MADISON – Today, State Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) celebrated the signing of the bipartisan Patient Privacy Protection Act (2025 Wisconsin Act 22) into law by Governor Tony Evers. Act 22 requires all hospitals in Wisconsin with medical training programs to implement written policies and procedures that ensure patient consent for pelvic exams performed by medical students on patients who are under general anesthesia or unconscious. The legislation brings Wisconsin in line with 28 other states that have already enacted similar protections.
“No patient should ever wake up to learn that medical students had been allowed to perform medically unnecessary intimate exams for teaching purposes,” said Rep. Subeck. “Carrying out a medically unnecessary and invasive procedure without explicit consent is not simply an invasion of privacy and an abuse of power; it is a violation that can feel indistinguishable from sexual assault.”
The Act addresses a longstanding practice in some teaching hospitals where medical students conduct pelvic exams on anesthetized patients without their consent. Studies indicate that this practice occurs too frequently, undermining patient trust, bodily autonomy, and the principles of trauma-informed care. While our medical schools have now enacted policies to prohibit the practice, this law ensures that every patient in Wisconsin has the right to informed consent for these procedures.
“The Patient Privacy Protection Act is the result of one courageous patient sharing her story, and I’m grateful we’ve finally secured protections for Wisconsin patients,” said Rep. Subeck. “It has taken far too long, but we are finally honoring her bravery by putting an end to this disturbing and unethical practice. Thank you to Governor Evers for signing the Patient Privacy Protection Act into law today.”
Act 22 passed the legislature with the support of a broad range of advocacy organizations, including the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Wisconsin Family Action, and End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin.
Rep. Subeck represents the 79th Assembly District and serves as Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
