Robert Wittke, Wisconsin State Representative for 63rd District | Facebook
Robert Wittke, Wisconsin State Representative for 63rd District | Facebook
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "price transparency in hospitals, restricting certain debt collection actions against patients, and providing a penalty. (FE)".
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 provide detailed price transparency for services and restricts debt collection actions if they fail to comply. Hospitals must publicly share standard charges in a machine-readable digital format, including gross charges, payer-specific negotiated charges, and discounted cash prices. They must also offer a consumer-friendly list of charges for at least 300 shoppable services. Compliance is enforced by the Department of Health Services (DHS), which has the authority to impose penalties on violators. DHS will maintain a public list of non-compliant hospitals and verify compliance through audits and complaints. Any party pursuing a debt judgment for hospital services must certify that the hospital is compliance-certified by DHS before a judgment can be enforced. This act is effective on the first day of the fourth month following its publication.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District), Representative Nate L. Gustafson (Republican-55th District), and Representative Daniel Knodl (Republican-24th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Mary Felzkowski (Republican-12th District), Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), and Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), along with eight other co-sponsors.
Robert Wittke has authored or co-authored another 42 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with all of them being adopted.
Wittke graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1980 with a BA.
Wittke, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 63rd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Robin Vos.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AB353 | 07/08/2025 | Price transparency in hospitals, restricting certain debt collection actions against patients, and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB286 | 05/30/2025 | Interest earned on coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds. (FE) |
| AB268 | 05/19/2025 | The right of appeal for complainants aggrieved by decisions of the Elections Commission concerning the conduct of election officials |
| AB265 | 05/19/2025 | Human trafficking and trafficking of a child and providing a penalty |
| AB256 | 05/08/2025 | A special observance day in schools for Armenian Genocide Awareness Day |
| AB196 | 04/15/2025 | Rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE) |
| AB92 | 02/28/2025 | Spinal cord injury research grants and symposia and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| AB1 | 01/31/2025 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) |
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