Green Bay Reporter

A new bill authored by State Rep. Elijah R. Behnke in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to ensure parents are promptly informed about credible reports of sexual misconduct by school staff members, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (FE)".

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 each school board, private school governing body, and charter school operator in Wisconsin notify the parents or guardians of a student if a credible report of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member is received, with the student identified as an alleged victim, target, or recipient. The notification must occur no later than the end of the day the report is received. The bill also specifies that such reports are considered received when they reach certain administrative figures, including assistant principals and superintendents. Furthermore, school boards are required to annually inform parents and guardians about accessing records related to school employee discipline under public records law. The act first applies to reports received on its effective date.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District), Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Brent Jacobson (Republican-87th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), along 11 other co-sponsors.

Elijah R. Behnke has co-authored or authored another 37 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Behnke graduated from Toccoa Falls College in 2005 with an AA.

Behnke, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 6th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Peter Schmidt.

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
AB74	02/28/2025	Parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (FE)
AB66	02/24/2025	Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes
AB64	02/24/2025	An income tax subtraction for certain expenses paid by a school teacher. (FE)
AB42	02/17/2025	Local regulation of fowl
AB38	02/17/2025	An income tax exemption for cash tips paid to an employee. (FE)
AB36	02/17/2025	Law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE)
AB30	02/17/2025	Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state
AB26	02/17/2025	Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty
AB18	02/06/2025	Fee waivers for state park vehicle admission receipts to pupils with Every Kid Outdoors passes. (FE)
AB4	02/03/2025	Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE)
AB3	02/03/2025	Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)