Senate Bill 495 aims to ensure that charter schools and private schools participating in parental choice programs in Wisconsin are subject to the state's public records and open meetings laws. The bill amends existing statutes to explicitly include these schools as "authorities" and "governmental bodies," thereby holding them accountable to the same transparency standards as other public entities. Notably, the bill creates an exemption for records concerning individual pupils maintained by these schools, ensuring that sensitive student information remains confidential.

The legislation introduces new provisions that require compliance with specific chapters of the public records law, thereby reinforcing the obligation of charter and private schools to adhere to transparency regulations. The amendments to sections 19.32, 19.36, and 19.82 clarify the definitions of governmental bodies and authorities to include charter and private schools, while new sections 115.7915 (6)(L), 118.60 (2)(a)10, and 119.23 (2)(a)10 mandate that these schools comply with the relevant public records laws.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 19.32(1), 19.32, 19.82(1), 19.82