>> Although a popular bipartisan bill requiring retailers to place all tobacco products behind the counter passed out of the Senate last year, it stalled in its Committee in the Assembly after receiving a public hearing, and will not pass this session. This bill is a priority for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and will continue to be a focus next session.
>> Likewise, the bill to create a state palliative care advisory council will not advance this year. However, the bill did receive public hearings in both houses and has significant momentum going into next session. ACS CAN and experts in the palliative care field will continue educating key partners on palliative care concepts in preparation for a renewed effort in 2019. Check out our issue brief for more information on how palliative care affects quality of life for cancer patients and their families.
>> In a surprising turn of events, the bill to create a FoodShare healthy eating pilot program was added as an amendment to Special Session Assembly Bill 6, which has passed both houses as a part of the Governor’s welfare reform push, and now awaits his signature. The pilot program will allow 2,000 households receiving FoodShare benefits to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at a discount in an effort to incentivize healthy eating.
>> A bill requiring that information regarding a woman’s breast density be provided to her in her mammography summary also passed both houses and will become law, making Wisconsin the 32 nd state to require this notification. Federal legislation that would require additional research into breast density, and create consistent clinical guidelines across states, is still pending before Congress and has received more support from patient advocacy groups .
>> Thanks to the passage of the state’s Social Host Law earlier this session, it is now illegal across the state for adults to provide a location for underage drinking. However, communities still have significant control over how, and how strongly, the law is enforced. Alcohol’s impact on cancer risk is greatest with heavy, long-term use, therefore efforts to reduce underage drinking are key to decreasing the cancer burden in the state. For more information on the Social Host Law and how your community can help support implementation, check out this memo from the WI Alcohol Policy Project.