Senate Bill 217 aims to amend the current law regarding name change petitions in Wisconsin by eliminating the publication requirement for individuals seeking a name change to align with their gender identity. Under existing law, individuals must publish a notice of their petition in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks unless they meet certain exceptions, such as requesting confidentiality or demonstrating that publication could endanger them. This bill introduces an additional exception specifically for those seeking a name change to conform with their gender identity, allowing them to bypass the publication requirement without needing to prove that publication could pose a danger.

The bill modifies the legal language to clarify that individuals requesting a confidential name change based on gender identity must still demonstrate that they are not seeking the change to evade debts or conceal a criminal record. The language has been updated to replace references to "his or her" with "the petitioner" for inclusivity. The changes will take effect six months after publication, applying to petitions filed on or after that date.