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. 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 rights, and child support. It also establishes legal parentage 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.

The legislation further updates definitions and provisions related to surviving spouses, minors, and care costs. It includes changes such as defining the period of marriage for surviving spouses to include the time after the death of the deceased, and replacing "husband or wife" with "spouse" in financial contexts for minors. The bill promotes inclusivity by changing references from "mother" to "pregnant person" in discussions about fetal alcohol syndrome and drug dangers, and updates liability language by replacing "widow" with "surviving spouse." Lastly, it revises provisions concerning infants and unborn children affected by substance abuse during pregnancy to ensure appropriate services are provided.

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