Sen. Roys authors Wisconsin Senate bill to extend parental choice pupil limit

The new bill authored by State Sen. Kelda Roys seeks to maintain the current pupil participation cap in Wisconsin’s parental choice program beyond its scheduled expiration, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “the pupil participation limit in the state parental choice program”.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill eliminates the expiration of the pupil participation limit in Wisconsin’s statewide parental choice program, which was set to end after the 2025-26 school year. It maintains the current cap allowing up to 10% of a school district’s students to attend private schools under the program. The bill repeals specific statutory provisions tied to the sunset of this limit, ensuring its continuation beyond the previously designated end date. The bill’s effective date isn’t explicitly mentioned, so it’s assumed to take effect following standard legislative processes upon enactment.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Christian Phelps (Democrat-93rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District), Senator Brad Pfaff (Democrat-32nd District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), and Representative Ryan M. Clancy (Democrat-19th District), along 27 other co-sponsors.

Kelda Roys has authored or co-authored another 32 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.