Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB171 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-2531/1
3	3	FFK:cdc
4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 171
5	5	April 3, 2025 - Introduced by Senators JAMES, JACQUE, CABRAL-GUEVARA and
6	6	SPREITZER, cosponsored by Representatives GUNDRUM, SNYDER, DITTRICH,
7	7	BEHNKE, DONOVAN, KITCHENS, KREIBICH, MOSES, MURSAU, O'CONNOR,
8	8	PIWOWARCZYK and SUBECK. Referred to Committee on Mental Health,
9	9	Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
10	10	AN ACT to create 118.018 and 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes; relating to:
11	11	requiring child sexual abuse prevention education.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, this bill requires each school board to
14	14	provide a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to pupils in grades
15	15	four-year-old kindergarten to 12. Under the bill, each school board must include
16	16	various topics in its child sexual abuse prevention instructional program, including
17	17	1) age-appropriated facts about sexual abuse; 2) how to communicate incidents of
18	18	sexual abuse to trustworthy adults; 3) how to set and respect personal boundaries;
19	19	and 4) information about giving and receiving consent. Annually before offering the
20	20	child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to a pupil, the bill requires
21	21	that each school board provide a pupil[s parent or guardian with information
22	22	related to the instructional program, including approximately when it will be
23	23	provided to the pupil, an explanation of how to opt out of the instructional program,
24	24	an outline of the instructional program for the pupil[s specific grade, and facts and
25	25	clear explanations related to specific child sexual abuse topics. Lastly, under the
26	26	bill, a pupil[s parent or guardian may opt the pupil out of the instructional program
27	27	by filing a written request with the pupil[s teacher or principal.
28	28	For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
29	29	an appendix to this bill.
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31	31	2 2025 - 2026 Legislature
32	32	SENATE BILL 171
33	33	- 2 - LRB-2531/1
34	34	FFK:cdc
35	35	SECTION 1
36	36	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
37	37	enact as follows:
38	38	SECTION 1. 118.018 of the statutes is created to read:
39	39	118.018 Sexual abuse prevention education. (1) Beginning in the 2026-
40	40	27 school year, each school board shall provide a child sexual abuse prevention
41	41	instructional program to pupils in 4-year old kindergarten to grade 12.
42	42	(2) Each school board shall include all of the following in the instructional
43	43	program under sub. (1):
44	44	(a) Developmentally appropriate and evidence-informed instruction for each
45	45	grade level.
46	46	(b) An age-appropriate curriculum on child sexual abuse prevention that
47	47	includes instruction on all of the following:
48	48	1. Age-appropriate facts about sexual abuse.
49	49	2. Anatomically correct terms for body parts.
50	50	3. How to say no and reject unwanted advances.
51	51	4. How to set and respect personal boundaries.
52	52	5. Differences between public and private parts of the body.
53	53	6. Information about giving and receiving consent.
54	54	7. How to distinguish between safe and unsafe touch and between secrets and
55	55	surprises.
56	56	8. How to identify trustworthy adults.
57	57	9. How to communicate incidents of sexual abuse to trustworthy adults.
58	58	(3) Each school board shall annually do all of the following before providing
59	59	the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to a pupil:
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81	81	22 2025 - 2026 Legislature
82	82	SENATE BILL 171
83	83	- 3 - LRB-2531/1
84	84	FFK:cdc
85	85	SECTION 1
86	86	(a) Provide an outline of the child sexual abuse prevention instructional
87	87	program used in the pupil[s grade level to the pupil[s parent or guardian.
88	88	(b) Notify the pupil[s parent or guardian of the approximate time-period
89	89	during which the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program will be
90	90	offered to the pupil during that school year and provide an explanation of the
91	91	exemption under sub. (4).
92	92	(c) Provide a pupil[s parent or guardian with facts and clear explanations
93	93	related to child sexual abuse topics, including all of the following:
94	94	1. Adverse childhood experiences and trauma.
95	95	2. Adults[ responsibility to prevent child sexual abuse.
96	96	3. How to identify characteristics and behaviors of offenders.
97	97	4. Warning signs of child sexual abuse.
98	98	5. How to discuss child sexual abuse prevention with children.
99	99	6. How to report child sexual abuse.
100	100	7. What makes children vulnerable to child sexual abuse and skills to reduce
101	101	a child[s vulnerability to sexual abuse.
102	102	8. Promoting trauma-informed environments and responses.
103	103	(4) No pupil may be required to take instruction in child sexual abuse
104	104	prevention or in the specific topics under sub. (2) (b) if the pupil[s parent or
105	105	guardian files with the teacher or school principal a written request that the pupil
106	106	be exempted.
107	107	SECTION 2. 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
108	108	121.02 (1) (L) 1m. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, annually provide a
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131	131	23 2025 - 2026 Legislature
132	132	SENATE BILL 171
133	133	- 4 - LRB-2531/1
134	134	FFK:cdc
135	135	SECTION 2
136	136	child sexual abuse prevention instructional program for pupils in 4-year-old
137	137	kindergarten to grade 12. The school board shall provide a sequential instructional
138	138	program and shall provide at least one instructional session in each grade.
139	139	(END)
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