Senate Bill 496 aims to amend the eligibility requirements for participation in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Racine Parental Choice Program, and Wisconsin Parental Choice Program by tightening the verification process for family income. The bill repeals provisions that allowed students to continue participating in these programs even if their family income increased beyond the established limits—300% of the federal poverty level for Milwaukee and Racine programs, and 220% for the Wisconsin program. Instead, it mandates that family income must be verified annually through the Department of Revenue, regardless of whether the student attended a private school under the program in the previous year.

The bill specifically deletes sections that previously allowed students to remain in the program despite income increases and modifies existing language to clarify that family income verification is required each year. This change is intended to ensure that only those families who meet the income criteria can participate in the parental choice programs, thereby aligning the programs more closely with their intended purpose of providing educational opportunities to lower-income families. The new provisions will take effect for applications to participate in the 2026-27 school year.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.60(2)(a)1.a, 118.60, 118.60(2)(bm), 119.23(2)(a)1.a, 119.23, 119.23(2)(a)1.d