Friday, April 3, 2026 - Signed into Law

SB-785 DPI Licensing Portal (Jagler, John) Including information about investigations of license holders in an online licensing portal maintained by the Department of Public Instruction. Signed (Act 185)

• Requires the state superintendent to maintain a free, searchable online licensing portal on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) website that includes information related to license holders whose licenses are revoked and who are investigated by DPI; and  

• Outlines that the portal must include the name of the license holder and the outcome of the investigation, including if the investigation was terminated because the license holder voluntarily surrendered the license during the investigation. 

• This bill enhances the safety of all K-12 pupils by ensuring individuals who have their license revoked or are under investigation can be more easily identified by the public and future employers. 

AB-530 Drone Operation (Kitchens, Joel) The operation of drones over school property and providing a penalty. Signed (Act 189)

• Prohibits the operation of a drone over a property owned by a public, private, or Tribal school or a property where a public, private, or Tribal school is located and creates a penalty; and 

• Creates exceptions for drone operations at the direction of a sheriff or chief of a public protection service agency that has jurisdiction over the territory or with the expressed authorization of the governing entity of the school. 

AB-1004, Prohibiting education employers from entering into certain agreements, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 186:

• Prohibits a school board, governing body of a charter school, or governing body of a private school participating in a parental choice program or the Special Needs Scholarship program from entering into any agreement that:  

  • Suppresses or destroys information related to immoral conduct by an employee;  

  • Impacts the ability to report immoral conduct; or  

  • Requires substantiated allegation or finding of immoral conduct be expunged from documents.  

• Provides civil liability immunity to an education employer that provides information on current or past employee conduct at the request of a prospective employer. 

Vetoed

AB-750 Technical College Admission (Dittrich, Barbara) Admission of students to technical college programs. Vetoed (Link)

AB-582 Dual Enrollment (Murphy, Dave) Dual enrollment programs, creating the Council on Dual Enrollment, and transfer of postsecondary course credits. Vetoed (Link)

AB-460 Parental Choice (Duchow, Cindi) Pupil eligibility for parental choice programs based upon participation by a sibling or a dependent child of the pupil's parent or guardian. Vetoed (Link)

SB-699 Pupil Transport (LeMahieu, Devin) Alternative methods of providing pupil transportation services. Vetoed (Link)

SB-389 School Revenue Limits (Kapenga, Chris) The per pupil adjustment for school district revenue limits. Vetoed (Link)

Thursday, April 2, 2026 - Signed into Law

SB-391 School Bus Equipment (James, Jesse) Equipment of school buses with audiovisual recording devices. Signed (Act 160)

• Allows for the use of audiovisual recording devices on school buses with the approval of the school board or the governing body of a private school, a Tribal school, or a charter school authorized under s. 118.40(2r) or (2x) to provide a safe environment on school buses for students; 

• Requires notice of the policy allowing audiovisual recording devices to be provided to parents and students, as well as posted clearly in the bus; and 

• Stipulates that recordings made shall remain confidential and may be used by only school officials and law enforcement personnel for investigations, school disciplinary actions, and criminal prosecution related to incidents occurring in or around the bus. 

Vetoed

‍ ‍Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address, Celebrates Vetoing Bill to Require Wisconsin to Opt Into Nationwide Expansion of Private Voucher Schools Under ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ Slams Republican Attacks on Public Education in America - Veto Message for Assembly Bill 602.

‍ ‍Press Release: Gov. Evers Vetoes Bill Requiring Wisconsin to Opt Into Nationwide Expansion of Private Voucher Schools Under ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ Slams Republican Attacks on Public Education in America

WISCONSIN EXAMINER - Gov. Tony Evers vetoes Wisconsin participation in federal school choice tax credit program

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - Vetoed

AB-103 School Policies (Dittrich, Barbara) School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns. Vetoed (Link)

AB-100 Athletic Sports (Dittrich, Barbara) Designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex of the participants. Vetoed (Link)

Friday, March 27, 2026 - Signed into Law

AB-933DPI Remedial Legislation (Allen, Scott) Updating references to PI 34 of the administrative code and eliminating an obsolete grandfather provision related to a license to teach industrial arts (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Public Instruction). Signed (Act 136)

• Removes cross-references that no longer exist in Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction administrative rules due to 2018 modifications and removes a grandfather provision that applied to individuals who taught industrial arts 90 years ago.

