Barbara Dittrich, Wisconsin State Representative for 99th District | https://www.facebook.com
Barbara Dittrich, Wisconsin State Representative for 99th District | https://www.facebook.com
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "school board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates that by July 1, 2026, school boards must establish policies concerning the conditions under which a pupil's legal name and pronouns can be changed in official school records. It requires that initial decisions be made by school principals, who can approve changes only upon receiving legal documentation or an affidavit confirming the name change is not for fraudulent purposes. For minor pupils, parents or guardians must be informed and allowed to submit additional documentation before a decision is made. The bill also outlines a process for appealing any denials. Additionally, it requires that a policy on name and pronoun usage be enacted, stipulating that only parentally approved names and pronouns may be used by staff, aligning with the pupil's biological sex unless written consent allows otherwise. The bill emphasizes that these policies should not conflict with the rights of pupils, parents, or guardians under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The bill was co-authored by Senator André Jacque (Republican-1st District), Representative Joy L. Goeben (Republican-5th District), Representative Brent Jacobson (Republican-87th District), Representative Rob Kreibich (Republican-28th District), Representative Dave Maxey (Republican-83rd District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), along three other co-sponsors.
Barbara Dittrich has co-authored or authored another 63 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Dittrich, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 99th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Cindi Duchow.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB103 | 03/04/2025 | School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns |
| AB102 | 03/03/2025 | Designating University of Wisconsin and technical college sports and athletic teams based on the sex of the participants |
| AB100 | 03/03/2025 | Designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex of the participants |
| AB71 | 02/24/2025 | School district operating referenda |
| AB68 | 02/24/2025 | The prescription drug monitoring program. (FE) |
| AB63 | 02/24/2025 | Financing the operating costs and certain out-of-state projects of nonprofit institutions and compensation of employees of the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority. (FE) |
| AB61 | 02/24/2025 | Injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty |
| AB44 | 02/17/2025 | Allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records |
| AB9 | 02/06/2025 | Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property |
| AB5 | 02/03/2025 | Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents |
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