Milwaukee City Wire

A new bill authored by State Sen. Chris Larson in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to extend the current pupil participation limits in the parental choice program beyond the previously set expiration date, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "the pupil participation limit in the state parental choice program".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill eliminates the expiration of the pupil participation limit in Wisconsin's statewide parental choice program, which was set to end after the 2025-26 school year. It maintains the current cap allowing up to 10% of a school district’s students to attend private schools under the program. The bill repeals specific statutory provisions tied to the sunset of this limit, ensuring its continuation beyond the previously designated end date. The bill's effective date isn't explicitly mentioned, so it's assumed to take effect following standard legislative processes upon enactment.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Christian Phelps (Democrat-93rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Sarah Keyeski (Democrat-14th District), Senator Brad Pfaff (Democrat-32nd District), Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), and Representative Ryan M. Clancy (Democrat-19th District), along 27 other co-sponsors.

Chris Larson has authored or co-authored another 47 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Larson graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2007 with a BA.

Larson, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2011 to represent the state's 7th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Jeffrey Plale.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB314	06/04/2025	The pupil participation limit in the state parental choice program
SB233	04/29/2025	Inducements to sign or refrain from signing nomination papers, recall petitions, and certain other petitions
SB165	03/27/2025	Eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin
SB150	03/21/2025	Passing legislation to reduce carbon emissions
SB149	03/21/2025	Requiring the legislature to convene an extraordinary session if an executive order of the president of the United States freezes federal aid to the state