2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2636/1
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2023 SENATE BILL 199
April 3, 2023 - Introduced by JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Referred to Committee
on Education.
1 AN ACT to create 118.335 of the statutes; relating to: pupils wearing traditional
2 tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony or school-sponsored event.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the NOTES provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PREFATORY NOTE: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council's Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
Wisconsin law contains some general protections for a pupil's religious beliefs,
ancestry, creed, race, and national origin. Specifically, schools must provide for the
reasonable accommodation of a pupil's sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to all
examinations and other academic requirements. Additionally, no student may be denied
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any curricular,
extracurricular, pupil services, recreational, or other program or activity because of race,
religion, national origin, ancestry or creed. However, current law does not explicitly
address an American Indian student's right to wear traditional tribal regalia at a
graduation ceremony or school-sponsored event.
This bill provides that school boards and charter schools may not prohibit a pupil
who is a member of, a descendent of a member of, or eligible to be enrolled in, a federally
recognized, whether currently or in the past, American Indian tribe or band from wearing
traditional tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony or school-sponsored event. The bill
defines “traditional tribal regalia” as a tribe's traditional dress or recognized objects of
religious or cultural significance, including tribal symbols, beads, and feathers.
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SENATE BILL 199 SECTION 1
1 SECTION 1. 118.335 of the statutes is created to read:
2 118.335 Tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies or school-sponsored
3 events. (1) In this section:
4 (a) “Traditional tribal regalia” means a tribe's traditional dress or recognized
5 objects of religious or cultural significance, including tribal symbols, beads, and
6 feathers.
7 (b) “Tribe” means a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band or an
8 American Indian tribe or band that was previously a federally recognized American
9 Indian tribe or band.
10 (2) No school board or charter school may prohibit a pupil who is any of the
11 following from wearing traditional tribal regalia at a graduation ceremony or
12 school-sponsored event:
13 (a) A member of a tribe.
14 (b) A descendent of a member of a tribe.
15 (c) Eligible to be enrolled as a member of a tribe.
16 (END)