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SB604: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4237/1
FFK:cdc
2025 SENATE BILL 604
October 30, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
Keyeski
,
Larson
,
Carpenter
,
Hesselbein
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Ratcliff
,
Roys
and
Spreitzer
, cosponsored by Representatives
Fitzgerald
,
Sheehan
,
Neubauer
,
Anderson
,
Clancy
,
DeSmidt
,
Joers
,
Johnson
,
Kirsch
,
Madison
,
Miresse
,
Roe
,
Sinicki
,
Tenorio
and
Udell
. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB604,1,8
1
An Act
to amend
115.28 (7) (b), 118.19 (1), 118.19 (1b), 118.19 (1c) (b) (intro.),
2
118.19 (3) (a), 118.19 (3) (b), 118.19 (10) (b) 1., 118.191 (2) (a), 118.191 (2) (b),
3
118.191 (2m), 118.191 (3), 118.191 (4), 118.192 (4), 118.60 (2) (a) 6. a., 118.60
4
(2) (a) 6. b., 119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. and 119.23 (2) (a) 6. b.;
to create
115.7915 (2) (i),
5
118.60 (2) (a) 6m., 118.60 (2) (c) 3., 118.60 (2) (c) 4., 119.23 (2) (a) 6m., 119.23
6
(2) (c) 3. and 119.23 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes;
relating to:
teacher and
7
administrator licensure in parental choice programs and in the Special Needs
8
Scholarship Program and granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
With certain exceptions, this bill requires that, beginning on July 1, 2027, teachers and administrators at private schools participating in a parental choice program or in the Special Needs Scholarship Program must hold a license or permit issued by the Department of Public Instruction. Under current law, teachers and administrators at choice schools must have at least a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education, but they are not required to be licensed by DPI. There are no current law requirements regarding who may teach or be employed as an administrator at SNSP schools.
The bill provides an exception for a teacher who teaches only courses in rabbinical studies and for an administrator at a private school that prepares and trains pupils attending the private school in rabbinical studies. In addition, the bill provides a grace period for a teacher or administrator who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the five consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2027, which allows the teacher or administrator to apply for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver of the licensure requirement. An applicant for a waiver must submit a plan for becoming licensed as required under the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB604,1
1
Section
1
.
115.28 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,2,12
2
115.28
(7)
(b) Subject to the same rules and laws concerning qualifications of
3
applicants and granting and revocation of licenses or certificates under par. (a), the
4
state superintendent shall grant certificates and licenses to teachers in private
5
schools and tribal schools, except that teaching experience requirements for such
6
certificates and licenses may be fulfilled by teaching experience in public, private,
7
or tribal schools. An applicant is not eligible for a license or certificate unless the
8
state superintendent finds that the private school or tribal school in which the
9
applicant taught offered an adequate educational program during the period of the
10
applicant’s teaching therein.
Private
Except as provided under ss. 115.7915 (2) (i),
11
118.60 (2) (a) 6m., and 119.23 (2) (a) 6m., private
schools are not obligated to employ
12
only licensed or certified teachers.
SB604,2
13
Section
2
.
115.7915 (2) (i) of the statutes is created to read:
SB604,3,3
14
115.7915
(2)
(i) 1. Except as provided in subd. 3., beginning on July 1, 2027,
15
all of the eligible school’s teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the
1
department, except that a teacher employed by the eligible school who teaches only
2
courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach
3
issued by the department.
SB604,3,5
4
2. Except as provided in subd. 3., beginning on July 1, 2027, all of the eligible
5
school’s administrators have an administrator’s license issued by the department.
SB604,3,15
6
3. Any teacher or administrator employed by the eligible school on July 1,
7
2027, who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5
8
consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2027, and who does not satisfy the
9
requirements under subd. 1. or 2. on July 1, 2027, applies to the department on a
10
form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the
11
requirements under subd. 1. or 2. The department shall promulgate rules to
12
implement this subdivision, including the form of the application and the process by
13
which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require
14
the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 1. No
15
waiver granted under this subdivision is valid after July 1, 2032.
SB604,3
16
Section
3
.
118.19 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,3,22
17
118.19
(1)
Except as provided in subs. (1b) and (1c) and s. 118.40 (8) (b) 1. and
18
2., any person seeking to teach in a public school, including a charter school,
or
in a
19
school or institution operated by a county or the state
, in a private school
20
participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or in a private
21
school participating in the program under s. 115.7915
shall first procure a license
22
or permit from the department.
SB604,4
23
Section
4
.
118.19 (1b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,4,6
1
118.19
(1b)
An individual may teach an online course in a subject and level in
2
a public school, including a charter school,
in a private school participating in a
3
parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or in a private school
4
participating in the program under s. 115.7915
without a license or permit from the
5
department if the individual holds a valid license or permit to teach the subject and
6
level in the state from which the online course is provided.
SB604,5
7
Section
5
.
118.19 (1c) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,4,14
8
118.19
(1c)
(b) (intro.) A faculty member of an institution of higher education
9
may teach in a public high school, including a charter school that operates only high
10
school grades,
in a private school participating in a parental choice program under
11
s. 118.60 or 119.23 that operates only high school grades, or in a private school
12
participating in the program under s. 115.7915 that operates only high school
13
grades
without a license or permit from the department if the faculty member
14
satisfies all of the following:
SB604,6
15
Section
6
.
118.19 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,5,16
16
118.19
(3)
(a) No license to teach in any
public
school may be issued unless the
17
applicant possesses a bachelor’s degree including such professional training as the
18
department by rule requires, except as permitted under par. (b) and ss. 115.28 (17)
19
(a), 118.191, 118.1915, 118.192, 118.193, 118.194, and 118.197. Notwithstanding s.
20
36.11 (16), no teacher preparatory program in this state may be approved by the
21
state superintendent under s. 115.28 (7) (a), unless each student in the program is
22
required to complete student teaching consisting of full days for a full semester
23
following the daily schedule and semester calendar of the cooperating school or the
1
equivalent, as determined by the state superintendent. No license to teach in any
2
public
school may be granted to an applicant who completed a professional training
3
program outside this state unless the applicant completed student teaching
4
consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedule and semester
5
calendar of the cooperating school or the equivalent, as determined by the state
6
superintendent. The state superintendent may grant exceptions to the student
7
teaching requirements under this paragraph when the midyear calendars of the
8
institution offering the teacher preparatory program and the cooperating school
9
differ from each other and would prevent students from attending classes at the
10
institution in accordance with the institution’s calendar. The state superintendent
11
shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. If for the purpose of granting
12
a license to teach or for approving a teacher preparatory program the state
13
superintendent requires that an institution of higher education be accredited, the
14
state superintendent shall accept accreditation by a regional or national
15
institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department of education or
16
by a programmatic accrediting organization.
SB604,7
17
Section
7
.
118.19 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,6,4
18
118.19
(3)
(b) The state superintendent shall permanently certify any
19
applicant to teach Wisconsin native American languages and culture who has
20
successfully completed the university of Wisconsin-Milwaukee school of education
21
approved Wisconsin native American languages and culture project certification
22
program at any time between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 1977.
School
23
districts shall
A school district, the governing body of a private school participating
1
in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or the governing body of a
2
private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 may
not assign
3
individuals certified under this paragraph to teach courses other than Wisconsin
4
native American languages and culture
,
unless they qualify under par. (a).
SB604,8
5
Section
8
.
118.19 (10) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,6,9
6
118.19
(10)
(b) 1. Conduct a background investigation of each applicant for
7
issuance or renewal of a license or permit, including a license or permit issued to a
8
pupil services professional, and for a faculty member seeking to teach in a
public
9
high school without a license or permit.
SB604,9
10
Section
9
.
118.191 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,6,20
11
118.191
(2)
(a) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall
12
grant an initial teaching license to teach a technical education subject to an
13
individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at
14
least 100 points on the point system under sub. (5), of which at least 25 points are
15
from sub. (5) (a) 1. and at least 25 points are from sub. (5) (a) 2., and who agrees to
16
complete during the term of the license a curriculum determined by the school
17
board of the school district
, by the governing body of the private school participating
18
in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of
19
the private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915
in which the
20
individual will teach.
SB604,10
21
Section
10
.
118.191 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,7,8
22
118.191
(2)
(b) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall
23
grant an initial teaching license to teach a vocational education subject to an
1
individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at
2
least 100 points on the point system under sub. (5m), of which at least 25 points are
3
from sub. (5m) (a) 1. and at least 25 points are from sub. (5m) (a) 2., and who agrees
4
to complete during the term of the license a curriculum determined by the school
5
board of the school district
, by the governing body of the private school participating
6
in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of
7
the private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915
in which the
8
individual will teach.
SB604,11
9
Section
11
.
118.191 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,7,13
10
118.191
(2m)
An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) authorizes an
11
individual to teach only in the school district controlled by the school board
, or in
12
the private school controlled by the governing body,
that determined the curriculum
13
the individual agreed to complete in order to qualify for the initial teaching license.
SB604,12
14
Section
12
.
118.191 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,7,18
15
118.191
(3)
An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is valid for 3
16
years. An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is void if the license holder
17
ceases to be employed as a teacher in the school district
or private school
in which
18
the license holder is authorized to teach under sub. (2m).
SB604,13
19
Section
13
.
118.191 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,8,7
20
118.191
(4)
Upon the expiration of the 3-year term of an initial teaching
21
license issued under sub. (2), the department shall issue to the license holder a
22
professional teaching license to teach the technical education subject or vocational
23
education subject if the individual successfully completed the curriculum that the
1
individual agreed to under sub. (2), as determined by the school board of the school
2
district
, by the governing body of the private school participating in a parental
3
choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private
4
school participating in the program under s. 115.7915
that established the
5
curriculum. The department shall indicate on a professional teaching license
6
issued under this subsection that the license was obtained under the experience-
7
based licensure program under this section.
SB604,14
8
Section
14
.
118.192 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,8,12
9
118.192
(4)
A school board
or private school participating in a parental choice
10
program under s. 118.60 or 119.23
that employs a person who holds a professional
11
teaching permit shall ensure that no regularly licensed teacher is removed from his
12
or her position as a result of the employment of persons holding permits.
SB604,15
13
Section
15
.
118.60 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,8,18
14
118.60
(2)
(a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c. and d., all of the private
15
school’s teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor’s
16
degree or a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor’s degree,
17
including a
masters
master’s
or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited
18
institution of higher education.
This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2027.
SB604,16
19
Section
16
.
118.60 (2) (a) 6. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,8,23
20
118.60
(2)
(a) 6. b. All of the private school’s administrators have at least a
21
bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher
22
education or a teaching license or administrator’s license issued by the department.
23
This subd. 6. b. does not apply after June 30, 2027.
SB604,17
1
Section
17
.
118.60 (2) (a) 6m. of the statutes is created to read:
SB604,9,4
2
118.60
(2)
(a) 6m. a. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1,
3
2027, all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by
4
the department.
SB604,9,7
5
b. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2027, all of the
6
private school’s administrators have an administrator’s license issued by the
7
department.
SB604,9,17
8
c. Any teacher or administrator employed by the private school on July 1,
9
2027, who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5
10
consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2027, and who does not satisfy the
11
requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. on July 1, 2027, applies to the department on
12
a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the
13
requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. The department shall promulgate rules to
14
implement this subd. 6m. c., including the form of the application and the process
15
by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall
16
require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd.
17
6m. a. or b. No waiver granted under this subd. 6m. c. is valid after July 1, 2032.
SB604,18
18
Section
18
.
118.60 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
SB604,9,22
19
118.60
(2)
(c) 3. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., a teacher employed by a private
20
school participating in the program under this section who teaches only courses in
21
rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the
22
department.
SB604,19
23
Section
19
.
118.60 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB604,10,4
1
118.60
(2)
(c) 4. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., an administrator of a private
2
school participating in the program under this section that prepares and trains
3
pupils attending the school in rabbinical studies is not required to hold an
4
administrator’s license issued by the department.
SB604,20
5
Section
20
.
119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB604,10,10
6
119.23
(2)
(a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c., all of the private school’s
7
teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor’s degree or
8
a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor’s degree, including a
9
masters
master’s
or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution
10
of higher education.
This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2027.
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