2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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2025 SENATE BILL 87
March 6, 2025 - Introduced by JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Referred to Committee
on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to amend 118.19 (18) (bg) 1.; to create 118.19 (18) (bp) of the statutes;
relating to: a lifetime license that authorizes an individual to teach an
American Indian language in an American Indian language program and
modifying rules promulgated by the Department of Public Instruction.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the NOTES provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PREFATORY NOTE: This bill was prepared for the
Joint Legislative Council[s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
Under current law, an individual who holds any provisional teaching license is
eligible for a tier III lifetime license upon successfully completing six semesters of
teaching experience. This bill provides an option for a federally recognized American
Indian tribe or band to decide whether each applicant for a lifetime license to teach the
American Indian language associated with the tribe or band in an American Indian
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language program is qualified to receive the lifetime license. To exercise this option, an
American Indian tribe or band must notify the Department of Public Instruction in
writing. If an American Indian tribe or band exercises this option, DPI may not issue a
lifetime license to teach the associated American Indian language to an individual
unless the tribe or band notifies the department that it has determined that the
individual is qualified for a lifetime license to teach the American Indian language in an
American Indian language program.
Under this bill, if an American Indian tribe or band opts to review individual
applicants for a lifetime license, DPI must notify the tribal government whenever an
individual applies for a tier III lifetime license in the language that is associated with
the tribal government. Upon receiving the notice from DPI, the tribal government must
determine whether the applicant is highly skilled in the language, and notify the
department of one of the following:
1. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is highly
skilled in the language, that the tribal government endorses the individual for a tier III
lifetime license in the language.
2. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is not highly
skilled in the language, that the tribal government does not endorse the individual for a
tier III lifetime license in the language but does endorse the individual to renew a tier II
license in the language.
The bill also provides that DPI may grant a tier III lifetime license in an
American Indian language only if the applicant satisfies certain other requirements
needed for a tier III lifetime license and is endorsed for the tier III lifetime license by the
tribal government associated with that language.
SECTION 1. 118.19 (18) (bg) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
118.19 (18) (bg) 1. The Except as provided in par. (bp), the department may
issue a lifetime license under this subdivision to an individual who obtained a
provisional license under par. (a) or (bc) if the individual has successfully completed
6 semesters of teaching, administrating, or pupil services experience, as defined by
the department by rule.
SECTION 2. 118.19 (18) (bp) of the statutes is created to read:
118.19 (18) (bp) Beginning on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB
inserts date], the department may not issue to an individual a lifetime license that
authorizes the individual to teach an American Indian language in an American
Indian language program if the federally recognized American Indian tribe or band
in this state that is associated with the American Indian language submits to the
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department written notice that states that the tribe or band wishes to evaluate
each individual who applies for a lifetime license to teach the American Indian
language in an American Indian language program. If a federally recognized
American Indian tribe or band in this state submits a written notice to the
department under this paragraph, the department may issue a lifetime license to
an individual to teach an American Indian language in an American Indian
language program only if the tribe or band notifies the department that it has
determined that the individual is qualified for a lifetime license to teach the
American Indian language in an American Indian language program.
SECTION 3. PI 34.055 (3) of the administrative code is created to read:
PI 34.055 (3) LIFETIME LICENSE; OPTIONAL APPROVAL PROCESS. (a) If a tribal
government associated with a language under sub. (1) submits a notice to the
department under s. 118.19 (18) (bp), Stats., the department shall notify the tribal
government whenever an individual applies for a tier III lifetime license in the
language under sub. (1) that is associated with the tribal government.
(b) If a tribal government receives notice under par. (a), the tribal government
shall determine whether the applicant is highly skilled in the language under sub.
(1), and notify the department of one of the following:
1. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is highly
skilled in the language under sub. (1), that the tribal government endorses the
individual for a tier III lifetime license in the language.
2. If the associated tribal government determines that the individual is not
highly skilled in the language under sub. (1), that the tribal government does not
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endorse the individual for a tier III lifetime license in the language but does endorse
the individual to renew a tier II license in the language under s. PI 34.040.
(c) The department may grant a tier III lifetime license in a language under
sub. (1) only if the applicant satisfies the requirements under s. PI 34.041 (3) (a) to
(c) and is endorsed under par. (b) 1. for the tier III lifetime license by the tribal
government associated with that language.
(END)
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