Increasing penalty for battery against nurses among 16 bills signed into law

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An increase in the penalty for battery against nurses and mandatory genetic testing in court paternity actions are among the newest changes to Wisconsin law. Gov. Tony Evers signed 16 bipartisan bills on Wednesday.

Act 97 makes battery to a nurse or a health-care provider working at a hospital a Class H felony. The act increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to match the penalty for hurting firefighters, jurors and emergency medical-care providers.

Act 95 generally requires courts in paternity actions to order genetic testing. The measure establishes a new presumption of paternity through genetic testing, rather than relying on a marriage presumption or statement acknowledging paternity presumption.

Act 90 allows physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to decide when the power of attorney becomes effective in certain medical situations. Those medical professionals can now make findings of incapacity, which would make the power of attorney effective and allow admission to hospice. The bill also gives physician assistants and advance-practice registered nurses the power to issue do-not-resuscitate orders in certain situations.

The other bills signed into law call for adding statistics about arts programming to public schools’ report cards, allowing private investigators and security personnel to carry firearms, and requiring the Department of Natural Resources to designate up to $5.2 million for water projects in state parks. Follow @WLJReporter