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AB485 • 2025

the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs

the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representatives Sortwell, Donovan, Brill, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Kreibich, Melotik, O'Connor and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Hutton, Jacque and Wanggaard
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
A - Education
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs

the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs Status: A - Education

What This Bill Does

  • the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs Status: A - Education

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Asm.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. 2025-10-09 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Sortwell , Donovan , Brill , Dittrich , Goeben , Green , B. Jacobson , Knodl , Kreibich , Melotik , O'Connor and Wichgers ; cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara , Hutton , Jacque and Wanggaard

  3. 2025-10-09 Asm.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil applications to participate in parental choice programs
Status: A - Education

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB485: Bill Text

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Proposal Text
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AB485: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0333/1
FFK:emw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 485
October 9, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Sortwell
,
Donovan
,
Brill
,
Dittrich
,
Goeben
,
Green
,
B. Jacobson
,
Knodl
,
Kreibich
,
Melotik
,
O'Connor
and
Wichgers
, cosponsored by Senators
Cabral-Guevara
,
Hutton
,
Jacque
and
Wanggaard
. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB485,1,4
1
An Act

to create
118.60 (3) (e) and 119.23 (3) (c) of the statutes;
relating to:

2
the pupil application process to attend a private school under a parental choice
3
program and modifying and creating administrative rules related to pupil
4
applications to participate in parental choice programs.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under this bill, for purposes of determining whether a pupil is eligible to continue participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the Racine Parental Choice Program, or the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (parental choice program), the Department of Public Instruction is prohibited from requiring documentation to verify the pupil’s residence unless the pupil’s residence has changed since documentation was last used to verify the pupil’s residence. The bill also updates DPI’s administrative rules related to pupil eligibility for the parental choice programs to be consistent with changes made in the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB485,1
5
Section
1
.
118.60 (3) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
AB485,2,5
1
118.60
(3)
(e) For a pupil who attended a participating private school under
2
this section in a school year and applies to attend a participating private school
3
under this section in the following school year, the department may not require
4
documentation to verify the pupil’s residence unless the pupil’s residence has
5
changed since the pupil’s residence was last verified using documentation.
AB485,2
6
Section
2
.
119.23 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB485,2,11
7
119.23
(3)
(c) For a pupil who attended a participating private school under
8
this section in a school year and applies to attend a participating private school
9
under this section in the following school year, the department may not require
10
documentation to verify the pupil’s residence unless the pupil’s residence has
11
changed since the pupil’s residence was last verified using documentation.
AB485,3
12
Section
3
.
PI 35.05 (2) of the administrative code is amended to read:
AB485,2,23
13
PI 35.05
(2)

Residency eligibility
. A school shall obtain one of the residency
14
documents specified by the department from an applicant’s parent that shows the
15
applicant resides at the address on the application at the time of application. The
16
residency document shall be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to the start of the
17
open application period in which an applicant applies. If a school receives a lease
18
agreement as a residency document, the lease term shall include the date the
19
application was received. The document shall contain the parent name and match
20
the address on the application.
This subsection does not apply to an applicant who
21
attended a school under the choice program and who applies to attend a school in
22
the choice program in the following school year unless the applicant’s residence has
23
changed since the applicant’s residence was last verified under this subsection
.
AB485,4
1
Section
4
.
PI 35.05 (3) of the administrative code is renumbered PI 35.05 (3)
2
(a) and amended to read:
AB485,3,7
3
PI 35.05
(3)
(a)
A

For an applicant who is required to submit documentation
4
under sub. (2), a
school shall verify that the address on a pupil’s application is in the
5
city of Milwaukee by using the city of Milwaukee assessor website, the state of
6
Wisconsin’s Statewide Voter Registration System or any other source permitted by
7
the department.
AB485,5
8
Section
5
.
PI 35.05 (3) (b) of the administrative code is created to read:
AB485,3,11
9
PI 35.05
(3)
(b) For an applicant who is not required to submit documentation
10
under sub. (2), a school may use the verification process under par. (a) to verify the
11
applicant’s current address as listed on the application.
AB485,6
12
Section
6
.
PI 48.05 (2) of the administrative code is amended to read:
AB485,3,23
13
PI 48.05
(2)

Residency eligibility
. A school shall obtain one of the residency
14
documents specified by the department from an applicant’s parent that shows the
15
applicant resides at the address on the application at the time of application. The
16
residency document shall be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to the start of the
17
open application period in which an applicant applies. If a school receives a lease
18
agreement as a residency document, the lease term shall include the date the
19
application was received. The document shall contain the parent name and match
20
the address on the application.
This subsection does not apply to an applicant who
21
attended a school under a choice program and who applies to attend a school in a
22
choice program in the following school year unless the applicant’s residence has
23
changed since the applicant’s residence was last verified under this subsection
.
AB485,7
1
Section
7
.
PI 48.05 (3) of the administrative code is renumbered PI 48.05 (3)
2
(am), and PI 48.05 (3) (am) (intro.), as renumbered, is amended to read:
AB485,4,5
3
PI 48.05
(3)
(am) (intro.)
A

For an applicant who is required to submit
4
documentation under sub. (2), a
school shall verify
an

the
applicant’s address listed
5
on the residency documentation under sub. (2) as follows:
AB485,8
6
Section
8
.
PI 48.05 (3) (bm) of the administrative code is created to read:
AB485,4,9
7
PI 48.05
(3)
(bm) For an applicant who is not required to submit
8
documentation under sub. (2), a school may use the verification process under par.
9
(am) to verify the applicant’s current address as listed on the application.
AB485,9
10
Section
9
. Initial applicability.
AB485,4,12
11
(
1
) This act first applies to applications submitted to attend a private school
12
participating in a parental choice program in the 2026-27 school year.
AB485,4,13
13
(end)

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