Wisconsin Expands Emergency Testing

When Seconds Matter for Those on the Front Lines

For the men and women who serve on the front lines of public safety, danger does not always come in the form of flashing lights, physical confrontation, or a high-profile emergency. Sometimes it comes in a moment of exposure — a chaotic encounter involving bodily fluids that leaves a police officer, firefighter, EMS professional, prosecutor, or correctional staff member facing an entirely different kind of fear. Not just the fear of what happened in the moment, but the lingering uncertainty of what could come next.

That is the problem Wisconsin lawmakers set out to address with Senate Bill 419, legislation authored by Sen. Dan Feyen and now officially signed into law as 2025 Wisconsin Act 107.

A Gap in the Law

Under the previous law, a district attorney could seek a court order for communicable disease testing only in very specific situations. Even then, the process for getting results could stretch on, forcing exposed workers to wait while beginning precautionary anti-viral medications and coping with the emotional toll of uncertainty.

That waiting period carried real consequences. It meant missed work, staffing challenges, heightened stress, and an added burden for departments already operating under pressure. For workers who had already endured a possible exposure on the job, the delay only deepened the strain.

Act 107 was crafted to change that.

A Faster Path to Answers

The new law expands the ability to seek testing to a broader range of circumstances when there is probable cause that a crime involving bodily fluids may have exposed a public safety worker, prosecutor, or correctional staff member to a communicable disease.

Just as importantly, it creates an expedited emergency process. If there is probable cause and delaying a testing order could result in harm, a district attorney may petition the court for immediate action. The court must then hold an immediate hearing and, if the conditions are met, can order testing quickly.

In practical terms, that means the people who protect the public can get answers faster at one of the most stressful moments they may face in the line of duty.

Balancing Protection and Privacy

The law also makes clear that speed does not come at the expense of privacy. Test results are shared with the exposed individual and that person’s health care provider, but they are kept private. They cannot be used in court and are not added to the tested person’s permanent medical record.

If the individual involved is ultimately convicted of the underlying crime, that person is also required to pay restitution to cover the cost of the testing.

That balance is part of what makes the legislation notable. It aims to give exposed workers quicker clarity while also building in guardrails for confidentiality and limiting the use of those medical results beyond their immediate health purpose.

Broad Support for a Practical Fix

The bill passed with unanimous support and no registered opposition, a rare point of agreement that speaks to both the practicality of the measure and the urgency behind it. It also had backing from at least one statewide organization representing law enforcement, fire departments, ambulance services, and EMS professionals.

Feyen framed the legislation as a way to better support those who show up every day in high-risk roles. “I’m always proud to support the people who work every day to keep our communities safe,” he said, adding that he is glad “this important legislation is now Wisconsin State Law to help protect those who protect us.”

In an era when so much policy debate turns divisive, this law reflects something more straightforward: when public safety workers are exposed in the line of duty, they should not be left waiting longer than necessary for answers. Wisconsin’s new law recognizes that reality and responds with urgency.