AB484: Bill Text

LRB-0955/1

SW/ES/EW:emw

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly BILL 484

August 4, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Spreitzer, Cabrera, Neubauer, Snodgrass, Anderson, Andraca, Brostoff, Conley, Considine, Emerson, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Moore Omokunde, Pope, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Subeck and Vining, cosponsored by Senators Carpenter, Agard, Erpenbach, Larson, Ringhand, Roys, Smith and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Family Law.

AB484,4,9 An Act to repeal 102.51 (1) (a) 2., 115.76 (12) (a) 2., 115.76 (12) (a) 3., 767.89 (2) (b) 1., 2. and 3. and 769.401 (2) (g); to renumber 767.84 (1) (a) 1. and 2.; to renumber and amend 767.84 (1) (a) 3., 767.89 (2) (b) (intro.) and 891.41 (1) (b); to amend 29.219 (4), 29.228 (5), 29.228 (6), 29.229 (2) (i), 29.2295 (2) (i), 29.563 (3) (a) 3., 29.607 (3), 45.01 (6) (c), 45.51 (3) (c) 2., 45.51 (5) (a) 1. b., 45.51 (5) (a) 1. c., 45.55, 46.03 (34), 46.10 (2), 46.238, 48.02 (13), 48.025 (title), 48.025 (1), 48.025 (2) (a), 48.025 (2) (b), 48.025 (2) (c), 48.025 (2) (d), 48.025 (3) (b), 48.025 (3) (c), 48.025 (5) (a) 1., 48.19 (1) (cm), 48.193 (1) (c), 48.20 (8) (b), 48.203 (4), 48.203 (5), 48.203 (6) (a), 48.205 (1) (d), 48.205 (1m), 48.21 (1) (b) 4., 48.213 (1) (b), 48.217 (1) (c) 2., 48.217 (4), 48.23 (2m) (b), 48.245 (2r), 48.245 (3), 48.245 (4), 48.245 (5), 48.245 (8), 48.255 (1m) (f), 48.255 (1m) (g), 48.255 (4), 48.27 (3) (b) 1. and 2., 48.27 (3) (c), 48.27 (4) (b) 2., 48.27 (5), 48.295 (1), 48.299 (1) (a), 48.299 (6) (intro.), 48.299 (6) (e) 1., 48.299 (6) (e) 2., 48.299 (6) (e) 3., 48.299 (6) (e) 4., 48.299 (7), 48.299 (8), 48.30 (2), 48.32 (1) (a), 48.33 (2), 48.33 (4) (intro.), 48.345 (intro.), 48.345 (14) (a), 48.347 (intro.), 48.347 (6) (a), 48.355 (1), 48.355 (2) (b) 2m., 48.355 (4g) (a) 1., 48.356 (1), 48.357 (1) (am) 2. b., 48.357 (5r), 48.361 (2) (a) 1m., 48.362 (3m), 48.41 (2) (c), 48.415 (6) (b), 48.415 (9) (a) and (b), 48.42 (1g), 48.42 (2) (b) 1., 48.42 (2) (b) 2., 48.42 (2) (bm) 1., 48.42 (2m) (b), 48.42 (4) (b) 5., 48.422 (6) (a), 48.422 (7) (bm), 48.422 (7) (br), 48.423 (1) and (2), 48.43 (6) (b), 48.432 (1) (am) 1., 48.432 (1) (am) 2. b., 48.435, 48.63 (3) (b) 4., 48.63 (3) (b) 5., 48.82 (1) (a), 48.837 (1r) (d), 48.837 (1r) (e), 48.837 (6) (b), 48.837 (6) (br), 48.837 (8), 48.913 (1) (a), 48.913 (1) (b), 48.913 (1) (c), 48.913 (1) (f), 48.913 (1) (i), 48.913 (1) (m), 48.913 (2) (intro.), 48.913 (2) (b), 48.913 (2) (c) (intro.), 48.913 (3), 48.9795 (1) (a) 1. c. and (b), 48.9795 (4) (e) 3., 49.141 (1) (i) 3., 49.141 (1) (j) 1., 49.141 (1) (j) 2., 49.141 (1) (j) 4., 49.141 (1) (j) 5., 49.141 (1) (j) 6., 49.148 (1m) (title), 49.148 (1m) (a) 2., 49.148 (1m) (c) 2., 49.155 (1m) (c) 1g., 49.155 (1m) (c) 1h., 49.162 (2m) (a) 2., 49.162 (2m) (b) 2., 49.163 (2) (am) 2., 49.19 (1) (a) 2. a., 49.19 (4) (d) (intro.), 49.19 (4) (d) 1., 49.19 (4) (d) 2., 49.19 (4) (d) 3., 49.19 (4) (d) 4., 49.19 (4) (d) 5., 49.225 (2), 49.225 (3) (a), 49.26 (1) (g) 11., 49.345 (2), 49.43 (12), 49.463 (3) (b) 2. a., 49.471 (1) (b) 2., 49.79 (6q) (b) 2. a., 49.90 (4), 51.13 (4) (h) 4., 54.01 (36) (a), 54.960 (1), 69.03 (14), 69.03 (15), 69.11 (4) (b), 69.12 (5), 69.13 (intro.), 69.13 (2) (b) 4., 69.14 (1) (c) 4., 69.14 (1) (cm), 69.14 (1) (e), 69.14 (1) (f) 1., 69.14 (1) (g), 69.14 (1) (h), 69.14 (2) (b) 2. c. and d., 69.15 (1), 