Assembly Bill 215 aims to amend the current law regarding name change petitions in Wisconsin by introducing an exception to the publication requirement for individuals seeking to change their names to align with their gender identity. Under existing law, individuals must publish a notice of their name change petition in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks unless they meet certain criteria, including the potential danger of publication. This bill adds a new provision that allows individuals seeking a name change for gender identity reasons to request confidentiality without needing to demonstrate that publication could endanger them, although they must still prove they are not attempting to evade debts or conceal criminal records.

The bill renumbers and amends existing legal language to reflect these changes, specifically in section 786.37 (4), and creates new subsections that outline the criteria for confidentiality in name change petitions. The new language clarifies that individuals seeking a name change to conform with their gender identity are eligible for this exception, thereby streamlining the process and reducing barriers for those individuals. The act will take effect six months after its publication, applying to petitions filed on or after that date.