Madison Reporter

A bill authored by State Sen. Tim Carpenter in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to ensure hospitals obtain written informed consent before performing pelvic exams solely for educational purposes on unconscious patients, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "pelvic exams on unconscious patients and creating an administrative rule related to hospital requirements for pelvic exams on unconscious patients".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that hospitals in Wisconsin must obtain written informed consent from patients before conducting pelvic exams solely for educational purposes while the patient is under general anesthesia or unconscious. It requires the establishment of a rule by the Department of Health Services, which stipulates that hospitals maintain written policies and procedures to ensure compliance with this consent requirement. The bill's provisions will be effective the day after its publication, although the specific administrative code provision will take effect as determined by the relevant statutory process.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Joy L. Goeben (Republican-5th District), Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin (Democrat-8th District), Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District), Senator LaTonya Johnson (Democrat-6th District), and Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), and Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), along with 30 other co-sponsors.

Tim Carpenter has co-authored another two bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Carpenter graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1982 with a BA.

Carpenter, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2003 to represent the state's 3rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Brian Burke.

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
SB14	02/03/2025	Pelvic exams on unconscious patients and creating an administrative rule related to hospital requirements for pelvic exams on unconscious patients