AB50: Bill Text

AB50,1954 Section 1954. 115.76 (12) (a) 2. of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1955 Section 1955. 115.76 (12) (a) 3. of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1956 Section 1956. 115.76 (13) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1014,11 115.76 (13) “Person acting as a parent of a child” means a relative of the child or a private individual allowed to act as a parent of a child by the child’s biological natural or adoptive parents or guardian, and includes the child’s grandparent, neighbor, friend or private individual caring for the child with the explicit or tacit approval of the child’s biological natural or adoptive parents or guardian. “Person acting as a parent of a child” does not include any person that receives public funds to care for the child if such funds exceed the cost of such care.

AB50,1957 Section 1957. 115.77 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1014,16 115.77 (1) In sub. (1m) (a) to (d), except as provided in s. 118.51 (12) (b), if a child with a disability is attending a public school in a nonresident school district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), “local educational agency” means the school district that the child is attending.

AB50,1958 Section 1958. 115.79 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1015,2 115.79 (1) (b) An educational placement is provided to implement a child’s individualized education program. Except as provided in s. 118.51 (12) (b), if a child with a disability is attending a public school in a nonresident school district under s. 118.50, 118.51, or 121.84 (1) (a) or (4), the school board of the school district that the child is attending shall provide an educational placement for the child and shall pay tuition charges instead of the school district in which the child resides if required by the placement.

AB50,1959 Section 1959. 115.7915 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 115.7915 (1) (ah).

AB50,1960 Section 1960. 115.7915 (1) (ad) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1015,7 115.7915 (1) (ad) “Accrediting entity” has the meaning given in s. 118.60 (1) (ab).

AB50,1961 Section 1961. 115.7915 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1015,11 115.7915 (1) (am) “Program cap” means the total number of children who attended eligible schools under the scholarship program under this section in the 2025-26 school year.

AB50,1962 Section 1962. 115.7915 (1) (ap) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1015,13 115.7915 (1) (ap) “Preaccreditation” has the meaning given in s. 118.60 (1) (c).

AB50,1963 Section 1963. 115.7915 (1) (at) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1015,16 115.7915 (1) (at) “Preaccrediting entity” has the meaning given in s. 118.60 (1) (cm).

AB50,1964 Section 1964. 115.7915 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1015,21 115.7915 (2) Scholarship requirements. (intro.) Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, the department shall, subject to sub. (2m), provide to a child with a disability a scholarship under sub. (4m) (a) to attend an eligible school if all of the following apply:

AB50,1965 Section 1965. 115.7915 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1016,2 115.7915 (2) (b) The governing body of the eligible school notified the department of its intent to participate in the program under this section, as provided under sub. (3) (a).

AB50,1966 Section 1966. 115.7915 (2) (c) (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1016,4 115.7915 (2) (c) (intro.) Any of the following applies to the eligible school:

AB50,1967 Section 1967. 115.7915 (2) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. a. and amended to read:

AB50,1016,17 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. a. The For the 2025-26 school year, the eligible school has been either is approved as a private school by the state superintendent under s. 118.165 (2) or is accredited by Cognia, Inc., Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation, Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools, National Lutheran School Accreditation, Christian Schools International, Association of Christian Schools International, the diocese or archdiocese within which the eligible school is located, or any other organization recognized by the National Council for Private School Accreditation, as of the an accrediting entity on August 1 preceding the school term for which the scholarship is awarded, 2025.

AB50,1968 Section 1968. 115.7915 (2) (c) 1. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1016,21 115.7915 (2) (c) 1. The eligible school participates in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for the school year for which the scholarship is awarded.

AB50,1969 Section 1969. 115.7915 (2) (c) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1017,2 115.7915 (2) (c) 2. The eligible school is accredited by an accrediting entity by August 1 of the school year for which the scholarship is awarded.

AB50,1970 Section 1970. 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1017,6 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. (intro.) If the eligible school participates in the program under this section in the 2025-26 school year, all of the following apply to the eligible school:

AB50,1971 Section 1971. 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. b., c. and d. of the statutes are created to read:

AB50,1017,16 115.7915 (2) (c) 3. b. If the eligible school is not accredited as provided under subd. 3. a., the eligible school obtains preaccreditation by a preaccrediting entity by August 1, 2026. The eligible school may apply for and seek to obtain preaccreditation from only one preaccrediting entity. If the eligible school fails to obtain preaccreditation as required under this subd. 3. b., the eligible school may not participate in the program under this section in the 2026-27 school year or in any school year thereafter until the eligible school obtains accreditation as provided under subd. 2.

