Grants to HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.; a reference to generalized public health nursing programs; and updating terminology from “advanced practice nurse prescriber” to “advanced practice registered nurse” (suggested a, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-6036/1
KMS:cdc

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 931
January 28, 2026 - Introduced by Law Revision Committee. Referred to Committee on Rules.

An Act to amend 165.25 (6) (c), 250.15 (2) (c), 251.04 (8), 251.07 (1) (a), 251.07 (2), 252.04 (9) and 895.46 (5) (b) of the statutes; relating to: grants to HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.; a reference to generalized public health nursing programs; and updating terminology from “advanced practice nurse prescriber” to “advanced practice registered nurse” (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Health Services).

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Department of Health Services must award a grant of $50,000 in each fiscal year to HealthNet of Janesville, Inc. This bill amends current law to instead provide that DHS must award a grant of $50,000 in each fiscal year to HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.
Current law requires public health nurses to conduct generalized public health nursing programs. The bill changes “general” to “generalized” in a reference to generalized public health nursing programs under current law.
2025 Wisconsin Act 17 created a system of licensure for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), under which a person who meets certain criteria, including completion of a graduate- or postgraduate-level education program and possession of malpractice insurance, may obtain an APRN license, and a person holding an APRN license may issue prescription orders and, if practice hours requirements are met, practice without being supervised by a physician or dentist. Currently, advanced practice nurse prescribers who are not employed by a local health department but who provide services without compensation for the programs and services provided by a local health department are, for the provision of those services, state agents of the Department of Health Services. In addition, under current law, an advanced practice nurse prescriber may be selected by a school district or a local health department to supervise an immunization program and issue orders for the administration of immunizations in accordance with written protocols issued by DHS, and, if the advanced practice nurse prescriber is not an employee of the school district or local health department and receives no compensation for their services as supervisor of the immunization program, the advanced practice nurse prescriber is a state agent of the Department of Health Services for the provision of those services. The bill replaces advanced practice nurse prescribers with APRNs for purposes of supervising a school district or local health department immunization program and being agents of DHS for the provision of services without compensation for programs and services provided by a local health department or serving as a supervisor of an immunization program.
For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Law Revision Committee prefatory note: This bill is a remedial legislation proposal, requested by the Department of Health Services and introduced by the Law Revision Committee under s. 13.83 (1) (c) 4. and 5., stats. After careful consideration of the various provisions of the bill, the Law Revision Committee has determined that this bill makes minor substantive changes in the statutes, and that these changes are desirable as a matter of public policy.

Section 1. 165.25 (6) (c) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 18, is amended to read:
165.25 (6) (c) Physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurse prescribers registered nurses under s. 251.07 or 252.04 (9) (b) are covered by this section and shall be considered agents of the department of health services for purposes of determining which agency head may request the attorney general to appear and defend them.
Section 2. 250.15 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

250.15 (2) (c) To HealthNet of Janesville Rock County, Inc., $50,000.
Note: This Section updates a reference to an organization from “HealthNet of Janesville, Inc.,” to “HealthNet of Rock County, Inc.” According to the Department of Health Services, the name of this organization has changed.
Section 3. 251.04 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
251.04 (8) Unless the manner of employment is otherwise provided for by ordinance, a local board of health shall employ qualified public health professionals, including a public health nurse to conduct general generalized public health nursing programs under the direction of the local board of health and in cooperation with the department, and may employ one or more sanitarians to conduct environmental programs and other public health programs not specifically designated by statute as functions of the public health nurse. The local board of health shall coordinate the activities of any sanitarian employed by the governing body of the jurisdiction that the local board of health serves. The local board of health is not required to employ different persons to perform these functions.
Note: Under ch. 250, stats., each public health nurse must conduct a “generalized” public health nursing program in cooperation with the Department of Health Services. Section 3 modifies a reference to a “general” public health nursing program in ch. 251, stats., so that it is consistent with ch. 250, stats.
Section 4. 251.07 (1) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 18, is amended to read:
251.07 (1) (a) “Advanced practice registered nurse prescriber” means an advanced practice nurse who is certified under s. 441.16 (2) to may issue prescription orders under s. 441.09 (2).
Section 5. 251.07 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 18, is amended to read:
251.07 (2) A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered
nurse prescriber who is not an employee of the local health department and who provides services, without compensation, for those programs and services provided by a local health department that require medical oversight is, for the provision of the services he or she provides, a state agent of the department of health services for the purposes of ss. 165.25 (6), 893.82 (3), and 895.46.
Section 6. 252.04 (9) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 18, is amended to read:
252.04 (9) (a) An immunization program under sub. (8) shall be supervised by a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse prescriber selected by the school district or local health department who shall issue written orders for the administration of immunizations that are in accordance with written protocols issued by the department.
(b) If the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse prescriber under par. (a) is not an employee of the county, city, village or school district, receives no compensation for his or her services under par. (a) and acts under par. (a) in accordance with written protocols issued by the department, he or she is a state agent of the department for the purposes of ss. 165.25 (6), 893.82 (3) and 895.46.
(c) The department may disapprove the selection made under par. (a) or may require the removal of a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse prescriber selected.
Section 7. 895.46 (5) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 18, is amended to read:

895.46 (5) (b) A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse prescriber under s. 251.07 or 252.04 (9) (b).
Section 8. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:
(1) The treatment of ss. 165.25 (6) (c), 251.07 (1) (a) and (2), 252.04 (9), and 895.46 (5) (b) takes effect on September 1, 2026.
Note: Effective September 1, 2026, 2025 Wisconsin Act 17 creates a new system of licensure that allows a registered nurse (RN) to be licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Among other provisions, Act 17 directs the Board of Nursing to grant an APRN license to an RN who, on August 31, 2026, is certified as an advanced practice nurse prescriber (APNP). APRN licensure will replace certification as an APNP. Throughout the statutes, Act 17 replaces each reference to an APNP with a reference to an APRN. 2025 Wisconsin Act 18 was enacted on the same day as Act 17. Effective August 10, 2025, Act 18 authorizes an APNP to provide certain services for a local health department. Sections 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 replace each reference in Act 18 to an APNP with a reference to an APRN. Section 8 renders these changes effective on September 1, 2026, the same day that Act 17 will take effect.
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