred to committee on Rules

  26. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  27. Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Children and Families, Ayes 9, Noes 0

  28. Executive action taken

  29. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Gundrum

  30. Senator Marklein added as a cosponsor

  31. Representative Piwowarczyk added as a coauthor

  32. Representative Kurtz added as a coauthor

  33. Public hearing held

  34. Read first time and referred to Committee on Children and Families

  35. Introduced by Representatives Gundrum, O'Connor, Novak, Brill, Maxey, Kreibich, Prado, Kitchens, Wichgers, Goeben, Behnke, Gustafson and Knodl; cosponsored by Senators Hutton and Cabral-Guevara

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 14 co-sponsors · 117 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (14)

Not signed on (117)

117 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Votes

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public-safety civil-rights healthcare labor
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 237 do?
An Act to amend 48.195 (1m) (a) (intro.), 48.355 (2d) (b) 5. and 48.415 (1m) of the statutes;
Who sponsors AB 237?
AB 237 is sponsored by Hutton, Cabral-Guevara, Gundrum, Rick (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Novak, Todd (Republican), Brill, Lindee (Republican), Maxey, Dave (Republican), Kreibich, Rob (Republican), Prado, Priscilla (Democrat), Kitchens, Joel (Republican), Wichgers, Chuck (Republican), Goeben, Joy (Republican), Behnke, Elijah (Republican), Gustafson, Nate (Republican), and Knodl, Daniel (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 237?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced May 02, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track AB 237?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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