Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.
School — Administration School — Curriculum Textbook
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
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.
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.
Sponsors
Registered lobbying interests · 4
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
Votes
Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2
Passed 3–2 May 16, 2025 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Full history
- Feb 5, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Tomczyk, Nass and Wanggaard; cosponsored by Representatives Dittrich, Knodl, Allen, Behnke, Brill, Goeben, Gundrum, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Krug, Murphy, Nedweski, Piwowarczyk, Tusler and Wichgers
- Feb 5, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- Feb 18, 2025 · Senate
Representative Gustafson added as a cosponsor
- May 1, 2025 · Senate
Representative O'Connor added as a cosponsor
- May 6, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- May 16, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- May 16, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- May 16, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1