summary
Introduced
11/07/2025
11/07/2025
In Committee
01/14/2026
01/14/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill modifies various insurance statutes that are generally administered by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. First, under current law, OCI administers the Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan pursuant to state law and a waiver from the federal government. The federal waiver was approved in 2018 and, since being renewed in 2022, is set to expire on December 31, 2028. Current law provides that, before December 31, 2023, OCI may request the waiver’s renewal so long as legislation contrary to such a request is not enacted and may not request any other change to the waiver unless directed by the legislature. The bill deletes the deadline of December 31, 2023. Second, current law defines “navigator” to mean a natural person or entity that engages in certain activities aimed at helping people understand their options when purchasing health insurance through the federal exchange website. Current law requires that natural persons be licensed, and entities be registered, to act as navigators. Current law frequently uses the terms “individual navigator” when referring to a natural person and “navigator entity” when referring to an entity, with neither term defined in statute. Also under current law, applicants for a navigator license must submit to state and federal background checks. To clarify that the background check requirement applies only to applicants who are natural persons, the bill defines “individual navigator” to refer to natural persons and “navigator entity” to refer to entities, and substitutes these terms for the generic term “navigator.” The bill amends various statutes to consistently use this terminology, without changing their substance.
AI Summary
This bill makes various changes to insurance laws, focusing primarily on clarifying terminology and requirements for navigators (individuals and entities who help people understand health insurance options) and modifying provisions related to the Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan. Specifically, the bill removes the December 31, 2023 deadline for the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) to request renewal of the federal healthcare waiver, allowing more flexibility in future waiver requests. The bill also introduces formal definitions for "individual navigator" (a natural person) and "navigator entity" (an organization that employs or supervises navigators), and standardizes language across statutes to use these new terms. Additionally, the bill maintains existing requirements for background checks, training, and licensing for navigators, ensuring that individuals helping people understand health insurance options are properly qualified and regulated. These changes aim to provide more clarity and consistency in insurance-related regulations while maintaining consumer protections and operational flexibility for the state's healthcare insurance programs.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (3)
Last Action
Laid on the table (on 01/22/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/bill/ab623 |
| AB623 ROCP for Committee on Insurance | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/records/assembly/insurance/1962937.pdf |
| BillText | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/proposaltext/2025/REG/AB623.pdf |
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