Sen. Mark Spreitzer

Maddy summarySB 569 requires private schools participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program to implement each student's most recent individualized education program (IEP) or services plan, adjusted through agreement between the school and the student's parent. It also mandates that these schools share all IEP-related records with the student's public school district within 5 days of a formal request. The law directly affects private schools in the scholarship program, parents of students with disabilities, and public school districts seeking IEP documentation. These requirements will take effect for the 2026-27 school year. The bill focuses on ensuring consistent educational planning and record-sharing between private and public schools for scholarship program participants.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Wisconsin school boards to provide age-appropriate, medically accurate instruction on human growth and development in grades K-12, covering topics like puberty, reproductive anatomy, gender identity, and healthy relationships. It mandates that schools teach abstinence as the most reliable way to prevent pregnancy and STIs while also including information on contraceptives, consent, and digital safety. The legislation defines key terms such as "age-appropriate" and "medically accurate" to ensure content is scientifically based and recognized by leading health organizations. School boards must decide whether to separate students by gender during instruction and include specific subjects like enthusiastic consent and parental communication. The bill also connects marriage and parenting to parental responsibility while addressing bullying and stereotyping prevention.

Maddy summarySB 837 creates a new state grant program providing $1.6 million annually to counties and tribes for mental health treatment alternatives to prosecution and incarceration. It directly affects low-to-medium risk individuals with mental illness who interact with the criminal justice system, excluding violent offenders as defined by law. Key provisions require grantees to establish programs using restorative justice principles, integrate mental health services, and meet evidence-based treatment standards while tracking outcomes like reduced jail populations and recidivism. Grantees must submit annual reports on program impact to the Department of Justice and an oversight committee, with data shared monthly for state evaluation. The bill mandates collaboration between courts, prosecutors, public defenders, and health agencies to coordinate care and services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state grant program to help school districts pay student teachers an hourly wage of at least $15 for the hours they spend teaching in district schools. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school boards must compensate student teachers enrolled in approved teacher preparation programs, with the state reimbursing districts based on the number of hours taught. The legislation also gives the state department authority to create rules for administering the program and includes an appropriation to fund the payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts electricity used for charging electric vehicles at home from the state tax, specifically for Level 1 and Level 2 chargers installed at residences on or after March 22, 2024. The exemption applies retroactively to electricity delivered starting January 1, 2025. It does not apply to Level 3 chargers or commercial charging stations. The policy directly affects residential homeowners who install qualifying EV chargers.

Maddy summarySB 136 amends school bus lighting rules to allow painted school buses (per §347.44(1)) to use specific safety features. It permits one amber or white back-up lamp on each side (mounted near wheels, with downward light direction), front and rear illuminated signs (steady, non-glaring light), and LED strobe lights meeting SAE J845 Class II standards. These changes directly affect school bus manufacturers, school districts, and the Department of Transportation (which will set installation rules). The bill updates existing safety equipment requirements without creating new mandates, focusing solely on technical specifications for lighting and signage.

Maddy summaryThis bill's title claims to address LLC filing fees, but the provided text actually amends an unrelated education-related statute (183.0122) regarding student enrollment criteria. The bill text modifies a section defining where students must be enrolled to qualify for certain benefits, specifying they must be in a postsecondary institution, public/private/tribal high school, or home-based program in the state. The content does not relate to LLC fees or business filings as indicated in the title. The inconsistency between the title and the actual bill text suggests a potential error in the document provided.

Maddy summarySB 181 creates a levy limit exemption for local governments that fund regional emergency medical services (EMS). It allows counties or municipalities to count costs for regional EMS (via joint districts or agreements) toward their budget without triggering standard spending limits, provided the service area covers at least 232 square miles or 8+ municipalities. The bill requires that annual EMS funding increases stay within an inflation-adjusted cap (U.S. CPI plus 5%) and that the local government confirms a coordinated regional service area. This directly affects local governments operating regional EMS systems by making their funding more flexible under budget constraints. The exemption applies to costs for fire department-provided EMS and excludes these expenditures from standard spending limit calculations.

Maddy summarySB 392 requires all driver education courses to include specific safety instruction about school buses. It mandates teaching students how to properly cross in front of school buses, recognize school bus lights, and understand when drivers must stop for stopped school buses - including how road design affects these rules. This applies to all driver education courses starting on the bill's effective date. The law directly affects driver education curricula and students learning road safety.

Maddy summarySB 387 amends state license and ID laws to allow veterans to indicate their service status on driver's licenses or state ID cards. It defines eligible veterans as former U.S. armed forces members discharged honorably, or reserve/guard members who completed their service with honorable conditions. This change directly affects veterans applying for or renewing licenses/ID cards in this state. The bill updates specific sections of the law (343.14 and 343.17) to implement this requirement, with no new benefits or costs specified.