Including information about investigations of license holders in an online licensing portal maintained by the Department of Public Instruction, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5668/1
FFK:skw

2025 SENATE BILL 785
December 22, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Jagler, Quinn, Wanggaard, Jacque and Nass, cosponsored by Representatives Gustafson, Goeben, Penterman, Tusler, B. Jacobson, O'Connor, Dittrich, Green, Maxey, Kreibich and Murphy. Referred to Committee on Education.

An Act to amend 115.31 (6) (b) and 115.31 (6) (c); to create 115.28 (7) (i) of the statutes; relating to: including information about investigations of license holders in an online licensing portal maintained by the Department of Public Instruction.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the state superintendent of public instruction to maintain on the Department of Public Instruction’s website an online licensing portal that is searchable by the public at no cost. Under the bill, the portal must include information related to license holders who are investigated by DPI. Specifically, the portal must include for each license holder who is under investigation 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. The portal must also include the name of each individual whose license is revoked by DPI.
Under current law, DPI must post on its website the name of each license holder who is under investigation and the name of each individual whose license is revoked by DPI as the result of an investigation.
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:

Section 1. 115.28 (7) (i) of the statutes is created to read:
115.28 (7) (i) Maintain on the department’s website an online licensing portal that allows the public to search and access license information by name and license number at no cost and includes all of the following:
1. The name of each license holder who is under investigation under s. 115.31 (6) or s. PI 34.100, Wis. Adm. Code.
2. If a license holder is investigated under s. 115.31 (6) or s. PI 34.100, Wis. Adm. Code., the outcome of the investigation, including if an investigation was terminated because the license holder voluntarily surrendered the license during the investigation.
3. The name of each individual whose license is revoked by the department.
Section 2. 115.31 (6) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.31 (6) (b) Upon receiving a report under sub. (3) relating to a person licensed by the state superintendent, the state superintendent shall investigate to determine whether to initiate revocation proceedings. The state superintendent shall post on the department’s Internet site include in the online licensing portal under s. 115.28 (7) (i) the name of the licensee who is under investigation. During the investigation the state superintendent shall keep confidential all information pertaining to the investigation except the fact that an investigation is being conducted and the date of the revocation hearing.
Section 3. 115.31 (6) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.31 (6) (c) The department shall maintain a record of all investigations
conducted under par. (b) that indicates the name of the licensee, the date the investigation began, the reason for the investigation, and the result of the investigation. Whenever an investigation results in the revocation of a license, the department shall post on its Internet site include in the online licensing portal under s. 115.28 (7) (i) the name of the person whose license was revoked.
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