Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB117 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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4	4	CORRECTED
5	5	COPY
6	6	2025 SENATE BILL 117
7	7	March 7, 2025 - Introduced by Senators HUTTON, FELZKOWSKI, FEYEN, JACQUE,
8	8	KAPENGA, NASS, QUINN, TESTIN, TOMCZYK and WANGGAARD, cosponsored by
9	9	Representatives DITTRICH, KNODL, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BEHNKE, BROOKS,
10	10	CALLAHAN, DONOVAN, DUCHOW, GOEBEN, GREEN, GUNDRUM, GUSTAFSON, B.
11	11	JACOBSON, KREIBICH, KRUG, MAXEY, MOSES, MURPHY, MURSAU, NEDWESKI,
12	12	O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN, PIWOWARCZYK, SORTWELL, STEFFEN, TUSLER,
13	13	VANDERMEER and WICHGERS. Referred to Committee on Government
14	14	Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
15	15	AN ACT to amend 118.13 (1); to create 118.132 of the statutes; relating to:
16	16	designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools
17	17	or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex
18	18	of the participants.
19	19	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
20	20	This bill requires each school board, independent charter school, and private
21	21	school participating in a parental choice program (educational institution) that
22	22	operates or sponsors an interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic team or sport to
23	23	designate the athletic team or sport based on the sex of the participating pupils.
24	24	The bill defines XsexY as the sex determined at birth by a physician and reflected on
25	25	the birth certificate. The bill also requires an educational institution to prohibit a
26	26	male pupil from 1) participating on an athletic team or in an athletic sport
27	27	designated for females and 2) using a locker room designated for females. Finally,
28	28	the bill requires the educational institution to notify pupils and parents if an
29	29	educational institution intends to change a designation for an athletic team or
30	30	sport.
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34	34	4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
35	35	SENATE BILL 117
36	36	- 2 - LRB-1553/2
37	37	FFK:cdc
38	38	SECTION 1
39	39	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
40	40	enact as follows:
41	41	SECTION 1. 118.13 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
42	42	118.13 (1) Except as provided in s. ss. 118.132 (2) (b) and 120.13 (37m), no
43	43	person may be denied admission to any public school or be denied participation in,
44	44	be denied the benefits of or be discriminated against in any curricular,
45	45	extracurricular, pupil services, recreational or other program or activity because of
46	46	the person[s sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital
47	47	or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning
48	48	disability.
49	49	SECTION 2. 118.132 of the statutes is created to read:
50	50	118.132 Interscholastic or intramural sports; designation as single
51	51	sex. (1) In this section:
52	52	(a) XEducational institutionY means a school board, operator of a charter
53	53	school authorized under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), and governing body of a private school
54	54	participating in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23.
55	55	(b) XSexY means the sex determined at birth by a physician and reflected on
56	56	the birth certificate.
57	57	(2) An educational institution that operates or sponsors an interscholastic,
58	58	intramural, or club athletic team or sport shall do all of the following:
59	59	(a) Expressly designate the athletic team or sport as one of the following based
60	60	on the sex of the participating pupils:
61	61	1. Males. This designation may be referred to as Xmales,Y Xmen,Y or Xboys.Y
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83	83	SENATE BILL 117
84	84	- 3 - LRB-1553/2
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86	86	SECTION 2
87	87	2. Females. This designation may be referred to as Xfemales,Y Xwomen,Y or
88	88	Xgirls.Y
89	89	(b) Prohibit pupils of the male sex from participating on an athletic team or in
90	90	an athletic sport that is designated for females under par. (a).
91	91	(c) Prohibit pupils of the male sex from using locker rooms designated for
92	92	females.
93	93	(d) If the educational institution intends to change the designation of an
94	94	athletic team or sport under par. (a), provide written notification of the change to
95	95	pupils who are eligible to participate in the athletic sport or on the athletic team
96	96	under the previous and current designation and to the parents or guardians of
97	97	those pupils.
98	98	(3) (a) A pupil of the female sex who is deprived of the opportunity to
99	99	participate in an athletic sport or on an athletic team or who suffers any direct or
100	100	indirect harm as the result of a violation of sub. (2) (b) or (c) may bring a cause of
101	101	action against an educational institution for injunctive relief, damages, and any
102	102	other relief available under law.
103	103	(b) A pupil of the female sex who is subject to retaliation or other adverse
104	104	action by an educational institution or athletic association or organization, as a
105	105	result of reporting a violation of sub. (2) (b) or (c) to an employee or representative of
106	106	the educational institution or athletic association or organization or to any state or
107	107	federal agency with oversight over the educational institution, may bring a cause of
108	108	action against the educational institution or athletic association or organization for
109	109	injunctive relief, damages, and any other relief available under law.
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133	133	SENATE BILL 117
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136	136	SECTION 2
137	137	(c) An educational institution that suffers any direct or indirect harm by a
138	138	governmental entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association or
139	139	organization as a result of compliance with sub. (2) (b) or (c) may bring a cause of
140	140	action against the governmental entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or
141	141	athletic association or organization for injunctive relief, damages, and any other
142	142	relief available under law.
143	143	(END)
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