An Act to renumber and amend 118.31 (1); to amend 118.305 (3) (e), 118.31 (2), 118.31 (3) (intro.), 118.31 (4), 118.31 (5) and 118.31 (6); to create 118.31 (1) (b) and 118.31 (1) (c) of the statutes; Relating to: prohibiting corporal punishment in public and private schools.
SB268 would expand Wisconsin’s statutory prohibition on corporal punishment in schools. Current law bars school board officials, employees, and agents from subjecting public school pupils to corporal punishment; this bill broadens that rule to cover officials, employees, and agents of public school boards, charter school governing boards, and private school governing bodies. It also updates the statutory definition of corporal punishment and creates definitions for “governing body” and “school” to make the prohibition apply across public, charter, and private schools.
The bill preserves existing exceptions and clarifies that corporal punishment does not include actions consistent with an individualized education program or reasonable physical activities associated with athletic training. It also keeps the rule that school staff may use reasonable and necessary force for the limited purposes already listed in statute, and it maintains the provision that the section does not create a separate basis for civil liability. The bill would take effect on the first July 1 after publication.
SB268 would amend Wisconsin Statutes section 118.31 and a related cross-reference in section 118.305 to extend the corporal punishment ban beyond public school districts to charter schools and private schools. The practical effect is to impose the same statewide prohibition on physical discipline in all school settings covered by the bill, while leaving intact existing exceptions for safety, discipline-related force, IEP-related actions, and athletic training. It would affect school boards, charter school governing boards, private school governing bodies, and school personnel who interact with pupils.
The available record suggests generally supportive sentiment toward the bill’s purpose, as reflected by its introduction by multiple senators and a large bipartisan-looking group of cosponsors in the Assembly. However, the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment despite sponsorship support. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor debate or formal opposition in the materials supplied.
The main policy issue is the scope of the corporal punishment ban: supporters appear to favor extending protections to students in charter and private schools, while any potential opponents would likely focus on parental choice, private-school autonomy, or the extent to which the state should regulate discipline policies outside public schools. Another possible point of discussion is the bill’s preservation of exceptions for reasonable force, IEP-related actions, and athletics, which helps distinguish prohibited corporal punishment from other school discipline or safety practices. Because no hearing transcript or vote breakdown is included, specific objections or named opponents are not identified in the record provided.