Moms' Medicaid, School Notes, Child Grooming Among New WI Laws

WISCONSIN — New moms, school districts, drivers, crime victims and health insurers are all affected by a batch of new Wisconsin laws recently signed by Gov. Tony Evers.

The new laws include an expansion of postpartum Medicaid coverage, a new child grooming crime, changes to school communication policies, updates to Wisconsin’s Safe Haven law, new rules for school absence notes and changes to OWI screening.

Among the most notable changes: Wisconsin will extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year. The expanded coverage is expected to become available July 1, 2026, following federal review and approval, according to the governor’s office.

Evers also signed a law creating a new crime of grooming a child for sexual activity. Another new law requires school districts, private schools and independent charter schools to adopt policies on appropriate communication between school employees, volunteers and students by Sept. 1, 2026.

Other new Wisconsin laws signed by Evers include:

• A Safe Haven law change that increases the amount of time a parent has to safely relinquish an infant from 72 hours after birth to 30 days.

• A law changing which health care providers can write school absence notes. The new law removes registered nurses from the list of providers who can provide a written statement excusing a child from school.

• A law allowing law enforcement to use oral fluid screenings during preliminary investigations of suspected impaired driving involving vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, ATVs and other vehicles.

• A law creating graduated penalties for manufacturing, distributing or delivering carfentanil, a powerful synthetic opioid.

• A law requiring the Wisconsin Department of Corrections to track certain convicted sex offenders if they cannot provide an address.

• A law requiring schools to provide training on identifying, preventing and reporting grooming and professional boundary violations, starting in the 2026-27 school year.

• A law extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to one year for eligible new moms.

• A law requiring some health insurance policies, including BadgerCare, to cover medically necessary supplemental breast screenings or diagnostic breast exams for people with dense breasts or a higher risk of breast cancer.

• A law requiring the U.S. Department of Defense to be notified when a child welfare agency opens an abuse or neglect investigation involving the child of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

• A law expanding the Missing Child Alert program to include 10- and 11-year-olds.

• A law extending penalties tied to selling, installing or distributing previously deployed airbags, and creating similar penalties for nonfunctional or counterfeit airbags.

• A law requiring the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to work with nonprofit organizations to provide professional development opportunities for K-12 science teachers, if funding is approved.

Evers also vetoed at least one bill in the March 13 batch of legislation, according to the governor’s office.

Learn more about the bill signings here.