AB50,1017,19 c. If subd. 3. b. applies to the eligible school, the eligible school applies for accreditation by an accrediting entity by December 31, 2026, and obtains accreditation by an accrediting entity by December 31, 2029.

AB50,1017,20 d. This subd. 3. does not apply after the 2029-30 school year.

AB50,1972 Section 1972. 115.7915 (2) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1018,7 115.7915 (2) (f) The child’s parent or guardian on behalf of the child, or, for a child with a disability who has reached the age of 18 and has not been adjudicated incompetent, the child, submitted an application for a scholarship under this section, as provided under sub. (3) (am), and on a form prepared by the department that includes the document developed by the department under sub. (4) to the eligible school that the child will attend. A child’s parent or guardian or a child with a disability who has reached the age of 18 may apply for a scholarship at any time during a school year and, subject to sub. (3) (b), a child may begin attending an eligible school under this section at any time during the school year.

AB50,1973 Section 1973. 115.7915 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1018,11 115.7915 (2) (g) The Subject to sub. (3) (d), the eligible school, or the department on behalf of the eligible school, has accepted the child’s application to attend the eligible school under a scholarship awarded under this section.

AB50,1974 Section 1974. 115.7915 (2) (i) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1018,15 115.7915 (2) (i) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., beginning on July 1, 2028, all of the eligible school’s teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the department.

AB50,1019,2 2. a. A teacher employed by the eligible school on July 1, 2028, who has been teaching for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2028, and who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 1. on July 1, 2028, may apply to the department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements under subd. 1. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subd. 2. a., including the form of the application and the process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 1. No waiver granted under this subd. 2. a. is valid after July 1, 2033.

AB50,1019,5 b. A teacher employed by the eligible school who teaches only courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department.

AB50,1975 Section 1975. 115.7915 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1019,9 115.7915 (2m) Program cap. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, the total number of children who may attend eligible schools under the scholarship program under this section during a school year may not exceed the program cap.

AB50,1976 Section 1976. 115.7915 (3) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1019,12 115.7915 (3) (title) Participating schools; selection of pupils application process; waiting list.

AB50,1977 Section 1977. 115.7915 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1019,18 115.7915 (3) (a) The governing body of an eligible school that intends to participate in the program under this section shall notify the department of its intent by January 10 of the previous school year. The governing body of the eligible school shall include in the notice under this paragraph the number of spaces the eligible school has available for children receiving a scholarship under this section.

AB50,1978 Section 1978. 115.7915 (3) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1019,23 115.7915 (3) (am) The governing body of an eligible school that has submitted a notice of intent to participate under par. (a) may accept applications for scholarships under sub. (2) (f) for the following school year between the first weekday in February and the 3rd Thursday in April.

AB50,1979 Section 1979. 115.7915 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1980 Section 1980. 115.7915 (3) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1020,15 115.7915 (3) (bm) Upon receipt of an application for a scholarship under sub. (2) (f) par. (am), the governing body of the eligible school shall determine whether the application satisfies the requirements under sub. (2), other than the requirement under sub. (2) (d), and shall request verification from the local education agency that developed the child’s individualized education program or services plan that the child has an individualized education program or services plan in place that meets the requirement in sub. (2) (d). The governing body of the eligible school shall also notify the child’s resident school board that, pending verification that the requirements of sub. (2) have been satisfied and subject to par. (d), the child will be awarded a scholarship under this section. The local education agency shall, within 5 business days of receiving a request under this paragraph, provide the governing body of the eligible school with a copy of the child’s individualized education program or services plan.

AB50,1981 Section 1981. 115.7915 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1021,2 115.7915 (3) (c) The By the first weekday in May immediately following the application period under par. (am), the governing body of a private an eligible school participating in the program under this section that received applications for scholarships under par. (am) shall notify report to the department when it verifies that a child has the names of children who applied under par. (am) to attend the eligible school for whom the governing body has verified that an individualized education program or services plan is in effect and accepts the child’s application to attend the private school under a scholarship awarded under this section the names of those applicants who have siblings who are already attending the eligible school.

AB50,1982 Section 1982. 115.7915 (3) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1021,13 115.7915 (3) (d) After the end of the application period described under par. (am), upon receipt of the information under par. (c), the department shall determine the sum of all applicants for scholarships under this section. In determining the sum, the department shall count a child who has applied for more than one scholarship under this section only once. If the sum of all applicants exceeds the program cap, the department shall determine which applications to accept on a random basis, subject to the number of available spaces each eligible school specified in its notice under par. (a), except that the department shall give preference to the following in accepting applications for each eligible school, in the order of preference listed:

AB50,1021,15 1. Children who attended a different eligible school under a scholarship under this section during the previous school year.

