The new bill authored by State Sen. Kelda Roys seeks to broaden protections against corporal punishment in all public, charter, and private schools across Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “prohibiting corporal punishment in public and private schools”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill expands the existing prohibition of corporal punishment in schools to include officials, employees, and agents of all public schools, charter schools, and private schools. Corporal punishment is defined as the intentional infliction of physical pain used as a means of discipline, including actions such as paddling, slapping, or maintaining physically painful positions. The bill requires each school governing body to adopt a policy allowing reasonable and necessary force under specified circumstances while granting deference to good faith judgments. The bill clarifies that it does not create a separate basis for civil liability for damages involving claims of improper use of force, nor does it affect actions concerning non-enrolled persons. This legislation becomes effective on the first July 1 after its publication.
The bill was co-authored by Representative Ryan M. Clancy (Democrat-19th District), Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District), Senator Mark Spreitzer (Democrat-15th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), and Representative Jill Billings (Democrat-95th District), along 15 other co-sponsors.
Kelda Roys has authored or co-authored another 24 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Roys graduated from New York University in 2000 with a BA and again in 2004 from University of Wisconsin Law School with a JD.
Roys, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2021 to represent the state’s 26th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Fred Risser.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SB268 | 05/20/2025 | Prohibiting corporal punishment in public and private schools |
| SB247 | 05/09/2025 | Local and private regulation of accessory dwelling units. (FE) |
| SB195 | 04/14/2025 | Serving maple syrup in a public eating place |
| SB142 | 03/21/2025 | Algorithmic software for residential housing, and providing a penalty |
