Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: school board policies on appropriate communication with pupils. (FE)
Parochial and private schools Public instruction department of School — Administration School — Charter school School — Employee
- Introduced, completed
- Passes Senate, completed
- Passes Assembly, completed
- Governor signs, completed
- Law, completed
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires each school board to adopt, by July 1, 2026, a policy on appropriate communications between employees or volunteers of the school district and pupils enrolled in the school district, pupils attending school that are not under the control of the school board, and pupils who are homeschooled. A school board must include in the policy consequences for employees or volunteers who violate the the policy. The bill requires that the policy apply to communications that occur during or outside of school hours. Finally, under the bill, the policy must include standards for appropriate content and methods of communication.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Introduced by: Marklein (R) , Nass (R) , Quinn (R)
22 cosponsors
Allen (R) , B. Jacobson (R) , Behnke (R) , Brill (R) , Callahan (R) , Dassler-Alfheim (D) , Dittrich (R) , Donovan (R) , Duchow (R) , Franklin (R) , Gustafson (R) , Kitchens (R) , Kreibich (R) , Melotik (R) , Moses (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Nedweski (R) , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Steffen (R) , Tusler (R)
Registered lobbying interests · 8
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
- Association of Wisconsin School Administrators
- School Choice Wisconsin Action
- WiRSA - Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance
- Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc
- Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials
- Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators
- Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Administrators
- Wisconsin Council for Administrators of Special Services
Votes
Senate: Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 5, Noes 0
Passed 5–0 Feb 3, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Senate: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 5, Noes 0
Passed 5–0 Feb 3, 2026 official source full pageNo individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Aye · 92
- Adam Neylon (15)
- Alex Dallman (39)
- Alex Joers (81)
- Amaad Rivera-Wagner (90)
- Amanda Nedweski (32)
- Andrew Hysell (48)
- Angela Stroud (73)
- Ann Roe (44)
- Barbara Dittrich (99)
- Ben DeSmidt (65)
- Ben Franklin (88)
- Bob Donovan (61)
- Bob Wittke (63)
- Brent Jacobson (87)
- Brienne Brown (43)
- Calvin Callahan (35)
- Chanz Green (74)
- Christine Sinicki (20)
- Chuck Wichgers (84)
- Cindi Duchow (97)
- Clint Anderson (45)
- Clint Moses (92)
- Dan Knodl (24)
- Dave Armstrong (67)
- Dave Maxey (83)
- Dave Murphy (56)
- David Steffen (4)
- Dean Kaufert (53)
- Deb Andraca (23)
- Duke Tucker (75)
- Elijah Behnke (6)
- Greta Neubauer (66)
- Gus Gustafson (55)
- Jeff Mursau (36)
- Jenna Jacobson (50)
- Jerry O'Connor (60)
- Jessie Rodriguez (21)
- Jill Billings (95)
- Jim Piwowarczyk (98)
- Joan Fitzgerald (46)
- Jodi Emerson (91)
- Joe Sheehan (26)
- Joel Kitchens (1)
- John Spiros (86)
- Joy Goeben (5)
- Kalan Haywood (16)
- Karen DeSanto (40)
- Karen Hurd (69)
- Karen Kirsch (7)
- Kevin Petersen (57)
- Lee Snodgrass (52)
- Lindee Brill (27)
- Lisa Subeck (79)
- Lori Palmeri (54)
- Margaret Arney (18)
- Mark Born (37)
- Maureen McCarville (42)
- Mike Bare (80)
- Nancy VanderMeer (70)
- Pat Snyder (85)
- Paul Melotik (22)
- Paul Tittl (25)
- Priscilla Prado (9)
- Randy Udell (47)
- Renuka Mayadev (77)
- Rick Gundrum (58)
- Rob Brooks (59)
- Rob Kreibich (28)
- Rob Summerfield (68)
- Rob Swearingen (34)
- Robin Vos (33)
- Robyn Vining (13)
- Ron Tusler (3)
- Russell Goodwin (12)
- Ryan Spaude (89)
- Scott Allen (82)
- Scott Krug (72)
- Sequanna Taylor (11)
- Shae Sortwell (2)
- Shannon Zimmerman (30)
- Shelia Stubbs (78)
- Steve Doyle (94)
- Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (8)
- Tara Johnson (96)
- Tip McGuire (64)
- Todd Novak (51)
- Tony Kurtz (41)
- Travis Tranel (49)
- Treig Pronschinske (29)
- Tyler August (31)
- Vinnie Miresse (71)
- Will Penterman (38)
Nay · 7
- Angelina Cruz (62)
- Angelito Tenorio (14)
- Christian Phelps (93)
- Darrin Madison (10)
- Francesca Hong (76)
- Ryan Clancy (19)
- Supreme Moore Omokunde (17)
Full history
- Nov 20, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Quinn, Marklein and Nass; cosponsored by Representatives Nedweski, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Dittrich, Donovan, Duchow, Franklin, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Kitchens, Kreibich, Melotik, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Steffen and Tusler
- Nov 20, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Education
- Dec 2, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Jan 20, 2026 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Senator Quinn
- Jan 28, 2026 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 3, 2026 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 3, 2026 · Senate
Report adoption of Senate Substitute Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 3, 2026 · Senate
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 3, 2026 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 9, 2026 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Senate Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Senator Dassler-Alfheim added as a coauthor
- Feb 11, 2026 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 12, 2026 · Assembly
Received from Senate
- Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026
- Feb 16, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Allen added as a cosponsor
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 92, Noes 7
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 18, 2026 · Senate
Received from Assembly concurred in
- Feb 26, 2026 · Senate
Report correctly enrolled
- Mar 5, 2026 · Senate
Presented to the Governor on 3-5-2026
- Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Report approved by the Governor on 3-6-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 89
- Mar 9, 2026 · Senate
Published 3-7-2026