How federal laws set the baseline for women’s health, safety, and access
Federal laws play a powerful role in shaping women’s rights in the United States. Even when enforcement and impact
2 min read
In late 2025, Wisconsin lawmakers advanced two abortion-related bills that point in opposite directions. One proposal (SB 556) would expand legal recognition of fetal personhood, potentially restricting reproductive care and increasing legal risk for patients and providers. The other (Pregnancy Loss Protection Act) would protect people from criminal investigation or prosecution following pregnancy loss. Together, these bills reflect how sharply divided Wisconsin remains on reproductive healthcare — with competing visions advancing simultaneously in the legislature.
Why it Matters
National trends are colliding in Wisconsin
Fetal personhood laws and post-pregnancy-loss criminalization are expanding in other states, shaping how pregnancy and miscarriage are treated under the law.
High stakes for care and accountability
Policies related to fetal personhood and pregnancy loss shape how miscarriages, stillbirths, and pregnancy emergencies are handled, affecting when care can be provided and what legal risks providers face.
Background
Wisconsin Senate Bill 553 would establish legal recognition of fetal personhood under Wisconsin law. Medical and legal experts warn that similar laws have limited reproductive healthcare options and increased legal risk for patients and clinicians — particularly during miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or other pregnancy emergencies. In those situations, providers warn that the bill could pressure them to delay care, refuse induction, or favor surgical delivery to avoid legal liability.
Fetal personhood laws are already in effect in several states. Even when such proposals do not pass everywhere, their spread shapes how courts, healthcare systems, and lawmakers approach pregnancy, miscarriage, and emergency care — gradually influencing legal norms beyond state borders.
At the same time, Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced the Pregnancy Loss Protection Act, which would protect individuals from being investigated, charged, or punished following pregnancy loss, including miscarriage or stillbirth. Supporters say the bill is intended to provide clarity and protection for patients and providers amid growing concern about criminalization after pregnancy loss.
Nationally, experts estimate that more than 21 million women of reproductive age live in states where legislators have proposed bills that would criminalize people for having an abortion – 28 percent of U.S. women.
Both proposals are moving through the Wisconsin Legislature, highlighting Wisconsin’s continued divide over reproductive care policy.
Resources
Cornell Law School - The Legal Consequences of the Fetal Personhood Movement
Wisconsin Public Radio - Wisconsin and other states have laws establishing fetal personhood. What could that mean for abortion access and IVF?
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