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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Assembly Bill 5

Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents

Topics: School: Administration, School: Curriculum, Textbook

Vetoed by the governor

Both chambers passed it, and the governor vetoed it on Oct 31, 2025. Lawmakers did not ⁠, so it stands.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 3, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 54 to 43

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 18 to 15

  5. Governor, stopped here

    Vetoed Oct 31, 2025.

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, May 13, 2026: “Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82”

Read the governor's veto message · All vetoes this session

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 22. 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 a school board to comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect a textbook, curriculum, or instructional material within 14 days.

Under the bill, a school board must comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect curricula or instructional materials used in a school in the school district by no later than 14 days after the school board receives the written request. The bill also requires each school board to adopt procedures under which the school board is able to produce for inspection any curriculum or instructional material used in a school in the school district in fewer than 14 days. The bill defines “curriculum” as a curriculum plan adopted by a school board to comply with state law and defines “instructional material” as any course content or resource included in a curriculum.

Read the full summary

Similarly, the bill requires a school board to comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect a textbook on the school board’s list of adopted textbooks by no later than 14 days after the school board receives the written request. Under the bill, a school board must also adopt procedures under which the school board is capable of producing for inspection any textbook included on the school board’s list of adopted textbooks in no more than 14 days. Current law requires each school board to adopt all textbooks necessary for use in schools in the school district and file a list of adopted textbooks with the school district clerk. Under the bill, each school board must also post the list of adopted textbooks on the school board’s website.

Finally, the bill specifies that nothing in the bill may be construed to require a school board to take an action that would violate federal copyright law and that the bill does not limit any rights a school district resident has to inspect or copy records under open records law.

Who's behind it

15 representatives are its ⁠. All 15 are Republicans.

5 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 20 names

Authors (15)

Signed on in support (5)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 5 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 4 · Feb 17, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 9, Noes 4”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 54 to 43 · Feb 19, 2025 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (54)

No (43)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · May 16, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote on an amendment

Passed, 18 to 15 · Oct 14, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 18 to 15 · Oct 14, 2025

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. May 13, 2026

    The veto stood. Lawmakers didn't override it.

  2. Oct 31, 2025

    The governor vetoed it.

  3. Oct 29, 2025

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Oct 14, 2025

    The Senate passed it too, 18 to 15.

  5. May 16, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.

  6. May 6, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  7. Feb 21, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  8. Feb 20, 2025

    The Senate received it.

  9. Feb 19, 2025

    The Assembly passed it, 54 to 43.

  10. Feb 18, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  11. Feb 17, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 4.

  12. Feb 17, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  13. Feb 6, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  14. Feb 3, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.

  15. Feb 3, 2025

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Dittrich, Knodl, Nedweski, Behnke, Allen, Brill, Goeben, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Krug, Murphy, Piwowarczyk, Tusler and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Nass and Wanggaard

  2. Feb 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Feb 6, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Feb 13, 2025 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  5. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative O'Connor added as a coauthor

  6. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 9, Noes 4

  7. Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly

    Referred to calendar of 2-19-2025 pursuant to Assembly Rule 45 (1)

  8. Feb 18, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Gustafson added as a coauthor

  9. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  10. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  12. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 54, Noes 43

  13. Feb 19, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Feb 20, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  15. Feb 21, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Education

  16. May 6, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  17. May 16, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  18. May 16, 2025 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  19. May 16, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  20. Oct 13, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  21. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Larson, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch

  22. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  23. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  24. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  26. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  27. Oct 14, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Oct 15, 2025 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 10-15-2025

  30. Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 10-29-2025

  31. Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 10-31-2025

  32. May 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  33. May 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82

Terms on this page

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

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

Veto override

Lawmakers can still pass a bill the governor vetoed, but it takes two-thirds of each chamber.

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

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary