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AB497 • 2025

application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs

application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs

Education
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representatives Cruz, Sheehan, Arney, Bare, Clancy, Fitzgerald, Joers, Madison, Palmeri, Phelps, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spaude, Stroud and Tenorio, cosponsored by Senators Larson, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith and Spreitzer
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.

application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs

application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs Status: A - Education

What This Bill Does

  • application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school 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. 2025-10-10 Asm.

    Representative Subeck added as a coauthor

  3. 2025-10-09 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Cruz , Sheehan , Arney , Bare , Clancy , Fitzgerald , Joers , Madison , Palmeri , Phelps , Sinicki , Snodgrass , Spaude , Stroud and Tenorio ; cosponsored by Senators Larson , Carpenter , Dassler-Alfheim , Keyeski , Pfaff , Ratcliff , Roys , Smith and Spreitzer

  4. 2025-10-09 Asm.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

application of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private schools participating in school choice programs
Status: A - Education

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB497: Bill Text

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Proposal Text
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AB497: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-3065/1
MPG:cdc
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 497
October 9, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Cruz
,
Sheehan
,
Arney
,
Bare
,
Clancy
,
Fitzgerald
,
Joers
,
Madison
,
Palmeri
,
Phelps
,
Sinicki
,
Snodgrass
,
Spaude
,
Stroud
and
Tenorio
, cosponsored by Senators
Larson
,
Carpenter
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Keyeski
,
Pfaff
,
Ratcliff
,
Roys
,
Smith
and
Spreitzer
. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB497,1,4
1
An Act

to amend
19.32 (1) and 19.82 (1);
to create
19.36 (17), 115.7915 (6) (L),
2
118.60 (2) (a) 10. and 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes;
relating to:
application
3
of the public records and open meetings laws to charter schools and private
4
schools participating in school choice programs.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides that charter schools and private schools participating in a parental choice program are subject to the state’s public records and open meetings laws. The bill includes an exemption from disclosure under the public records law for records concerning individual pupils that are maintained by such a school.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB497,1
5
Section
1
.
19.32 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB497,2,11
6
19.32
(1)
“Authority” means any of the following having custody of a record: a
7
state or local office, elective official, agency, board, commission, committee, council,
1
department or public body corporate and politic created by the constitution or by
2
any law, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental
3
corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation; a
4
special purpose district; any court of law; the assembly or senate; a nonprofit
5
corporation which receives more than 50 percent of its funds from a county or a
6
municipality, as defined in s. 59.001 (3), and which provides services related to
7
public health or safety to the county or municipality; a university police department
8
under s. 175.42;
a charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1), regardless of whether
9
the charter school is or is determined to be an instrumentality of a school district
10
under s. 118.40 (7); a private school participating in a program under s. 115.7915,
11
118.60, or 119.23;
or a formally constituted subunit of any of the foregoing.
AB497,2
12
Section
2
.
19.36 (17) of the statutes is created to read:
AB497,2,16
13
19.36
(17)

Certain pupil records.
Records concerning an individual pupil
14
maintained by an authority that is a charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1), or
15
that is a private school participating in a program under s. 115.7915, 118.60, or
16
119.23, are not subject to the right of inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1).
AB497,3
17
Section
3
.
19.82 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB497,3,6
18
19.82
(1)
“Governmental body” means a state or local agency, board,
19
commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic
20
created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-
21
governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment
22
corporation; a local exposition district under subch. II of ch. 229; a long-term care
23
district under s. 46.2895;
a charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1), regardless of
1
whether the charter school is or is determined to be an instrumentality of a school
2
district under s. 118.40 (7); a private school participating in a program under s.
3
115.7915, 118.60, or 119.23;
or a formally constituted subunit of any of the
4
foregoing, but excludes any such body or committee or subunit of such body which is
5
formed for or meeting for the purpose of collective bargaining under subch. I, IV, or
6
V of ch. 111.
AB497,4
7
Section

4
.
115.7915 (6) (L) of the statutes is created to read:
AB497,3,8
8
115.7915
(6)
(L) Comply with subchs. II and V of ch. 19.
AB497,5
9
Section

5
.
118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
AB497,3,10
10
118.60
(2)
(a) 10. The private school complies with subchs. II and V of ch. 19.
AB497,6
11
Section

6
.
119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
AB497,3,12
12
119.23
(2)
(a) 10. The private school complies with subchs. II and V of ch. 19.
AB497,3,13
13
(end)

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