Shae Alan Sortwell, Wisconsin State Representative for 2nd District | Official Website
Shae Alan Sortwell, Wisconsin State Representative for 2nd District | Official Website
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "the duty of a pharmacist to dispense lawfully prescribed drugs and devices. (FE)".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill mandates that pharmacies must dispense any lawfully prescribed drug or device without delay, expanding the current requirement beyond just contraceptives. If a pharmacist refuses to dispense a drug for conscience reasons, the pharmacy must transfer the prescription to another pharmacy per the patient's direction, ensuring no delay. Pharmacies are prohibited from dispensing drugs if there is an absolute contraindication, defined as a condition that makes a drug unsafe. Additionally, pharmacy benefit managers cannot penalize pharmacists for dispensing drugs for off-label uses if prescribed validly. These changes are intended to prioritize timely access to prescriptions while accommodating pharmacists' conscience rights.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Representative Daniel Knodl (Republican-24th District). It was sponsored by Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District).
Shae A. Sortwell has co-authored or authored another 25 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Sortwell graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2006 with a BA.
Sortwell, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2019 to represent the state's 2nd Assembly district, replacing previous state representative André Jacque.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB127 | 03/11/2025 | The duty of a pharmacist to dispense lawfully prescribed drugs and devices. (FE) |
| AB108 | 03/11/2025 | A nuclear power siting study and time limits for taking final action on certain certificate of public convenience and necessity applications. (FE) |
| AB88 | 02/28/2025 | Civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty |
| AB87 | 02/28/2025 | Restitution orders following a conviction for human trafficking and restoration of the right to vote to a person barred from voting as a result of a felony conviction. (FE) |
| AB86 | 02/28/2025 | Imposing the penalty of life imprisonment for the crime of child trafficking and providing a penalty. (FE) |
| AB42 | 02/17/2025 | Local regulation of fowl |
| AB41 | 02/17/2025 | Local regulation of vegetable gardens |
| AB26 | 02/17/2025 | Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty |
| AB17 | 02/06/2025 | Creating an employee ownership conversion costs tax credit, a deduction for capital gains from the transfer of a business to employee ownership, and an employee ownership education and outreach program. (FE) |
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