2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0529/1
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2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 51
February 20, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives DUCHOW, BROOKS, CALLAHAN,
DITTRICH, KNODL, KREIBICH, MELOTIK, NEDWESKI, O'CONNOR,
PRONSCHINSKE, WICHGERS and TUSLER, cosponsored by Senators TOMCZYK
and NASS. Referred to Committee on Education.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to amend 19.32 (1) and 19.82 (1); to create 19.32 (1db), 19.36 (17) and
(18), 19.82 (1m) and 118.1335 of the statutes; relating to: participation in
interscholastic athletics and application of the public records and open
meetings laws to interscholastic athletic associations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill prohibits a school district from being a member of an interscholastic
athletic association unless the association elects to be governed by the state[s public
records and open meetings laws. An interscholastic athletic association that elects
to be governed by the public records and open meetings laws is subject to those laws.
Under the bill, an interscholastic athletic association can be either a nonprofit,
unincorporated association or a nonstock, nonprofit corporation if the
unincorporated association or corporation coordinates athletic events or contests for
students enrolled in grades 9 to 12 in public schools. The bill includes exceptions for
records of an interscholastic athletic association pertaining to individual referees or
individual pupils.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
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SECTION 1
SECTION 1. 19.32 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
19.32 (1) XAuthorityY means any of the following having custody of a record: a
state or local office, elective official, agency, board, commission, committee, council,
department or public body corporate and politic created by the constitution or by
any law, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental
corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation; a
special purpose district; any court of law; the assembly or senate; a nonprofit
corporation which receives more than 50 percent of its funds from a county or a
municipality, as defined in s. 59.001 (3), and which provides services related to
public health or safety to the county or municipality; a university police department
under s. 175.42; an interscholastic athletic association that elects to be governed by
this subchapter; or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing.
SECTION 2. 19.32 (1db) of the statutes is created to read:
19.32 (1db) XInterscholastic athletic associationY means a nonprofit
association, as defined in s. 184.01 (2), or a nonstock, nonprofit corporation
organized under ch. 181, that coordinates athletic events or contests for students
enrolled in grades 9 to 12 in public schools.
SECTION 3. 19.36 (17) and (18) of the statutes are created to read:
19.36 (17) INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION REFEREE RECORDS. An
interscholastic athletic association that elects to be governed by this subchapter
may withhold access to records concerning individual referees.
(18) INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION PUPIL RECORDS. Records
concerning an individual pupil maintained by an interscholastic athletic
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SECTION 3
association that elects to be governed by this subchapter are not subject to the right
of inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1).
SECTION 4. 19.82 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
19.82 (1) XGovernmental bodyY means a state or local agency, board,
commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic
created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-
governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment
corporation; a local exposition district under subch. II of ch. 229; a long-term care
district under s. 46.2895; an interscholastic athletic association that elects to be
governed by this subchapter; or a formally constituted subunit of any of the
foregoing, but excludes any such body or committee or subunit of such body which is
formed for or meeting for the purpose of collective bargaining under subch. I, IV, or
V of ch. 111.
SECTION 5. 19.82 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
19.82 (1m) XInterscholastic athletic associationY means a nonprofit
association, as defined in s. 184.01 (2), or a nonstock, nonprofit corporation
organized under ch. 181, that coordinates athletic events or contests for students
enrolled in grades 9 to 12 in public schools.
SECTION 6. 118.1335 of the statutes is created to read:
118.1335 Interscholastic athletic association membership. No school
district may be a member of an interscholastic athletic association, as defined in s.
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SECTION 6
19.32 (1db), unless the interscholastic athletic association elects to be governed by
subchs. II and V of ch. 19.
(END)
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