Grafton, WI – This week the Wisconsin State Assembly passed three bills authored by Rep. Paul Melotik (R-Grafton). The legislation moved forward on January 13 and January 15 and focuses on protecting public safety workers, rewarding overtime work, and keeping dangerous counterfeit airbags off Wisconsin roads.
Assembly Bill 417: Protecting the People Who Protect Us
Assembly Bill 417 was coauthored by Senator Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac). This bill is about standing up for the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way every day. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, prosecutors, correctional staff, and volunteers regularly face dangerous situations while keeping our communities safe. Along with physical risks, they can also be exposed to infectious bodily fluids while responding to emergencies, making arrests, or working in correctional facilities.
Under current law, testing after an exposure can take days or even weeks. During that time, workers may be forced to start aggressive medications without knowing if they are truly necessary. This creates stress, disrupts medical care, and can force workers away from their jobs.
Assembly Bill 417 creates a faster and more practical process. It allows a district attorney to quickly request a court order for testing after an exposure that occurs during the commission of a crime. Courts are required to act promptly, and test results are shared only with the exposed worker. The results are not placed in permanent medical records, and if a defendant is convicted, the cost of testing is covered through restitution.
“This is a reasonable update to existing law that puts the health, safety, and peace of mind of our public servants first,” Melotik said. “When someone steps up to protect our communities, they deserve timely answers, not weeks of uncertainty.”
