Senate Bill 321 seeks to modernize Wisconsin law by adopting gender-neutral terminology in marriage and parentage, in line with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The bill replaces terms such as "husband" and "wife" with "spouse" across various statutes, ensuring equal rights and responsibilities for same-sex couples in areas like income tax, marital property, inheritance, and child support. It also establishes legal parentage rights for same-sex couples, allowing for joint adoption and clarifying that a spouse can consent to artificial insemination, thus becoming a legal parent. Additionally, the bill modifies laws regarding birth certificates to ensure that a spouse's name is recorded as a legal parent when a child is born to a married individual.

Moreover, the bill amends several sections of the statutes to enhance inclusivity and clarity, such as redefining the period of widowhood or widowerhood and updating language related to minors executing notes or mortgages. It mandates the Department of Health to provide information on fetal alcohol syndrome and drug use during pregnancy to county clerks for marriage and domestic partnership applicants. The bill also revises liability language to replace "widow" with "surviving spouse" and addresses the provision of services for infants and unborn children affected by substance abuse, ensuring comprehensive support for families.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 29.219(4), 29.219, 29.228(5), 29.228, 29.228(6), 29.229(2)(i), 29.229, 29.2295(2)(i), 29.2295, 29.563(3)(a)3, 29.563, 29.607(3), 29.607, 45.01(6)(c), 45.01, 45.51(3)(c)2, 45.51, 45.51(5)(a)1.b, 45.51(5)(a)1.c, 45.55, 46.03(34), 46.03, 46.10(2), 46.10, 46.238