School board policies on appropriate communication with pupils, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5409/1
FFK:skw

2025 SENATE BILL 673
November 20, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Quinn, Marklein and Nass, cosponsored by Representatives Nedweski, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Dittrich, Donovan, Duchow, Franklin, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Kitchens, Kreibich, Melotik, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Steffen and Tusler. Referred to Committee on Education.

An Act to amend 119.04 (1); to create 120.12 (30) of the statutes; relating to: school board policies on appropriate communication with pupils.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires each school board to adopt, by July 1, 2026, a policy on appropriate communications between employees or volunteers of the school district and pupils enrolled in the school district, pupils attending school that are not under the control of the school board, and pupils who are homeschooled. A school board must include in the policy consequences for employees or volunteers who violate the the policy. The bill requires that the policy apply to communications that occur during or outside of school hours. Finally, under the bill, the policy must include standards for appropriate content and methods of communication.
For further information see the local 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:
Section 1. 119.04 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act 42, is amended to read:

119.04 (1) Subchapters IV, V and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121 and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c), 66.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343, 115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 115.445, 118.001 to 118.04, 118.045, 118.06, 118.07, 118.075, 118.076, 118.10, 118.12, 118.124, 118.125 to 118.14, 118.145 (4), 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163, 118.164, 118.18, 118.19, 118.196, 118.20, 118.223, 118.225, 118.24 (1), (2) (c) to (f), (6), (8), and (10), 118.245, 118.25, 118.255, 118.291, 118.292, 118.293, 118.2935, 118.30 to 118.43, 118.46, 118.50, 118.51, 118.52, 118.53, 118.55, 118.56, 118.58, 120.12 (2m), (4m), (5), (15) to (27), and (29), and (30), 120.125, 120.13 (1), (2) (b) to (g), (3), (14), (17) to (19), (26), (34), (35), (37), (37m), and (38), 120.137, 120.14, 120.20, 120.21 (3), and 120.25 are applicable to a 1st class city school district and board but not, unless explicitly provided in this chapter or in the terms of a contract, to the commissioner or to any school transferred to an opportunity schools and partnership program.
Section 2. 120.12 (30) of the statutes is created to read:
120.12 (30) Communications between school district employees and pupils. By July 1, 2026, adopt a policy on appropriate communication between a school district employee or volunteer when acting in the individual’s official capacity and a pupil enrolled in the school district, attending a school that is not under the control of the school board, or attending a home-based private educational program. The school board shall include in the policy specific consequences for employees and volunteers who violate the policy. The school board shall specify that the policy under this subsection applies to communications that
occur during or outside of school hours and shall include in the policy under this subsection standards for all of the following:
(a) Appropriate content.
(b) Appropriate methods of communication.
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