2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2327/1
KMS:cjs
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 113
March 11, 2025 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention.
AB113,1,2
1An Act to create 20.435 (5) (bx) and 46.537 of the statutes; relating to:
2sharing minors safety plans.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in 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:
Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council Study Committee on Emergency Detention and Civil Commitment of Minors.
The bill requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to develop and maintain a portal that is available throughout the state to facilitate sharing of safety plans for a minor in crisis among safety plan partners. The bill defines a safety plan as an individuals written document, created in advance of a crisis, that provides guidance on how to help the individual when the individual experiences a behavioral or developmental health challenge or crisis.
Safety Plan Contents and Requirements
A minor who is at risk of an encounter with law enforcement or other emergency service providers during a behavioral or developmental health challenge or crisis may create a safety plan with the assistance of a facilitator. The bill directs DHS to develop a standard safety plan template, and specifies that a minors safety plan may include any of the following information: the minors name and address or addresses; what it looks like when the minor feels unsafe or needs assistance; de-escalation strategies that work for the minor; contact information for the minors parent or guardian, health care providers, and individuals who can provide emotional support to the minor in times of crisis; what the minor would like law enforcement officers or emergency responders to know; and other information that is important to the minor.
The bill specifies that a safety plan expires one year after the date the safety plan is signed.
Release of Information
The bill allows a minors safety plan to be shared with a safety plan partner only if the minor has signed a release of information stating that the minor agrees and understands that the safety plan will be used only to ensure the safety and well-being of the minor, may be revoked at any time other than during a crisis, will be shared in the portal and may be accessed by all safety plan partners and other networks in the portal, and that the release of information will be attached to the minors safety plan. The release of information must identify all current safety plan partners and include the minors acknowledgment that additional safety plan partners may join the network and access the minors safety plan. A facilitator must ensure that the minor understands the release of information.
The bill specifies that a safety plan partner may access a safety plan only to ensure the safety and well-being of the minor during a crisis, to review or update a safety plan, or at the minors request. A safety plan partner must maintain confidentiality of a safety plan and may disclose a safety plan to a person who is not a safety plan partner in the network only if the person is the minors parent, guardian, legal custodian, Indian custodian, legal representative, another safety plan network during a crisis, or a bona fide researcher using de-identified information.
Safety Plan Network