Hamilton Political Tidbits – May 19, 2023

In May, the Wisconsin Assembly held one floor session, while the Senate did not meet. No additional floor dates have been scheduled for May. So far, six bills have been signed into law this month. The Assembly met May 17 and passed one bill and eight resolutions. The Assembly devoted most of the four-hour floor period to considering the Republican proposal to reform “shared revenue,” state tax revenue that is divided among local governments to support various programs and services.

There have been several significant updates on environmental policy in Wisconsin, including PFAS, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the 2023-25 state budget.

Several legislators have authored a bill to create hospital price transparency requirements in Wisconsin. The bill requires hospitals to create a publicly available, machine-readable digital file containing a list of standard charges for certain items and services, and a consumer-friendly list of standard charges for “shoppable services.” These lists of standard charges must be made publicly, readily available on the hospital’s website and to internet search engines, and periodically updated.

On May 8, a broad national coalition of 35 business associations and tort reform advocates sent a letter to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules regarding third party litigation funding or "litigation financing." The letter asks the committee to amend Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require disclosure of a litigation financing agreement in any civil action filed in federal court.

For updates on the 2023-25 state budget in Wisconsin, the Hamilton Consulting Group maintains an issue update page providing comprehensive coverage of the budget process.