On January 16, the state Assembly unanimously approved Senate Bill 178, which would require all individuals or organizations that are currently required to report certain deaths to medical examiners or coroners to also notify these officials of all persons who have died within 24 hours of admittance or presentment to a hospital or other facility – even deaths not currently included under existing reportable circumstances under existing state law.  The state Senate unanimously approved this bill in November 2023. 

WiHPCA members already report deaths under certain circumstances – typically following a significant fall – to the appropriate county coroners or medical examiners as is required by existing state law.  However, WiHPCA is concerned that a requirement to notify the coroner or medical examiner regarding all deaths that occur within 24 hours of admittance or presentment would significantly increase the number of death notifications that would need to be submitted, particularly from hospices.

As such, WiHPCA’s Madison lobbyists successfully advocated for an amendment exempting hospice from the death reporting requirements in Senate Bill 178, as well as the Assembly companion bill – Assembly Bill 189. 

Now that both the Assembly and Senate have approved this legislation – including an exemption for hospice – it will go to the Governor for his consideration.