Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB217 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-0977/1
3	3	KRP:emw
4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 217
5	5	April 16, 2025 - Introduced by Senators RATCLIFF, SPREITZER, DASSLER-ALFHEIM,
6	6	CARPENTER, ROYS, LARSON, HESSELBEIN, DRAKE and SMITH, cosponsored by
7	7	Representatives CLANCY, SNODGRASS, ARNEY, CRUZ, NEUBAUER, PHELPS,
8	8	RIVERA-WAGNER, UDELL, STROUD, DESMIDT, TENORIO, HONG, FITZGERALD,
9	9	JOERS, MADISON, KIRSCH, MOORE OMOKUNDE, ORTIZ-VELEZ, ANDERSON,
10	10	VINING, SUBECK, EMERSON, BARE, PALMERI, SINICKI, JOHNSON, ROE,
11	11	MIRESSE, SHEEHAN and MAYADEV. Referred to Committee on Government
12	12	Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
13	13	AN ACT to renumber and amend 786.37 (4); to create 786.37 (4) (a) (intro.)
14	14	and 786.37 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes; relating to: eliminating the publication
15	15	requirement for a name change petition seeking to conform an individual[s
16	16	name with the individual[s gender identity.
17	17	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
18	18	This bill provides an exception to the requirement that notices of name change
19	19	petitions must be published for an individual who is seeking a name change to
20	20	conform with the individual[s gender identity.
21	21	Under current law, an individual who is a resident of this state generally is
22	22	entitled to petition the court of the county in which the individual resides to have
23	23	the individual[s name changed or established if no sufficient cause is shown to the
24	24	contrary. Currently, the individual must, before petitioning the court, publish a
25	25	notice stating the nature of the petition and when and where the petition will be
26	26	heard. The individual must publish the notice in a local newspaper once a week for
27	27	three consecutive weeks. Current law provides an exception to the publication
28	28	requirement for an individual who 1) requests that the petition remain confidential,
29	29	2) shows that publication of the petition could endanger the individual, and 3)
30	30	shows that the individual is not seeking a name change in order to avoid a debt or
31	31	conceal a criminal record. Under current law, if the court determines that the
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35	35	4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
36	36	SENATE BILL 217
37	37	- 2 - LRB-0977/1
38	38	KRP:emw
39	39	SECTION 1
40	40	individual is not required to publish notice, all records related to the individual[s
41	41	name change are generally confidential and exempt from disclosure under the state
42	42	public records law.
43	43	This bill provides an additional exception to the publication requirement for
44	44	an individual who shows that the individual is seeking a name change to conform
45	45	with the individual[s gender identity. Under the bill, an individual who requests a
46	46	confidential name change on that basis also must show that the individual is not
47	47	seeking a name change in order to avoid a debt or conceal a criminal record, but the
48	48	individual need not show that publication of the petition could endanger the
49	49	individual.
50	50	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
51	51	enact as follows:
52	52	SECTION 1. 786.37 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 786.37 (4) (intro.) and
53	53	amended to read:
54	54	786.37 (4) (intro.) If a petitioner requests that his or her the petitioner[s
55	55	petition to change or establish a name remain confidential, the clerk of court shall
56	56	ensure that the name change petition is confidential upon the filing of the petition
57	57	and sub. (1) does not apply to the petitioner. The court may require the petitioner to
58	58	comply with sub. (1) if the petitioner is unable to show, by a preponderance of the
59	59	evidence, that publication all of the following:
60	60	(a) 1. Publication of his or her the petition could endanger him or her and that
61	61	he or she the petitioner.
62	62	(b) That the petitioner is not seeking a name change in order to avoid a debt or
63	63	conceal a criminal record.
64	64	SECTION 2. 786.37 (4) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:
65	65	786.37 (4) (a) (intro.) That any of the following applies to the petitioner:
66	66	SECTION 3. 786.37 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
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81	81	15 2025 - 2026 Legislature
82	82	SENATE BILL 217
83	83	- 3 - LRB-0977/1
84	84	KRP:emw
85	85	SECTION 3
86	86	786.37 (4) (a) 2. The petitioner is seeking a name change to conform with the
87	87	petitioner[s gender identity.
88	88	SECTION 4. Initial applicability.
89	89	(1) This act first applies to a petition to change or establish a name filed on
90	90	the effective date of this subsection.
91	91	SECTION 5. Effective date.
92	92	(1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 6th month beginning after
93	93	publication.
94	94	(END)
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