Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB30 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-1842/1
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4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 30
5	5	February 12, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WANGGAARD, CABRAL-GUEVARA and
6	6	FEYEN, cosponsored by Representatives NEDWESKI, BEHNKE, DITTRICH,
7	7	DONOVAN, GUNDRUM, KNODL, KREIBICH, MURPHY, O'CONNOR, STEFFEN,
8	8	TUSLER, VOS, WICHGERS and MELOTIK. Referred to Committee on Education.
9	9	AN ACT to amend 118.165 (1) (d) and 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b.; to create 115.28 (55v),
10	10	118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m., 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10.
11	11	and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes; relating to: required instruction in civics
12	12	in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation
13	13	requirements, and private school educational program criteria.
14	14	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
15	15	Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, this bill requires school boards,
16	16	independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice
17	17	program to include in their respective curricula instruction in civics that includes
18	18	the following topics and pupil development goals:
19	19	1. An understanding of pupils[ shared rights and responsibilities as residents
20	20	of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
21	21	States.
22	22	2. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government at
23	23	the local, state, and federal levels.
24	24	3. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
25	25	governmental bodies and officials.
26	26	4. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and
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31	31	5 2025 - 2026 Legislature
32	32	SENATE BILL 30
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35	35	desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and
36	36	defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured
37	37	by the U.S. Constitution.
38	38	5. Knowledge of other nations[ governing philosophies, including communism,
39	39	socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
40	40	compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
41	41	democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
42	42	The bill also requires school boards, independent charter schools, and private
43	43	schools participating in a parental choice program to annually report to the
44	44	Department of Public Instruction regarding how they are meeting the civics
45	45	instruction requirement created under the bill. DPI must then compile the
46	46	information and submit it to the legislature.
47	47	Finally, under current law, a school board may grant a high school diploma to
48	48	a pupil only if the pupil meets specific statutory requirements, including earning a
49	49	certain number of credits in various subjects in the high school grades and passing
50	50	a civics test comprised of questions that are identical to those that are asked as part
51	51	of the process of applying for U.S. citizenship. Currently, a pupil must earn at least
52	52	three credits of social studies, including state and local government. The bill
53	53	specifies that the social studies credits also must include one-half credit of civics
54	54	instruction. This graduation requirement first applies to pupils who graduate in
55	55	the 2030-31 school year.
56	56	For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
57	57	printed as an appendix to this bill.
58	58	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
59	59	enact as follows:
60	60	SECTION 1. 115.28 (55v) of the statutes is created to read:
61	61	115.28 (55v) CIVICS EDUCATION CURRICULUM; REPORT. Beginning in the
62	62	2027-28 school year, annually compile and submit information the department
63	63	received in the previous school year under ss. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m.,
64	64	118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10., and 121.02 (1) (L) 9. to the appropriate standing
65	65	committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).
66	66	SECTION 2. 118.165 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
67	67	118.165 (1) (d) The program provides a sequentially progressive curriculum of
68	68	fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies,
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77	77	9 2025 - 2026 Legislature
78	78	SENATE BILL 30
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81	81	SECTION 2
82	82	science, and health. This subsection does not require the program to include in its
83	83	curriculum any concept, topic, or practice in conflict with the program[s religious
84	84	doctrines or mission or to exclude from its curriculum any concept, topic, or practice
85	85	consistent with the program[s religious doctrines or mission.
86	86	SECTION 3. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
87	87	118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. At least 3 credits of social studies, including state and local
88	88	government, that include at least 0.5 credit of civics instruction.
89	89	SECTION 4. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
90	90	118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school[s curriculum
91	91	include the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and that the
92	92	charter school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
93	93	governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
94	94	SECTION 5. 118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. of the statutes is created to read:
95	95	118.40 (2x) (b) 2. m. A requirement that the charter school[s curriculum
96	96	include the instruction in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and that the
97	97	charter school annually report to the department regarding how the charter school
98	98	governing board is meeting the requirement under this subd. 2. m.
99	99	SECTION 6. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
100	100	118.60 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
101	101	in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and annually reports to the department
102	102	regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this
103	103	subdivision.
104	104	SECTION 7. 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
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128	128	SENATE BILL 30
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131	131	SECTION 7
132	132	119.23 (2) (a) 10. The private school includes in its curriculum the instruction
133	133	in civics required under s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. and annually reports to the department
134	134	regarding how the private school is meeting the requirement under this
135	135	subdivision.
136	136	SECTION 8. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. of the statutes is created to read:
137	137	121.02 (1) (L) 9. Include instruction in civics that includes all of the following
138	138	topics and pupil development goals and annually report to the department how the
139	139	school board is meeting the requirement under this subdivision:
140	140	a. An understanding of pupils[ shared rights and responsibilities as residents
141	141	of this state and the United States and of the founding principles of the United
142	142	States, including the history and content of the Declaration of Independence,
143	143	including natural and popular sovereignty and self-evident truth, and how those
144	144	concepts form the philosophical foundations of government; the history, meaning,
145	145	significance, and effect of provisions of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights
146	146	and how those documents provide the structure of government; and the arguments
147	147	in support of adopting the republican form of government, including those
148	148	arguments contained in the Federalist Papers.
149	149	b. A sense of civic pride and desire to participate regularly with government at
150	150	the local, state, and federal levels.
151	151	c. An understanding of the process for effectively advocating before
152	152	governmental bodies and officials.
153	153	d. An understanding of the civic-minded expectations of an upright and
154	154	desirable citizenry that recognizes and accepts responsibility for preserving and
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177	177	23 2025 - 2026 Legislature
178	178	SENATE BILL 30
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180	180	FFK:wlj&cjs
181	181	SECTION 8
182	182	defending the benefits of liberty inherited from previous generations and secured
183	183	by the U.S. Constitution.
184	184	e. Knowledge of other nations[ governing philosophies, including communism,
185	185	socialism, and totalitarianism, and an understanding of how those philosophies
186	186	compare with the philosophy and principles of freedom and representative
187	187	democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
188	188	SECTION 9. Initial applicability.
189	189	(1) The treatment of s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 2. m. and (2x) (b) 2. m. first applies to a
190	190	contract that is entered into, renewed, or modified on the effective date of this
191	191	subsection.
192	192	(2) The treatment of ss. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. and 119.23 (2) (a) 10. first applies to
193	193	an application to attend a private school under a parental choice program in the
194	194	2027-28 school year.
195	195	(3) The treatment of s. 121.02 (1) (L) 9. first applies to curriculum for the
196	196	2027-28 school year.
197	197	(4) The treatment of s. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. b. first applies to a pupil who
198	198	graduates in the 2030-31 school year.
199	199	SECTION 10. Effective date.
200	200	(1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
201	201	(END)
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