Stephen Nass, Wisconsin State Senator for 11th District | Official website
Stephen Nass, Wisconsin State Senator for 11th District | Official website
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions and benefit limits under health plans".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill establishes state-level regulations for health insurance coverage if federal protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are no longer enforceable. It mandates that individual health benefit plans must accept all applicants, regardless of preexisting conditions, and group plans must accept all employers seeking coverage. Enrollment periods are to be limited to open or special enrollment times, with a state-regulated 45-day open enrollment window. Premium rate variations are restricted to specific factors such as age, tobacco use, and coverage type. Insurers are prohibited from imposing preexisting condition exclusions and from setting annual or lifetime benefit limits. Exemptions to these rules apply to plans not presently bound by certain ACA provisions.
The bill was co-authored by Representative Benjamin Franklin (Republican-88th District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District), Senator Mark Spreitzer (Democrat-15th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District), and Representative Tara Johnson (Democrat-96th District), along three other co-sponsors.
Steve L. Nass has authored or co-authored another 53 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Nass graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1978 with a BS.
Nass, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2015 to represent the state's 11th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Neal Kedzie.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| SB174 | 04/03/2025 | Coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions and benefit limits under health plans |
| SB167 | 04/03/2025 | Possession of a firearm on school grounds by school employees and fees for licenses to carry a concealed weapon. (FE) |
| SB166 | 03/27/2025 | Consumer data protection and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| SB163 | 03/27/2025 | Income change notifications for child support or maintenance orders |
| SB151 | 03/21/2025 | Requests for information from employers about unemployment insurance claims |
| SB137 | 03/14/2025 | The duty of a pharmacist to dispense lawfully prescribed drugs and devices. (FE) |
| SB136 | 03/14/2025 | School bus back-up lamps |
| SB123 | 03/14/2025 | Investment securities under the Uniform Commercial Code |
| SB97 | 03/07/2025 | Parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (FE) |
| SB81 | 02/26/2025 | School district operating referenda |
| SB77 | 02/26/2025 | Entering certain places with intent to commit battery and providing a penalty |
| SB76 | 02/26/2025 | Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes |
| SB75 | 02/26/2025 | Venue for actions in which there is a governmental party |
| SB61 | 02/21/2025 | Excluding expenditures funded by referenda from shared costs for the purpose of determining equalization aid for school districts. (FE) |
| SB53 | 02/21/2025 | Requiring the display of the national motto in public schools and on public buildings. (FE) |
| SB43 | 02/12/2025 | Allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records |
| SB22 | 02/05/2025 | Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents |
| SB16 | 02/05/2025 | Participation in interscholastic athletics and application of the public records and open meetings laws to interscholastic athletic associations |
| SB13 | 02/03/2025 | Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE) |
| SB11 | 02/03/2025 | Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property |
| SB5 | 01/24/2025 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty |
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