Vetoed

AB-663UW System (Dallman, Alex) Imposing certain prohibitions on foreign influence at University of Wisconsin System institutions. Vetoed (Link)

AB-614Teacher Authority (Goeben, Joy) A teacher’s authority to manage the teacher’s class, parental notification of disruptive or violent behavior at school, and a school district’s code of conduct. Vetoed (Link)

AB-518Substitute Teaching (Penterman, William) Allowing individuals who hold a substitute teaching permit to substitute teach at private schools participating in a parental choice program. Vetoed (Link)

AB-457Revenue Limits (Nedweski, Amanda) The conditions under which a school district may adopt a resolution to exceed its revenue limit. Vetoed (Link)

SB-432Mandatory Reporting (Quinn, Romaine) Mandatory reporting requirements and referring cases of threatened or suspected child abuse to law enforcement. Vetoed (Link)

Friday, March 20, 2026 - Vetoed

SB-652 Higher Ed Programs (Wimberger, Eric) Race-based higher education programs and requirements. Vetoed (Link)

SB-532 UW Fees (Hutton, Rob) Course fees at University of Wisconsin System institutions. Vetoed (Link)

SB-498 UW Free Speech (Cabral-Guevara, Rachael) Free speech and academic freedom at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, due process in disciplinary proceedings at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, and causes of action against the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and technical college district boards. Vetoed (Link)

Friday, March 13, 2026 - Signed into Law

AB-592Teacher Development (Franklin, Benjamin) Professional development for science teachers. Signed (Act 95)

SB-920 Health care providers providing excused absences under the compulsory school attendance law. Signed (Act 101)

Vetoed:

AB-614 A teacher’s authority to manage the teacher’s class, parental notification of disruptive or violent behavior at school, and a school district’s code of conduct. Veto Message

AB-518Allowing individuals who hold a substitute teaching permit to substitute teach at private schools participating in a parental choice program. Veto Message

AB-457 The conditions under which a school district may adopt a resolution to exceed its revenue limit. Veto Message

SB-016 Participation in interscholastic athletics and application of the public records and open meetings laws to interscholastic athletic associations. Veto Message

SB-652 Race-based higher education programs and requirements. Veto Message

Today, we will have 74 different referendum questions across 72 school districts. 56 referenda will request non-recurring authority to increase the district’s revenue limit. Six will seek recurring authority. 12 capital referenda on the ballot statewide. Most recent available data from DPI’s website.

Link to all referendums.

NREA Celebrates a Successful Hill Day 2026

Each year, NREA affiliates join together for Hill Day in Washington, DC, to advocate for the issues impacting rural communities. In 2026, over 20 advocates made the journey, and together we visited over 60 congressional offices to speak on rural issues. 

The morning began with policy briefings from T-Mobile, the US Department of Education, the Coalition for Education Funding, the National Grange, AASA, and BASIC. Then our advocates dispersed to speak with their state representatives.

Our messaging changes each year to represent the current issues most impacting rural schools. This year, we focused on the following issues
(click any to view the full one-page summary):

• Fully Funding IDEA

• Cybersecurity and Broadband

• Prioritizing Health and Wellness

• Federal School Tax Credit

• Title I and CTE

• Investing in Educators: Title II

“NREA Hill Day reflects the strength of rural advocacy in action. Our members showed up prepared, informed, and committed to ensuring that the needs and lived experiences of rural schools were clearly represented in conversations with congressional offices and in the national education agenda.”

NREA Partners with Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation and Fight Child Abuse to Bring Student Safety Educational Materials to Rural Schools Nationwide - National Rural Education Association

      The Foundation provides no-cost programming for schools centered on child abuse prevention and awareness — content that is research-backed, age-appropriate, and ready to use.  Mike Nelson is Vice President of Education and Strategic Partnerships for the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation, in partnership with Terry Theron from Wonder Media. 

      Feel free to forward this media information to your school counselors or School Psychologist for review. Review all media programming with your local policies. Click here to view the resources.