Requiring teachers and administrators employed by and owners of private schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and in the choice program for other eligible school districts to be subject to the background investigation requirements and employment restrictions imposed upon teachers in public schools. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the state superintendent of public instruction (state superintendent) must, with the assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ), conduct a background investigation of each applicant for issuance or renewal of a license or permit. A license or permit is required for an applicant to teach in a public school. If the state superintendent determines that further investigation of the applicant is necessary, current law requires fingerprinting of the applicant, and DOJ may forward the fingerprinting cards to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to verify the applicant's identity and obtain records of the applicant's criminal arrest or conviction. The state superintendent may condition issuance of a license or permit upon the receipt of a satisfactory background investigation. Current law requires the state superintendent to revoke a license issued to an individual (licensee) by the state superintendent for incompetency or immoral conduct on the part of the licensee; if the licensee is convicted of certain Class A, B, C, D, E, F, G, or H felonies or certain other crimes or violations, including sex offenses; or if the licensee is liable for delinquent taxes or is delinquent in making court-ordered payments of child or family support payments.

This bill requires each private school participating in a parental choice program to conduct a background investigation of each teacher and administrator employed by the private school on the effective date of the bill and for a teacher or administrator that remains employed by the private school, at least once every five years after the last background investigation was conducted. The bill also requires each participating private school to conduct a background investigation prior to extending an offer of employment to an individual who applies to teach in or serve as an administrator of the private school. The bill prohibits a participating private school from employing a teacher or administrator who would not be eligible for employment in a public school for any of the reasons identified above. The bill also authorizes the state superintendent to immediately terminate a private school's participation in a parental choice program if the owner of the private school would not be eligible for employment for any of the reasons identified above or if the private school employs a teacher or administrator without conducting a background investigation or the teacher or administrator would be ineligible to be licensed for any of the reasons identified above.

Who's behind it

26 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 26 are Democrats.

8 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DPI