Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB109 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-0124/1
3	3	MCP&FFK:skw
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 109
5	5	March 11, 2025 - Introduced by JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Referred to
6	6	Committee on Education.
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8	8	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
9	9	AN ACT to amend 118.19 (18) (bg) 1.; to create 118.19 (18) (bp) of the statutes;
10	10	relating to: a lifetime license that authorizes an individual to teach an
11	11	American Indian language in an American Indian language program and
12	12	modifying rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction.
13	13	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
14	14	This bill is explained in the NOTES provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
15	15	the bill.
16	16	For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
17	17	an appendix to this bill.
18	18	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
19	19	enact as follows:
20	20	JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PREFATORY NOTE: This bill was prepared for the
21	21	Joint Legislative Council[s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
22	22	Under current law, an individual who holds any provisional teaching license is
23	23	eligible for a tier III lifetime license upon successfully completing six semesters of
24	24	teaching experience. This bill provides an option for a federally recognized American
25	25	Indian tribe or band to decide whether each applicant for a lifetime license to teach the
26	26	American Indian language associated with the tribe or band in an American Indian
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30	30	4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
31	31	ASSEMBLY BILL 109
32	32	- 2 - LRB-0124/1
33	33	MCP&FFK:skw
34	34	SECTION 1
35	35	language program is qualified to receive the lifetime license. To exercise this option, an
36	36	American Indian tribe or band must notify the Department of Public Instruction in
37	37	writing. If an American Indian tribe or band exercises this option, DPI may not issue a
38	38	lifetime license to teach the associated American Indian language to an individual
39	39	unless the tribe or band notifies the department that it has determined that the
40	40	individual is qualified for a lifetime license to teach the American Indian language in an
41	41	American Indian language program.
42	42	Under this bill, if an American Indian tribe or band opts to review individual
43	43	applicants for a lifetime license, DPI must notify the tribal government whenever an
44	44	individual applies for a tier III lifetime license in the language that is associated with
45	45	the tribal government. Upon receiving the notice from DPI, the tribal government must
46	46	determine whether the applicant is highly skilled in the language, and notify the
47	47	department of one of the following:
48	48	1. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is highly
49	49	skilled in the language, that the tribal government endorses the individual for a tier III
50	50	lifetime license in the language.
51	51	2. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is not highly
52	52	skilled in the language, that the tribal government does not endorse the individual for a
53	53	tier III lifetime license in the language but does endorse the individual to renew a tier II
54	54	license in the language.
55	55	The bill also provides that DPI may grant a tier III lifetime license in an
56	56	American Indian language only if the applicant satisfies certain other requirements
57	57	needed for a tier III lifetime license and is endorsed for the tier III lifetime license by the
58	58	tribal government associated with that language.
59	59	SECTION 1. 118.19 (18) (bg) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
60	60	118.19 (18) (bg) 1. The Except as provided in par. (bp), the department may
61	61	issue a lifetime license under this subdivision to an individual who obtained a
62	62	provisional license under par. (a) or (bc) if the individual has successfully completed
63	63	6 semesters of teaching, administrating, or pupil services experience, as defined by
64	64	the department by rule.
65	65	SECTION 2. 118.19 (18) (bp) of the statutes is created to read:
66	66	118.19 (18) (bp) Beginning on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB
67	67	inserts date], the department may not issue to an individual a lifetime license that
68	68	authorizes the individual to teach an American Indian language in an American
69	69	Indian language program if the federally recognized American Indian tribe or band
70	70	in this state that is associated with the American Indian language submits to the
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83	83	ASSEMBLY BILL 109
84	84	- 3 - LRB-0124/1
85	85	MCP&FFK:skw
86	86	SECTION 2
87	87	department written notice that states that the tribe or band wishes to evaluate
88	88	each individual who applies for a lifetime license to teach the American Indian
89	89	language in an American Indian language program. If a federally recognized
90	90	American Indian tribe or band in this state submits a written notice to the
91	91	department under this paragraph, the department may issue a lifetime license to
92	92	an individual to teach an American Indian language in an American Indian
93	93	language program only if the tribe or band notifies the department that it has
94	94	determined that the individual is qualified for a lifetime license to teach the
95	95	American Indian language in an American Indian language program.
96	96	SECTION 3. PI 34.055 (3) of the administrative code is created to read:
97	97	PI 34.055 (3) LIFETIME LICENSE; OPTIONAL APPROVAL PROCESS. (a) If a tribal
98	98	government associated with a language under sub. (1) submits a notice to the
99	99	department under s. 118.19 (18) (bp), Stats., the department shall notify the tribal
100	100	government whenever an individual applies for a tier III lifetime license in the
101	101	language under sub. (1) that is associated with the tribal government.
102	102	(b) If a tribal government receives notice under par. (a), the tribal government
103	103	shall determine whether the applicant is highly skilled in the language under sub.
104	104	(1), and notify the department of one of the following:
105	105	1. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is highly
106	106	skilled in the language under sub. (1), that the tribal government endorses the
107	107	individual for a tier III lifetime license in the language.
108	108	2. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is not
109	109	highly skilled in the language under sub. (1), that the tribal government does not
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132	132	23 2025 - 2026 Legislature
133	133	ASSEMBLY BILL 109
134	134	- 4 - LRB-0124/1
135	135	MCP&FFK:skw
136	136	SECTION 3
137	137	endorse the individual for a tier III lifetime license in the language but does endorse
138	138	the individual to renew a tier II license in the language under s. PI 34.040.
139	139	(c) The department may grant a tier III lifetime license in a language under
140	140	sub. (1) only if the applicant satisfies the requirements under s. PI 34.041 (3) (a) to
141	141	(c) and is endorsed under par. (b) 1. for the tier III lifetime license by the tribal
142	142	government associated with that language.
143	143	(END)
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