Senate Bill 268 aims to prohibit corporal punishment in both public and private schools in Wisconsin. The bill expands the current prohibition, which only applies to school boards, to include officials, employees, and agents of governing boards of charter schools and private schools. The definition of corporal punishment is clarified to include the intentional infliction of physical pain as a means of discipline, such as paddling and slapping, while also excluding actions consistent with individualized education programs or reasonable physical activities related to athletic training.

The bill includes several amendments and new definitions to enhance clarity and enforcement. It renumbers and amends existing statutes, creating new definitions for "governing body" and "school," and specifies that no official, employee, or agent of a school governing body may subject a pupil to corporal punishment. Additionally, it mandates that each governing body adopt a policy allowing reasonable and necessary force under certain circumstances, while also ensuring that the governing body is not held civilly liable for claims related to the improper use of force against pupils. The act is set to take effect on July 1 following its publication.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.305(3)(e), 118.305, 118.31(2), 118.31, 118.31(3)(intro.), 118.31(4), 118.31(5), 118.31(6)