Senate Bill 321 seeks to amend 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, which recognizes same-sex marriage. The bill defines "spouse" to include individuals of the same sex and replaces all instances of "husband" and "wife" with "spouse" throughout the statutes. This change ensures that same-sex couples are afforded the same legal rights and responsibilities as heterosexual couples in areas such as income tax, marital property, inheritance rights, and child support. Additionally, the bill acknowledges legal parentage for same-sex couples, allowing for joint adoption and establishing provisions for artificial insemination and parentage presumption.

The bill also makes specific amendments to various statutes, including changing terms related to fishing licenses and family definitions to reflect the new gender-neutral language. It clarifies that both spouses can be recognized as legal parents on a child's birth certificate and expands the definition of "natural parent" to encompass biological parents, parents by consent during artificial insemination, and those under the parentage presumption. Furthermore, the bill revises language concerning the distribution of information about fetal alcohol syndrome and drug dangers, replacing "mother" with "pregnant person" and updating terminology related to infants and unborn children affected by substance abuse. Overall, Senate Bill 321 aims to create a more inclusive legal framework for marriage and family rights in Wisconsin.

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