Assembly Bill 1183 aims to enhance safety for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils in Wisconsin by establishing a grant program through the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The bill mandates the creation of a new statute, 115.374, which will provide financial assistance to school districts for the installation or upgrading of emergency notification systems that are accessible to these students. The grants will be capped at the amount that the school district has spent on the installation or upgrade of such systems. To support this initiative, the bill allocates $1,000,000 to DPI for each of the fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27.

In addition to the new grant program, the bill introduces a new section, 20.255 (2) (bj), which outlines the funding specifically designated for these emergency notification systems. This legislative effort reflects a commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of hearing ability, have access to critical emergency information in a timely manner.