Madison, Wis.—Today, Representative Priscilla A. Prado and her Democratic colleagues introduced a petition to bring postpartum Medicaid expansion to the Assembly floor for a vote. Assembly Bill 97 extends postpartum Medicaid coverage for up to 12 months, and has 72 members co-sponsoring the legislation—the highest number of Assembly members on a singular bill. Though it is the most broadly supported bill in recent sessions, AB 97 has never been scheduled for a vote.
“Nearly 1 in 3 people in my district live below the poverty line, and even more use Medicaid assistance. Passing this bill would sincerely change people’s livelihoods” said Rep. Prado.
Under Assembly Rule 15, a bill can be scheduled for a vote without direct action from the Speaker of the House through a petition if a majority of the Assembly members have signed in agreement. Proposals to expand postpartum coverage have been introduced every session since 2019 with bipartisan support, although have never been placed on the calendar for a vote. While the Senate almost unanimously passed postpartum expansion this session, the Assembly has been stalled by the Speaker of the House, Robin Vos.
“When I ask my constituents what their main concerns are, expanding postpartum care is always a priority. I find it inexcusable that this bill has not been considered for a vote yet with the amount of support it has received from both constituents and, quite literally, the majority of the Wisconsin Legislature” said Rep. Prado.
Through a procedural maneuver, the Speaker of the House blocked the petition by removing its previous referral to a committee. As of today, postpartum Medicaid expansion remains off of the agenda with no indication of a future opportunity to vote on it this session.
