Todd Novak, Wisconsin State Representative of 51st District | Facebook
Todd Novak, Wisconsin State Representative of 51st District | Facebook
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "provision of virtual mental health services for students at certain UW System institutions. (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 the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to engage a vendor to provide virtual mental health services for students at UW institutions with no more than 30,000 full-time undergraduate enrollees, based on counts from the preceding April 1. The vendor's services must enhance existing campus mental health resources by offering extended access beyond regular hours, incorporating evidence-based wellness content, and utilizing behavioral health coaches and licensed providers with college mental health expertise. Preference is given to vendors with at least five years of experience in higher education mental health services and collaborative software capabilities. The vendor must submit an annual report by July 1 to the board and the legislature, detailing system-wide and institutional usage statistics of their services.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Rick Gundrum (Republican-58th District), Representative Dean Kaufert (Republican-53rd District).
Todd Novak has authored or co-authored another 57 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Novak, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2015 to represent the state's 51st Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Howard Marklein.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AB299 | 05/30/2025 | Provision of virtual mental health services for students at certain UW System institutions. (FE) |
| AB298 | 05/30/2025 | Grants for technical colleges to provide mapping data to law enforcement. (FE) |
| AB233 | 05/02/2025 | Grants to child advocacy centers. (FE) |
| AB219 | 04/23/2025 | A tax credit for rail infrastructure modernization. (FE) |
| AB198 | 04/15/2025 | Emergency medical services education, tuition and materials reimbursement for emergency medical responders and emergency medical services practitioners, and a live 911 pilot program. (FE) |
| AB190 | 04/15/2025 | Obtaining attorney fees and costs under the state’s public records law when an authority voluntarily or unilaterally releases a contested record after an action has been filed in court |
| AB185 | 04/15/2025 | Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (FE) |
| AB173 | 04/09/2025 | Regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, fiduciary and disclosure requirements on pharmacy benefit managers, and application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements. (FE) |
| AB159 | 04/02/2025 | Creating a rural creative economy development grant program. (FE) |
| AB137 | 03/13/2025 | Maximum life and allocation period for Tax Incremental District Number 9 in the village of DeForest and the total value of taxable property that may be included in tax incremental financing districts created in the village of DeForest. (FE) |
| AB129 | 03/13/2025 | Providing safe drinking water in public and private schools. (FE) |
| AB120 | 03/11/2025 | Positions for the Office of School Safety. (FE) |
| AB118 | 03/11/2025 | A transition to grazing pilot program and making an appropriation. (FE) |
| AB54 | 02/24/2025 | Utilization management controls for antipsychotic prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program. (FE) |
| AB22 | 02/06/2025 | Limitations on the total value of taxable property that may be included in, and the lifespan of, a tax incremental financing district created in the city of Middleton. (FE) |
| AB1 | 01/31/2025 | Changes to the educational assessment program and the school and school district accountability report. (FE) |
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