Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB4 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-1818/1
3	3	FFK:wlj&cjs
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 4
5	5	February 3, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives NEDWESKI, BEHNKE, DITTRICH,
6	6	DONOVAN, DUCHOW, GUNDRUM, KNODL, KREIBICH, MURPHY, O'CONNOR,
7	7	STEFFEN, TUSLER, VOS and WICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators WANGGAARD,
8	8	CABRAL-GUEVARA and FEYEN. Referred to Committee on Education.
9	9
10	10	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
11	11	AN ACT to amend 118.165 (1) (d) and 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b.; to create 115.28 (55v),
12	12	118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m., 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10.
13	13	and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes; relating to: required instruction in civics
14	14	in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation
15	15	requirements, and private school educational program criteria.
16	16	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
17	17	Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, this bill requires school boards,
18	18	independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice
19	19	program to include in their respective curricula instruction in civics that includes
20	20	the following topics and pupil development goals:
21	21	1. An understanding of pupils’ shared rights and responsibilities as residents
22	22	of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
23	23	States.
24	24	2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government at
25	25	the local, state, and federal levels.
26	26	3. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
27	27	governmental bodies and officials.
28	28	4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and 2025 - 2026 Legislature
29	29	ASSEMBLY BILL 4
30	30	- 2 - LRB-1818/1
31	31	FFK:wlj&cjs
32	32	desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and
33	33	defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured
34	34	by the U.S. Constitution.
35	35	5. Knowledge of other nations’ governing philosophies, including communism,
36	36	socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
37	37	compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
38	38	democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
39	39	The bill also requires school boards, independent charter schools, and private
40	40	schools participating in a parental choice program to annually report to the
41	41	Department of Public Instruction regarding how they are meeting the civics
42	42	instruction requirement created under the bill. DPI must then compile the
43	43	information and submit it to the legislature.
44	44	Finally, under current law, a school board may grant a high school diploma to
45	45	a pupil only if the pupil meets specific statutory requirements, including earning a
46	46	certain number of credits in various subjects in the high school grades and passing
47	47	a civics test comprised of questions that are identical to those that are asked as part
48	48	of the process of applying for U.S. citizenship. Currently, a pupil must earn at least
49	49	three credits of social studies, including state and local government. The bill
50	50	specifies that the social studies credits also must include one-half credit of civics
51	51	instruction. This graduation requirement first applies to pupils who graduate in
52	52	the 2030-31 school year.
53	53	For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
54	54	printed as an appendix to this bill.
55	55	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
56	56	enact as follows:
57	57	SECTION 1. 115.28 (55v) of the statutes is created to read:
58	58	115.28 (55v) CIVICS EDUCATION CURRICULUM; REPORT. Beginning in the
59	59	2027-28 school year, annually compile and submit information the department
60	60	received in the previous school year under ss. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m.,
61	61	118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10., and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. to the appropriate standing
62	62	committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).
63	63	SECTION 2. 118.165 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
64	64	118.165 (1) (d) The program provides a sequentially progressive curriculum of
65	65	fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, 2025 - 2026 Legislature
66	66	ASSEMBLY BILL 4
67	67	- 3 - LRB-1818/1
68	68	FFK:wlj&cjs
69	69	SECTION 2
70	70	science, and health. This subsection does not require the program to include in its
71	71	curriculum any concept, topic, or practice in conflict with the program’s religious
72	72	doctrines or mission or to exclude from its curriculum any concept, topic, or practice
73	73	consistent with the program’s religious doctrines or mission.
74	74	SECTION 3. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
75	75	118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. At least 3 credits of social studies, including state and local
76	76	government, that include at least 0.5 credit of civics instruction.
77	77	SECTION 4. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
78	78	118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school’s curriculum
79	79	include the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and that the
80	80	charter school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
81	81	governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
82	82	SECTION 5. 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
83	83	118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school’s curriculum
84	84	include the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and that the
85	85	charter school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
86	86	governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
87	87	SECTION 6. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
88	88	118.60 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
89	89	in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and annually reports to the department
90	90	regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this
91	91	subdivision.
92	92	SECTION 7. 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read: 2025 - 2026 Legislature
93	93	ASSEMBLY BILL 4
94	94	- 4 - LRB-1818/1
95	95	FFK:wlj&cjs
96	96	SECTION 7
97	97	119.23 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
98	98	in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and annually reports to the department
99	99	regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this
100	100	subdivision.
101	101	SECTION 8. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes is created to read:
102	102	121.02 (1) (L) 9. Include instruction in civics that includes all of the following
103	103	topics and pupil development goals and annually report to the department how the
104	104	school board is meeting the requirement under this subdivision:
105	105	a. An understanding of pupils’ shared rights and responsibilities as residents
106	106	of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
107	107	States, including the history and content of the Declaration of Independence,
108	108	including natural and popular sovereignty and self-evident truth, and how those
109	109	concepts form the philosophical foundations of government; the history, meaning,
110	110	significance, and effect of provisions of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights
111	111	and how those documents provide the structure of government; and the arguments
112	112	in support of adopting the republican form of government, including those
113	113	arguments contained in the Federalist Papers.
114	114	b. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government at
115	115	the local, state, and federal levels.
116	116	c. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
117	117	governmental bodies and officials.
118	118	d. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and
119	119	desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and 2025 - 2026 Legislature
120	120	ASSEMBLY BILL 4
121	121	- 5 - LRB-1818/1
122	122	FFK:wlj&cjs
123	123	SECTION 8
124	124	defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured
125	125	by the U.S. Constitution.
126	126	e. Knowledge of other nations’ governing philosophies, including communism,
127	127	socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
128	128	compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
129	129	democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
130	130	SECTION 9. Initial applicability.
131	131	(1) The treatment of s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m. first applies to a
132	132	contract that is entered into, renewed, or modified on the effective date of this
133	133	subsection.
134	134	(2) The treatment of ss. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. and 119.23 (2) (a) 10. first applies to
135	135	an application to attend a private school under a parental choice program in the
136	136	2027-28 school year.
137	137	(3) The treatment of s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. first applies to curriculum for the
138	138	2027-28 school year.
139	139	(4) The treatment of s. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. first applies to a pupil who
140	140	graduates in the 2030-31 school year.
141	141	SECTION 10. Effective date.
142	142	(1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
143	143	(END)