69.15 (3) (a) (intro.), 1., 2. and 3. and (b) 1., 2., 3. and 4. (intro.), a. and b., 69.15 (3m) (title), 69.15 (3m) (a) 3. and (b), 69.18 (1) (e) 1. (intro.), 69.20 (2) (b), 71.03 (2) (d) (title), 71.03 (2) (d) 1., 71.03 (2) (d) 2., 71.03 (2) (d) 3., 71.03 (2) (g), 71.03 (2) (m) 2., 71.03 (4) (a), 71.05 (22) (a) (title), 71.07 (5m) (a) 3., 71.07 (9e) (b), 71.09 (13) (a) 2., 71.52 (4), 71.83 (1) (a) 8., 71.83 (1) (b) 5., 77.25 (8m), 77.54 (7) (b) 1., 101.91 (5m), 102.07 (5) (b), 102.07 (5) (c), 102.51 (1) (a) 1., 103.10 (1) (h), 103.165 (3) (a) 3., 111.32 (12), 115.76 (12) (a) 1., 115.76 (12) (a) 4., 115.76 (13), 146.0255 (2), 146.0255 (3) (intro.) and (b), 146.0257 (2), 146.34 (1) (f), 146.817 (1), 157.05, 182.004 (6), 250.04 (3) (a), 253.165, 301.01 (2) (cm), 301.12 (2), 301.50 (1), 441.15 (4), 700.19 (2), 705.01 (4), 705.01 (4m), 706.09 (1) (e), 757.69 (1) (g) 2., 757.69 (1) (g) 9., 757.69 (1m) (d), 765.001 (2), 765.01, 765.03 (1), 765.12 (1) (a), 765.16 (1m) (intro.), 765.16 (1m) (c), 765.23, 765.24, 765.30 (3) (a), 766.587 (7) (form) 9., 766.588 (9) (form) 13., 766.589 (10) (form) 14., 767.001 (1m), 767.215 (2) (b), 767.215 (5) (a) 2., 767.323, 767.43 (3) (b) and (4), 767.80 (1) (c), 767.80 (1) (d), 767.80 (1) (k), 767.80 (1m), 767.80 (2), 767.80 (5) (a) and (b), 767.80 (5m), 767.80 (6m), 767.80 (6r) (a) 1., 2. c. and 3., 767.803, 767.804 (1) (title), 767.804 (1) (a) (intro.), 1., 3. and 4., 767.804 (1) (b) (intro.), 2., 3. and 4., 767.804 (1) (c) 1. and 2., 767.804 (1) (d), 767.804 (2), 767.804 (3) (d) 1. and 2., 767.804 (4) (a) 1. (intro.), 767.804 (4) (a) 2., 767.805 (2) (b), 767.805 (4) (d), 767.805 (5) (b), 767.813 (5) (a), (b) and (c), 767.813 (5g), 767.815 (2) (a) and (b), 767.82 (2m) and (4), 767.83 (1), 767.84 (1) (a) (intro.), 767.84 (1) (b) (intro.) and 2., 767.84 (4), 767.84 (6), 767.85 (1), 767.855, 767.863 (1m), 767.863 (2), 767.87 (1) (a), (b), (d) and (e), 767.87 (1m) (intro.), 767.87 (2), 767.87 (3), 767.87 (6), 767.87 (9), 767.87 (10), 767.88 (2) (b) and (c), 767.883 (1), 767.89 (2) (a), 767.89 (3) (e), 767.893 (1m), (2) (b) 1. and 2. and (2m) (a), 767.895 (intro.), 769.201 (1m) (g), 769.316 (4), 769.316 (9), 769.401 (2) (a), 770.07 (2), 786.36 (1) (c), 808.075 (4) (a) 4., 815.20 (1), 822.40 (4), 851.30 (2) (a), 852.01 (1) (d), 852.01 (1) (f) 1., 852.01 (1) (f) 2., 852.01 (1) (f) 3., 852.05 (1) and (2), 854.03 (3), 891.39 (title), 891.39 (1) (a), 891.39 (2) (a), 891.39 (3), 891.395, 891.40, 891.405, 891.407, 891.41 (title), 891.41 (1) (intro.), 891.41 (1) (a), 891.41 (2), 905.04 (4) (e) 3., 905.05 (title), 938.02 (13), 938.27 (3) (b), 938.27 (5), 938.299 (6) (intro.), 938.299 (6) (e) 1., 2., 3. and 4., 938.299 (7) and (8), 938.355 (4g) (a) 1., 939.24 (1), 939.25 (1), 940.01 (1) (b), 940.02 (1m), 940.05 (2g) (intro.), 940.05 (2h), 940.195 (1), 940.195 (2), 940.195 (4), 940.195 (5), 940.23 (1) (b), 943.20 (2) (c), 943.201 (1) (b) 8., 943.205 (2) (b), 944.17 (3), 944.20 (2), 948.10 (2) (b), 948.31 (2) and 990.01 (19j) (b); to repeal and recreate 69.15 (3) (title), subchapter IX (title) of chapter 767 [precedes 767.80] and 767.80 (1) (b); and to create 48.02 (5k), 69.15 (3) (b) 3m., 765.02 (3), 767.84 (1) (a) 2m., 891.41 (3), 938.02 (5s), 990.01 (22m), 990.01 (39) and 990.01 (40m) of the statutes; relating to: adopting gender-neutral terminology and incorporating gender-neutral marriage and parentage rights.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Summary

