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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 120

School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns

Topics: Family, Guardian and ward, School: Administration, Vital statistics

Stopped before the full Senate voted

The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. 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

    Mar 7, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, stopped here

    Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.

  4. Assembly 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 ⁠”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 103. That version was vetoed.

What it would have done

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

By July 1, 2026, this bill requires school boards to adopt 1) a policy related to the conditions under which a school board will change a pupil’s legal name or legal name and pronouns in official school records (legal name and pronoun records policy) and 2) a policy related to the conditions under which a school board will allow school staff to regularly use or refer to a minor pupil by a name other the pupil’s legal name or by pronouns other than the pronouns provided at the time the pupil first enrolled in the school district (name and pronoun usage policy).

The bill requires that a school board include certain provisions in its legal name and pronoun records policy. Under the bill, a school board’s legal name and pronoun record policy must include 1) that the initial determination is made by the principal of the school the pupil attends, 2) that the principal may only approve the change if the documentation of a legal name change is provided or, if such documentation is not provided, an affidavit is provided stating, among other things, that the pupil legally changed the pupil’s name and that it was not for a fraudulent purpose or to interfere with the rights of others, 3) for a minor pupil, a requirement that the school board make a reasonable attempt to provide each of the minor pupil’s parents and legal guardians with an opportunity to provide information in favor of or against approving the requested change; and 4) a process to appeal a principal’s decision to deny a request to the school board.

Read the full summary

The bill also specifies provisions that a school board must include in its name and pronoun usage policy. Under the bill, a school board’s name and pronoun usage policy must 1) state that a minor pupil’s parent or legal guardian determines the names and pronouns school staff are allowed use to refer to the minor pupil during school hours and 2) prohibit school staff from referring to a minor pupil by a name or pronoun that does not align with the pupil’s biological sex without written authorization from the pupil’s parent or guardian. A name and pronoun usage policy does not need to require written authorization for school staff to use a shortened version of a minor pupil’s legal first or middle name to refer to the pupil.

Finally, the bill explicitly states that nothing in the bill may be construed to limit the rights of pupils, parents, or guardians under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the federal law the protects pupil records.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

9 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 11 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (9)

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 2 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Education vote on an amendment

Passed, 3 to 2 · Jan 9, 2026

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

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Education vote to recommend it

Passed, 3 to 2 · Jan 9, 2026

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

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

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2026

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jan 9, 2026

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

  3. Jan 9, 2026

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  4. Jan 6, 2026

    The committee held a public hearing.

  5. Mar 7, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.

  6. Mar 7, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Mar 7, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque and Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Dittrich, Behnke, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Maxey, O'Connor, Tusler, Mursau and Goeben

  2. Mar 7, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

  3. Mar 12, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Jacque

  4. Jan 6, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 9, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 9, 2026 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  7. Jan 9, 2026 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  8. Jan 9, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Mar 23, 2026 · Senate

    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

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

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

Committee

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

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

Roll call

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

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary