Summary of Assembly Bill 1043 (Session 2025) – Wisconsin
Note: This summary reflects the information provided in the bill’s public materials and related sponsorship activity. It focuses on purpose, key provisions, who is affected, and timelines.
Main purpose and intent
- AB 1043 relates to improving health and safety in residential settings by:
- Promoting fall prevention and recovery training
- Mandating CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid certification
- Establishing a duty to provide aid in certain residential facilities
- Granting rule-making authority to implement these requirements
- Making an appropriation to support these initiatives
Key provisions and changes the bill would make
1) Fall prevention and recovery training
- Requires or promotes training related to preventing falls and facilitating recovery, likely for staff in relevant residential facilities.
- Purpose: reduce fall-related injuries and improve incident response.
2) CPR and first aid certification
- Establishes or mandates CPR and first aid certification for personnel in specified settings.
- Certification likely required on an ongoing basis (renewals as determined by rule-making).
- Aims to improve immediate response to medical emergencies and potentially improve survival and outcomes.
3) Duty to provide aid in certain residential facilities
- Creates an affirmative duty for personnel of certain residential facilities to provide aid during emergencies.
- This “duty to provide aid” is intended to ensure timely assistance before professional responders arrive.
- The scope (which facilities or staff are covered) would be clarified in implementing rules.
4) Rule-making authority
- Grants authority to state agencies to create the detailed rules necessary to implement the above provisions.
- This typically includes:
- Training curricula and standards for fall prevention, recovery, CPR, and first aid
- Certification processes, reciprocity, and renewal requirements
- Definitions of covered facilities and personnel
- Procedures for enforcing the duty to provide aid
5) Appropriation
- Includes an appropriation to fund the new requirements.
- Potential uses: training programs, certification administration, enforcement, and related administrative costs.
Who would be affected
- Staff and administrators of specified residential facilities (likely including group homes, assisted living, or similar settings).
- Prospective and current employees who would need CPR/first aid certification and ongoing training.
- Facilities subject to the bill’s provisions would bear administrative responsibilities to comply with rule requirements and ensure staff meet certifications and training standards.
- State agencies responsible for implementing rules and administering the appropriation.
Procedural and timeline aspects
- Introduced and read first time on February 26, 2026.
- Referred to the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
- Co-sponsors include a broad bipartisan group of representatives and several senators.
- The bill’s success depends on committee action, potential amendments, and floor votes.
- The “Action History” note indicates an attempt to pass via Senate Joint Resolution 1 on 2026-03-23, suggesting a potential procedural path or a floor action status, but the outcome is not provided here.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Safety impact: If enacted, could improve emergency response in residential facilities, potentially reducing injury severity and improving outcomes after falls or medical emergencies.
- Training and cost: Facilities would need to invest in training and certifications; the appropriated funds would determine the scale of support available.
- Compliance burden: Clear rule-making will define who must comply, timelines for certification, and renewal cadence; enforcement mechanisms would be established through implementing rules.
- Access to care: A duty to provide aid could affect liability considerations and require staff confidence and capability to respond appropriately.
If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to a specific audience (e.g., facility administrators, policymakers, or general residents) or add a section outlining potential fiscal impacts based on the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s budget topics.