This bill recognizes same-sex marriage by making references in the statutes to spouses gender-neutral, with the intent of harmonizing the Wisconsin Statutes with the holding of the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584, 192 L. Ed. 2d 609 (2015), which recognizes that same-sex couples have a fundamental constitutional right to marriage. The bill also recognizes legal parentage for same-sex couples under certain circumstances and adopts gender-neutral parentage terminology.

Same-sex marriage

The bill provides that marriage may be contracted between persons of the same sex and confers the same rights and responsibilities on married persons of the same sex that married persons of different sexes have under current law. The bill defines “spouse" as a person who is legally married to another person of the same sex or a different sex and replaces every reference to “husband" or “wife" in current law with “spouse." The bill makes applicable to married persons of the same sex all provisions under current law that apply to married persons of different sexes. These provisions relate to such diverse areas of the law as income tax, marital property, inheritance rights, divorce, child and spousal support, insurance coverage, family and spousal recreational licenses, consent to conduct an autopsy, domestic abuse, and eligibility for various types of benefits, such as retirement or death benefits and medical assistance.

Parentage

In addition to making statutory references to spouses gender-neutral, the bill specifies ways in which couples of the same sex may be the legal parents of a child, recognizes that a transgender person may become pregnant and give birth to a child, and makes current references in the statutes to “mother" and “father," and related terms, gender-neutral.

Under current law, all of the following may adopt a child: a husband and wife jointly, a husband or wife whose spouse is the parent of the child, and an unmarried adult. Because the bill makes references in the statutes to spouses gender-neutral, same-sex spouses jointly may adopt a child and become the legal parents of the child, and a same-sex spouse of a person who is the parent of a minor child may adopt the child and become the legal parent of his or her spouse's child.

