April 2, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Gundrum, Snyder, Dittrich, Behnke, Donovan, Kitchens, Kreibich, Moses, Mursau, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk and Subeck, cosponsored by Senators James, Jacque, Cabral-Guevara and Spreitzer. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.
AB156,1,2
1An Act to create 118.018 and 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes; relating to:
2requiring 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.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB156,1
1Section 1. 118.018 of the statutes is created to read: AB156,2,42118.018 Sexual abuse prevention education. (1) Beginning in the 2026-327 school year, each school board shall provide a child sexual abuse prevention 4instructional program to pupils in 4-year old kindergarten to grade 12. AB156,2,65(2) Each school board shall include all of the following in the instructional 6program under sub. (1): AB156,2,87(a) Developmentally appropriate and evidence-informed instruction for each 8grade level. AB156,2,109(b) An age-appropriate curriculum on child sexual abuse prevention that 10includes instruction on all of the following: AB156,2,11111. Age-appropriate facts about sexual abuse. AB156,2,12122. Anatomically correct terms for body parts. AB156,2,13133. How to say no and reject unwanted advances. AB156,2,14144. How to set and respect personal boundaries. AB156,2,15155. Differences between public and private parts of the body. AB156,2,16166. Information about giving and receiving consent. AB156,2,18177. How to distinguish between safe and unsafe touch and between secrets and 18surprises. AB156,2,19198. How to identify trustworthy adults. AB156,2,20209. How to communicate incidents of sexual abuse to trustworthy adults. AB156,2,2221(3) Each school board shall annually do all of the following before providing 22the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program to a pupil: AB156,3,2
1(a) Provide an outline of the child sexual abuse prevention instructional 2program used in the pupil’s grade level to the pupil’s parent or guardian. AB156,3,63(b) Notify the pupil’s parent or guardian of the approximate time-period 4during which the child sexual abuse prevention instructional program will be 5offered to the pupil during that school year and provide an explanation of the 6exemption under sub. (4). AB156,3,87(c) Provide a pupil’s parent or guardian with facts and clear explanations 8related to child sexual abuse topics, including all of the following: AB156,3,991. Adverse childhood experiences and trauma. AB156,3,10102. Adults’ responsibility to prevent child sexual abuse. AB156,3,11113. How to identify characteristics and behaviors of offenders. AB156,3,12124. Warning signs of child sexual abuse. AB156,3,13135. How to discuss child sexual abuse prevention with children. AB156,3,14146. How to report child sexual abuse. AB156,3,16157. What makes children vulnerable to child sexual abuse and skills to reduce 16a child’s vulnerability to sexual abuse. AB156,3,17178. Promoting trauma-informed environments and responses. AB156,3,2118(4) No pupil may be required to take instruction in child sexual abuse 19prevention or in the specific topics under sub. (2) (b) if the pupil’s parent or 20guardian files with the teacher or school principal a written request that the pupil 21be exempted. AB156,222Section 2. 121.02 (1) (L) 1m. of the statutes is created to read: AB156,4,323121.02 (1) (L) 1m. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, annually provide a
1child sexual abuse prevention instructional program for pupils in 4-year-old 2kindergarten to grade 12. The school board shall provide a sequential instructional 3program and shall provide at least one instructional session in each grade.
