WisconsinSchools would assign sports teams by participants’ biological sex
If approved, public, charter, and participating private schools would set sports and locker-room access by biological sex and offer some listed accommodations and exceptions.
What it does
Public, charter, and participating private schools would label sports as for males, females, or both, and would bar male pupils from teams designated for females.
Female pupils and schools could seek court orders or damages for specified harms tied to the sports restrictions, including retaliation or outside penalties.
Schools would reserve each locker room for one biological sex, with listed work and emergency exceptions and reasonable alternatives for pupils who submit written accommodation requests.
Argument forClear team labels and locker-room rules could give schools a consistent way to manage sports participation and changing areas.
Argument againstThe rules could prevent some pupils from joining teams they seek and require schools to handle accommodation requests and multiple exceptions.
More detail
Schools would label each athletic team or sport as for males, females, or both, based on participants’ biological sex. The rule would cover interscholastic, intramural, and club sports operated or sponsored by public schools, charter schools, and private schools in specified parental-choice programs. Biological sex would mean being male or female at birth as shown on the person’s original birth certificate. A pupil identified as male at birth could not participate on a team designated for females. Schools would have to give written notice to eligible pupils and their parents or guardians before changing a team’s designation.
Certain pupils and schools would be allowed to sue for court orders, money damages, and other legal relief. Female pupils could sue over lost sports opportunities, harm, retaliation, or other adverse action after reporting a violation. Schools could sue over harm caused by public agencies, accrediting bodies, or sports organizations. A pupil’s claim would require a covered sports violation or retaliation connected to reporting one. A school’s claim would require direct or indirect harm resulting from complying with the sports restriction.
Schools would assign each locker room to the exclusive use of people of one biological sex and provide reasonable alternatives after a written request. The rule would cover locker rooms, including shower rooms, in public, charter, and participating private schools. Schools could temporarily switch a locker room’s designation for a special event, but it would then return to its regular designation. Exceptions would allow entry for work, medical care, emergency duties, family assistance, disability assistance, emergencies, drills, and certain temporary designations. After a pupil or a minor pupil’s parent or guardian submits a written request, the school would have to offer reasonable accommodations, such as a single-occupancy locker room or regulated staff locker-room use. The text would not prevent policies needed to accommodate people protected by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. A temporary special-event designation would end when the event concludes.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 13Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82Latest
- May 12Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- Mar 31Report vetoed by the Governor Tony Evers on 3-31-2026Major
- Mar 26Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2026To Governor
- Feb 19Report correctly enrolled on 2-19-2026Minor
- Feb 19LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1)
- Feb 12Received from Senate concurred inMinor
- Feb 11Ordered immediately messaged
- Vote recorded CONCURRENCE. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 11Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 18, Noes 15Passed Senate
- Feb 11Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Feb 11Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Feb 11Read a second timeMinor
- Feb 9Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Jan 16Available for scheduling
- Vote recorded Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2. Result: pass.Upper
- Jan 16Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development, Ayes 3, Noes 2Minor
- Jan 16Executive action taken
- Jan 14Public hearing held
- 2025
- Mar 21Read first time and referred to committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic DevelopmentMinor
- Mar 20Received from AssemblyMinor
- Vote recorded PASSAGE. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 20Ordered immediately messaged
- Mar 20Read a third time and passed, Ayes 51, Noes 43Passed Assembly
- Mar 20Rules suspended
- Mar 20Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Mar 20Assembly Amendment 1 adoptedMajor
- Mar 20Read a second timeMinor
- Mar 18Placed on calendar 3-20-2025 by Committee on Rules
- Mar 13Referred to committee on RulesMinor
- Vote recorded Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 13Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4Minor
- Mar 13Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Education, Ayes 7, Noes 4Minor
- Mar 13Executive action taken
- Mar 11Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative DittrichMinor
- Mar 6Public hearing held
- Mar 3Read first time and referred to Committee on EducationMinor
- Mar 3Introduced by Representatives Dittrich, Knodl, Allen, Armstrong, Behnke, Brooks, Callahan, Donovan, Duchow, Goeben, Green, Gundrum, Gustafson, B. Jacobson, Kreibich, Krug, Maxey, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Sortwell, Steffen, Tusler, VanderMeer and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Hutton, Felzkowski, Feyen, Jacque, Kapenga, Nass, Quinn, Testin, Tomczyk and WanggaardIntroduced
EducationCivil Rights & VotingEmergency Management