Under current law, if a woman is artificially inseminated under the supervision of a physician with semen donated by a man who is not her husband and the husband consents in writing to the artificial insemination of his wife, the husband is the natural father of any child conceived. Under the bill, one spouse may also consent to the artificial insemination of his or her spouse and is the natural parent of the child conceived. The artificial insemination is not required to take place under the supervision of a physician, but, if it does not, the semen used for the insemination must have been obtained from a sperm bank.

Under current law, a man is presumed to be the father of a child if he and the child's natural mother 1) were married to each other when the child was conceived or born or 2) married each other after the child was born but had a relationship with each other when the child was conceived and no other man has been adjudicated to be the father or is presumed to be the father because the man was married to the mother when the child was conceived or born. The paternity presumption may be rebutted in a legal action or proceeding by the results of a genetic test showing that the statistical probability of another man's parentage is 99.0 percent or higher. The bill expands this presumption into a parentage presumption, so that a person is presumed to be the natural parent of a child if he or she 1) was married to the person who gave birth to the child when the child was conceived or born or 2) married the person who gave birth to the child after the child was born but had a relationship with the person who gave birth to the child when the child was conceived and no person has been adjudicated to be the child's parent and no other person is presumed to be the child's parent because he or she was married, at the time the child was born, to the person who gave birth to the child. The parentage presumption may still be rebutted by the results of a genetic test showing that the statistical probability of another person's parentage is 99.0 percent or higher. Expanding on current law, the bill allows for a parentage action to be brought for the purpose of rebutting the parentage presumption, regardless of whether that presumption applies to a male or female spouse.

Current law provides that a mother and a man may sign a statement acknowledging paternity and file it with the state registrar. If the state registrar has received such a statement, the man is presumed to be the father of the child. Under current law, either person who has signed a statement acknowledging paternity may rescind the statement before an order is filed in an action affecting the family concerning the child or within 60 days after the statement is filed, whichever occurs first. Under current law, a man who has filed a statement acknowledging paternity that is not rescinded within the time period is conclusively determined to be the father of the child. The bill provides that two people may sign a statement acknowledging parentage and file it with the state registrar. If the state registrar has received such a statement, the people who have signed the statement are presumed to be the parents of the child. Under the bill, a statement acknowledging parentage that is not rescinded conclusively establishes parentage with regard to the person who did not give birth to the child and who signed the statement.

Under current law, the paternity of a child may be established by genetic testing in an administrative determination of paternity or in a paternity action in court. The bill changes the term “paternity” to “parentage” in the context of establishing the parent of a child by genetic testing.

The bill defines “natural parent" as a parent of a child who is not an adoptive parent, whether the parent is biologically related to the child or not. Thus, a person who is a biological parent, a parent by consenting to the artificial insemination of his or her spouse, or a parent under the parentage presumption is a natural parent of a child. The definition applies throughout the statutes wherever the term “natural parent" is used. In addition, the bill expands some references in the statutes to “biological parent" by changing the reference to “natural parent."

Birth certificates

Generally, the bill substitutes the term “spouse" for “husband" in the birth certificate statutes and enters the spouse, instead of the husband, of the person who has given birth on the birth certificate at times when a husband would currently be entered on a birth certificate. The name of the person who has given birth is entered on a birth certificate when the person gives birth to a child, and current law specifies when another name should be entered on the birth certificate. Current law requires that if a birth mother is married at any time from the conception to the birth of a child, then her husband's name is entered on the birth certificate as the legal father of the child. Under the bill, if a person who gives birth is married at any time from the conception to the birth of the child, then that person's spouse's name is entered as a legal parent of the child. The bill also specifies that, in the instance that a second parent's name is initially omitted from the birth certificate, if the state registrar receives a signed acknowledgement of parentage by people presumed to be parents because the two people married after the birth of the child, the two people had a relationship during the time the child was conceived, no person is adjudicated to be the father, and no other person is presumed to be the parent, then the state registrar must enter the name of the spouse of the person who gave birth as a parent on the birth certificate.

