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2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
2021 Assembly BILL 378
June 7, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Magnafici, Wittke, Allen,
Brandtjen, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Dallman, Dittrich, Duchow,
Edming, Gundrum, Kitchens, Kuglitsch, Loudenbeck, Moses, Mursau,
Petryk, Ramthun, Rozar, Snyder, Steffen, Tauchen, Thiesfeldt, Tusler,
VanderMeer, Wichgers and Zimmerman, cosponsored by Senators
Felzkowski, Darling, Bernier, Bradley, Feyen, Jagler, Stroebel and
Wimberger. Referred to Committee on Government Accountability and
Oversight.
AB378,1,2 1An Act to create 115.28 (13m) of the statutes; relating to: making school
2district and school financial information available to the public.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, this bill requires DPI to make detailed
information related to financial data that DPI collects from school districts and
county children with disabilities education boards available on a single web page,
also referred to as the financial information portal, in a format that allows the public
to download, sort, search, and access the information at no cost. The bill also requires
DPI to include on the financial information portal similar financial information it
collects from independent charter schools, to the extent doing so is feasible without
collecting any additional information from independent charter schools solely for
this purpose. Under the bill, DPI must annually update any information required
to be included on the financial information portal and annually conduct a public
information campaign about the availability of financial information on DPI's
Internet site.
The bill also creates a school district and school financial information
transparency advisory committee to advise DPI on the creation and design of the
financial information portal. Under the bill, the 11 members of the advisory
committee must be appointed by no later than 60 days after the bill becomes law. By
no later than April 15, 2023, the advisory committee must submit its advisory report
on the financial information portal to DPI. Under the bill, the advisory report must
include recommendations on various topics, including 1) the categories of
information that must be accessible on the financial information portal, 2) the

financial data that must be accessible to the public for each required category of
information, 3) whether DPI's existing hardware, software, data collection methods,
training, maintenance, communications, data security, and installation
specifications for reporting information are appropriate for the financial information
portal, and 4) the resources that are necessary to implement and maintain the
financial information portal, as recommended by the advisory committee.