Senator Kelda Roys of Madison presented testimony on March 4, 2026, in support of two bills during a Senate Committee hearing focused on utilities, technology, and tourism. The proposed legislation targets the practices of large technology companies and health insurance providers.
The first bill discussed was the S.A.F.E Kids Act (Stop Addictive Feeds Exploiting Kids Act), also known as Senate Bill 758. This measure would prevent social media platforms from using addictive algorithms to target children, collecting or selling minors’ data, or directing advertisements at them. The legislation seeks to regulate harmful business practices rather than ban children from accessing social media.
Roys stated: “Our state has an obligation to protect Wisconsinites from exploitation. Kids’ mental, physical, and social wellbeing is suffering because of the predatory practices of the Attention Oligarchs. Big tech companies use addictive algorithms to keep kids scrolling, and then monetize their personal, private data by targeting ads to children – profiting off their insecurity and harm. The more time kids spend on these platforms, the more money these companies make.
“For kids, heavy social media use has been linked to depression, anxiety, and isolation – a scary proposition given that adolescence is a time of critical development. The S.A.F.E Kids Act helps parents and kids by putting guardrails on social media companies, requiring them to abide by basic, non-predatory standards.”
The second bill addressed was Senate Bill 1066 concerning health insurance practices. It would prohibit insurers from using artificial intelligence systems to deny prior authorization for healthcare services. According to investigations cited by Roys during her testimony, patients are much more likely—sixteen times—to be denied when AI makes these decisions instead of physicians.
“Artificial intelligence should not determine whether you get the life-saving surgery you need. A computer shouldn’t prevent you from getting another round of chemo. A robot shouldn’t be able to deny you the drug that will halt the progression of your degenerative illness. Yet that happens to patients every day, as rapacious insurance companies seek to make more money by denying patients care.
“Only a qualified physician should be able to make these determinations – not an AI bot that reviews thousands of cases in seconds without regard for nuance or patient history. These denials are dangerous and increasing; without regulation, more people will go without care they need, exacerbating an already inadequate and profit-driven healthcare system.”
Roys’s legislative efforts reflect her broader record in Wisconsin politics where she has contributed to criminal justice reforms and advanced compassionate care legislation (official website). She served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2009 until 2013 (official website), earned degrees magna cum laude from New York University and University of Wisconsin Law School (official website), participated in organizations such as Clean Lakes Alliance and ACLU of Wisconsin (official website), focused on reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights through caucus participation (official website), co-chaired the legislature’s Reproductive Freedom working group and took part in the LGBTQ+ Caucus (official website).