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 and local 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:

AB484,1 Section 1 . 29.219 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,5 29.219 (4) Husband and wife Spouses resident licenses. A combined husband and wife spouses resident fishing license shall be issued subject to s. 29.024 by the department to residents applying for this license. This license confers upon both husband and wife spouses the privileges of resident fishing licenses.

AB484,2 Section 2 . 29.228 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,10 29.228 (5) Annual family fishing license. The department shall issue a nonresident annual family fishing license, subject to s. 29.024, to any nonresident who applies for this license. This license entitles the husband, wife spouses and any minor children to fish under this license.

AB484,3 Section 3 . 29.228 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,15 29.228 (6) Fifteen-day family fishing license. The department shall issue a nonresident 15-day family fishing license, subject to s. 29.024, to any nonresident who applies for this license. This license entitles the husband, wife spouses and any minor children to fish under this license.

AB484,4 Section 4 . 29.229 (2) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,17 29.229 (2) (i) Husband and wife Spouses fishing licenses.

AB484,5 Section 5 . 29.2295 (2) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,19 29.2295 (2) (i) Husband and wife Spouses fishing licenses.

AB484,6 Section 6 . 29.563 (3) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,7,21 29.563 (3) (a) 3. Husband and wife Spouses: $30.25.

AB484,7 Section 7. 29.607 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,8,11 29.607 (3) License required; exceptions; wild rice identification card. Every person over the age of 16 and under the age of 65 shall obtain the appropriate wild rice license to harvest or deal in wild rice but no license to harvest is required of the members of the immediate family of a licensee or of a recipient of old-age assistance or members of their immediate families. The department, subject to s. 29.024 (2g) and (2r), shall issue a wild rice identification card to each member of a licensee's immediate family, to a recipient of old-age assistance and to each member of the recipient's family. The term “immediate family" includes husband and wife spouses and minor children having their abode and domicile with the parent or legal guardian.

AB484,8 Section 8 . 45.01 (6) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,8,15 45.01 (6) (c) The biological natural or adoptive parent or a person who acts in the place of a parent and who has so acted for not less than 12 months prior to the veteran's entrance into active service.

AB484,9 Section 9 . 45.51 (3) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,8,18 45.51 (3) (c) 2. The department may deviate from this sequence upon order of the board to prevent the separation of a husband and wife spouses.

AB484,10 Section 10 . 45.51 (5) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,8,23 45.51 (5) (a) 1. b. Was married to the person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. at the time the person entered the service and who became a widow or widower surviving spouse by the death of the person while in the service or as a result of physical disability of the person incurred during the service.

AB484,11 Section 11 . 45.51 (5) (a) 1. c. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,9,4 45.51 (5) (a) 1. c. The period during which the surviving spouse was married to and lived with the deceased person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. plus the period of widowhood or widowerhood after the death of the deceased person is 6 months or more.

AB484,12 Section 12 . 45.55 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,9,20 45.55 Notes and mortgages of minor veterans. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or any other law to the contrary, any minor who served in the active armed forces of the United States at any time after August 27, 1940, and the husband or wife spouse of such a minor may execute, in his or her own right, notes or mortgages, as defined in s. 851.15, the payment of which is guaranteed or insured by the U.S. department of veterans affairs or the federal housing administrator under the servicemen's readjustment act of 1944, the national housing act, or any acts supplementing or amending these acts. In connection with these transactions, the minors may sell, release, or convey the mortgaged property and litigate or settle controversies arising therefrom, including the execution of releases, deeds, and other necessary papers or instruments. The notes, mortgages, releases, deeds, and other necessary papers or instruments when so executed are not subject to avoidance by the minor or the husband or wife spouse of the minor upon either or both of them attaining the age of 18 because of the minority of either or both of them at the time of the execution thereof.

AB484,13 Section 13 . 46.03 (34) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB484,9,25 46.03 (34) Fetal alcohol syndrome and drug danger information. The department shall acquire, without cost if possible, information that describes the causes and effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and the dangers to a fetus from the mother's use of cocaine or other drugs by the pregnant person during pregnancy and shall distribute the information free of charge to each county clerk so that each county clerk may provide information to marriage license applicants under s. 765.12 (1) (a) and domestic partnership applicants under s. 770.07 (2).