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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 1041

Required instruction in African American history in the elementary and high school grades and making an appropriation. (FE)

Topics: Minority groups, Organization, Miscellaneous, Parochial and private schools, Public Instruction, Department of, Public employee, School: Charter school, School: Curriculum, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Teacher: Certificate

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 26, 2026

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Assembly vote, not reached

  4. Senate vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Education. The committee's chair at the time was Joel Kitchens. Chairs decide which bills get a hearing. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 1026. That version died when the session ended.

What it would have done

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

This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with certain organizations specified in the bill, to develop a model curriculum for all grades, from kindergarten to 12, on African American history that does all of the following:

1. Includes developmentally appropriate instruction in the history of African Americans in the United States in general, and in this state in particular, and incorporates that history into the broader context of national and state history.

Read the full summary

2. Includes instruction in the experiences of African Americans in, and the contributions of African Americans to, the origins and development of the United States and this state.

3. Includes instruction in the anthropological migration of people into this state.

4. Includes tools to help pupils analyze history as a means to understand current events and envision a positive multicultural society.

5. Specifies the essential knowledge and associated performance standards regarding African American history that are incorporated into the social studies curriculum in each grade.

The bill also requires the state superintendent to incorporate African American history instruction that is consistent with the model curriculum into the model academic standards for social studies. The bill requires school boards, independent charter schools, and private schools to include in their social studies curriculum for every grade, from kindergarten to 12, instruction in African American history that is consistent with the model curriculum. Under the bill, DPI must employ three education consultants to assist schools with updating curriculum and providing African American history instruction.

Finally, under the bill, the state superintendent may not grant a teaching license unless the applicant has received instruction in African American history that is consistent with the model curriculum.

Who's behind it

20 representatives are its ⁠. All 20 are Democrats.

9 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 29 names

Authors (20)

Signed on in support (9)

What it would cost

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

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Mar 18, 2026

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  3. Mar 11, 2026

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. Mar 4, 2026

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  5. Feb 26, 2026

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  6. Feb 26, 2026

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 26, 2026 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Stubbs, Haywood, Moore Omokunde, Madison, Arney, Taylor, Goodwin, Rivera-Wagner, Roe, DeSmidt, Udell, Bare, Neubauer, Palmeri, Hong, Clancy, Fitzgerald, Joers, Miresse and Mayadev; cosponsored by Senators Drake, L. Johnson, Carpenter, Ratcliff, Roys, Larson and Spreitzer

  2. Feb 26, 2026 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Mar 4, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Subeck added as a coauthor

  4. Mar 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Representative Anderson added as a coauthor

  6. Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate