NAC Update: Wisconsin anti-nudity bills AB503 & AB504

Updates on two of Wisconsin's Anti-Nudity Bills, AB503 and AB504

The Naturist Action Committee is continuing to work diligently to prevent the proposed Assembly and Senate Bills as well as the proposed Administrative Rules changes from passing. Stay tuned for further developments.

This past week in the Assembly:

• On 11/14/23 (Tuesday) the Assembly Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee scheduled an Executive Session for 11/16/23 to vote on ​AB503 and AB504.

• On 11/15/23 (Wednesday) an amendment to AB504 was offered by 91st AD Representative Jodi Emerson (D) - Assembly Amendment 1. This amendment was submitted basically for the purpose of clarity, changing "intimate parts" references to "genitals".

• On 11/16/23 (Thursday) the Naturist Action Committee was present at the scheduled Executive Session meeting of the Assembly for Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee at which time the AB504 amendment was briefly discussed but not given much consideration and then died. The committee proceeded to briefly discuss and vote on AB503 & AB504 as originally introduced. As expected, both bills passed [10-5] along party lines.

• On 11/17/23 (Friday) the current floor period ended, although committee and other work still continues behind the scenes.  The next floor period begins when the biennial session reconvenes on January 16, 2024.

[Note: If party-line voting continues, when these four bills get to a floor vote they will be passed in both the Senate and Assembly.]

Background of current anti-nudity challenges being addressed by the Naturist Action Committee: 

Proposed Bill AB503 relating to intentional exposure of genitals and providing a penalty.

Proposed Bill AB504 relating to attendance of children at public events with groups of nude adults and providing a penalty.

• 10/18/23 - these bills were introduced to the Assembly

• 10/18/23 - these bills were assigned to the Committee on Criminal Justice & Public Safety

• 10/31/23 - the Committee held a public hearing on these bills

Proposed Bill SB478 relating to intentional exposure of genitals and providing a penalty.

Proposed Bill SB477 relating to attendance of children at public events with groups of nude adults and providing a penalty.

• 09/29/23 - these bills were introduced to the Senate

• 09/29/23 - these bills were assigned to the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children & Families

• 10/05/23 - the Committee held a public hearing on these bills

Proposed permanent administrative rules changes to DNR property management regulation

• 07/29/21 - the scope statement (SS 074-21) for rule changes was approved by the Governor

• 08/30/21 - the scope statement (SS 074-21) for rule changes was published in Register No. 778B

• 01/26/22 - the scope statement (SS 074-21) for rule changes was approved by the Natural Resources Board

• 11/06/23 - the DNR submitted proposed rule changes to the Wisconsin Legislative Council Clearinghouse

• 11/06/23 - the DNR announced that a public hearing would be held on 12/05/23 regarding the rule changes

Moving forward:

NAC is continuing to gather information and communicate with officials, professionals, and legislators while working together with various local groups and individuals in our united effort to defeat these threats.

Your next ACTION ALERT will address the DNR’s proposed Administrative Rules changes and your various options for commenting on the proposed rule by December 10, 2023.  

Meanwhile, CALL for more information.

Stay informed:

If not already, sign up on our mailing list to receive NAC Advisories, Action Alerts, and Updates directly.  Visit naturistaction.org  (click on Alerts and Advisories)  This also signs you up for NAC’s free emailed monthly newsletter.

If not already, visit Planet Nude to see select published NAC-related alerts & articles along with many other excellent essays, articles & discussions.  Visit www.planetnude.co (click on Subscribe)

Become involved:

If you are not yet involved, PLEASE contact NAC.  Time is running out, with much still needing to be done.  There are many simple ways to participate and be a part of this important battle to preserve our naturist rights. We are always available to help you in your participation.

Presently we are looking statewide for many constituents from various Wisconsin legislative districts, as well as looking for some visitors from outside of the state - especially those who have visited public and private naturist venues here and have left their tourist dollars behind.

If not you, WHO?  If not now, WHEN?

Just ask how you can help!

Please consider sharing a small amount of time working together with NAC to help preserve our naturist rights.

Last, but certainly not least:

A huge THANK YOU to ALL who have been involved in many different ways including by contacting various legislators and pertinent others.  (One of our goals is to have constituents from each of the 33 senate and 99 assembly districts successfully connect with their state senators and representatives.)  For those of you who have done so but have not yet sent NAC copies of your written/phone/in-person correspondences and responses with legislators and others, please do so now.

And we are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL to the creator of the Reddit.com (r/nudism) “First Annual 2023 NAC Fundraiser” and the many caring naturists on Reddit who contributed $800+ toward much needed funding. (Some donations were motivated by the Reddit fundraising campaign but came directly to NAC.  As soon as the actual total Reddit-motivated direct contributions are determined, NAC will post an updated contribution total on Reddit.)  NAC is sending individual acknowledgments to the known (non-anonymous) contributors as time allows.  If you have not yet received a thank you, expect to receive one within the next few weeks.  

As was posted on Reddit: 

"The Naturist Action Committee works for YOU. As the oldest, most successful and most respected organization in North America devoted exclusively to the advancement and protection of the rights of naturists, NAC has always been the credible voice for naturists. NAC is a volunteer, nonprofit organization; it has no membership roster on which to assess dues. NAC relies completely on the generous voluntary donations of concerned individuals … like YOU."

Naturally,

Jim Dickey
NAC Secretary
Website:  naturistaction.org
Facebook: facebook.com/naturistaction
Email:  jim.dickey@naturistaction.org
Phone:  920-415-2900 (PLEASE call for more information, or to find out how you can help in our mission to defeat these attacks)