2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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2025 SENATE BILL 171
April 3, 2025 - Introduced by Senators JAMES, JACQUE, CABRAL-GUEVARA and
SPREITZER, cosponsored by Representatives GUNDRUM, SNYDER, DITTRICH,
BEHNKE, DONOVAN, KITCHENS, KREIBICH, MOSES, MURSAU, O'CONNOR,
PIWOWARCZYK and SUBECK. Referred to Committee on Mental Health,
Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
AN ACT to create 118.018 and 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes; relating to:
requiring child sexual abuse prevention education.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, this bill requires each school board to
provide a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to pupils in grades
four-year-old kindergarten to 12. Under the bill, each school board must include
various topics in its child sexual abuse prevention instructional program, including
1) age-appropriated facts about sexual abuse; 2) how to communicate incidents of
sexual abuse to trustworthy adults; 3) how to set and respect personal boundaries;
and 4) information about giving and receiving consent. Annually before offering the
child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to a pupil, the bill requires
that each school board provide a pupil[s parent or guardian with information
related to the instructional program, including approximately when it will be
provided to the pupil, an explanation of how to opt out of the instructional program,
an outline of the instructional program for the pupil[s specific grade, and facts and
clear explanations related to specific child sexual abuse topics. Lastly, under the
bill, a pupil[s parent or guardian may opt the pupil out of the instructional program
by filing a written request with the pupil[s teacher or principal.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
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SECTION 1
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 118.018 of the statutes is created to read:
118.018 Sexual abuse prevention education. (1) Beginning in the 2026-
27 school year, each school board shall provide a child sexual abuse prevention
instructional program to pupils in 4-year old kindergarten to grade 12.
(2) Each school board shall include all of the following in the instructional
program under sub. (1):
(a) Developmentally appropriate and evidence-informed instruction for each
grade level.
(b) An age-appropriate curriculum on child sexual abuse prevention that
includes instruction on all of the following:
1. Age-appropriate facts about sexual abuse.
2. Anatomically correct terms for body parts.
3. How to say no and reject unwanted advances.
4. How to set and respect personal boundaries.
5. Differences between public and private parts of the body.
6. Information about giving and receiving consent.
7. How to distinguish between safe and unsafe touch and between secrets and
surprises.
8. How to identify trustworthy adults.
9. How to communicate incidents of sexual abuse to trustworthy adults.
(3) Each school board shall annually do all of the following before providing
the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to a pupil:
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SECTION 1
(a) Provide an outline of the child sexual abuse prevention instructional
program used in the pupil[s grade level to the pupil[s parent or guardian.
(b) Notify the pupil[s parent or guardian of the approximate time-period
during which the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program will be
offered to the pupil during that school year and provide an explanation of the
exemption under sub. (4).
(c) Provide a pupil[s parent or guardian with facts and clear explanations
related to child sexual abuse topics, including all of the following:
1. Adverse childhood experiences and trauma.
2. Adults[ responsibility to prevent child sexual abuse.
3. How to identify characteristics and behaviors of offenders.
4. Warning signs of child sexual abuse.
5. How to discuss child sexual abuse prevention with children.
6. How to report child sexual abuse.
7. What makes children vulnerable to child sexual abuse and skills to reduce
a child[s vulnerability to sexual abuse.
8. Promoting trauma-informed environments and responses.
(4) No pupil may be required to take instruction in child sexual abuse
prevention or in the specific topics under sub. (2) (b) if the pupil[s parent or
guardian files with the teacher or school principal a written request that the pupil
be exempted.
SECTION 2. 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
121.02 (1) (L) 1m. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, annually provide a
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SECTION 2
child sexual abuse prevention instructional program for pupils in 4-year-old
kindergarten to grade 12. The school board shall provide a sequential instructional
program and shall provide at least one instructional session in each grade.
(END)
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