AB50,1021,16 2. Siblings of pupils who are already attending the eligible school.

AB50,1983 Section 1983. 115.7915 (3) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1021,21 115.7915 (3) (e) No later than 60 days after the end of the application period described under par. (am), the department shall notify each applicant and each eligible school, in writing, whether the application submitted to the eligible school has been accepted.

AB50,1984 Section 1984. 115.7915 (3) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1022,2 115.7915 (3) (f) If the sum under par. (d) exceeds the program cap, the department shall establish a waiting list in accordance with the preferences required under par. (d).

AB50,1985 Section 1985. 115.7915 (3) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1022,11 115.7915 (3) (g) The governing body of an eligible school that has accepted a child under par. (d) shall notify the department whenever the governing body determines that the child will not attend the eligible school under a scholarship under this section. If, upon receiving notice under this paragraph, the department determines that the number of children attending eligible schools under scholarships under this section falls below the program cap, the department shall fill any available slot with a child selected from the waiting list established under par. (f), if such a waiting list exists.

AB50,1986 Section 1986. 115.7915 (4c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1987 Section 1987. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1022,20 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. a. In the 2017-18 school year, the 2025-26 school year, and each school year thereafter, the sum of the scholarship amount under this paragraph for the previous school year; the amount of the per pupil revenue limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive; and the change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per pupil between the previous school year and the current school year, as determined under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p., if positive.

AB50,1988 Section 1988. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1023,9 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. b. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year and subject to subd. 3. ending in the 2024-25 school year, the sum of the scholarship amount under this subdivision for the previous school year; the amount of the per pupil revenue limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive; the change in the revenue ceiling, as defined in s. 121.905 (1), between the previous school year and current school year, if positive; the change in the amount of statewide categorical aid per pupil between the previous school year and the current school year, as determined under s. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p., if positive; and in the 2023-24 school year, 14.5 percent of the revenue ceiling, as defined in s. 121.905 (1), for that school year, or the amount under s. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 3., 2023 stats., if applicable.

AB50,1989 Section 1989. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. c. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1023,15 115.7915 (4m) (a) 2. c. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the sum of the scholarship amount under this subdivision for the previous school year; the amount of the per pupil revenue limit adjustment under s. 121.91 (2m) for the current school year, if positive; and the change in the per pupil amount under s. 115.437 (2) (a) 1.between the previous school year and the current school year, if positive.

AB50,1990 Section 1990. 115.7915 (4m) (a) 3. of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1991 Section 1991. 115.7915 (4m) (cm) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1992 Section 1992. 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1023,21 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. a. Determine the sum of the amount paid for each child number of children residing in the school district for whom a payment is made under par. (a) in that school year.

AB50,1993 Section 1993. 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. bm. of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1023,24 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. bm. Multiply the number of children under subd. 1. a. by the per pupil amount calculated under par. (a) for that school year.

AB50,1994 Section 1994. 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. e. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1024,3 115.7915 (4m) (f) 1. e. Sum the amounts calculated under subd. 1. a., bm., d., and dh.

AB50,1995 Section 1995. 115.7915 (6) (L) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,1024,8 115.7915 (6) (L) Allow a child attending the private school under this section to refrain from participating in any religious activity if the child’s parent submits to the child’s teacher or the private school’s principal a written request that the child be exempt from such activities.

AB50,1996 Section 1996. 115.881 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1024,14 115.881 (2) For In the 2025-26 school year and each school year thereafter, for each child whose costs exceeded $30,000 under sub. (1), the department shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bd), pay an eligible applicant in the current school year 40 percent of an amount equal to 0.90 multiplied by that portion of the cost under sub. (1) that exceeded $30,000.

AB50,1997 Section 1997. 115.881 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1998 Section 1998. 115.882 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,1024,23 115.882 Payment of state aid; reimbursement rate. Funds appropriated under s. 20.255 (2) (b) shall be used first for the purpose of s. 115.88 (4). Costs In the 2025-26 school year and in each school year thereafter, costs eligible for reimbursement from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (b) under ss. 115.88 (1m) to (3), (6), and (8), 115.93, and 118.255 (4) shall be reimbursed at a rate set to distribute the full amount appropriated for reimbursement for the costs, not to exceed 100 percent 60 percent of eligible costs.

AB50,1999 Section 1999. 115.887 of the statutes is created to read: