Senators introduce bill to require immunization‑waiver procedure on school enrollment forms

Senate Bill 447, introduced Sept. 29, 2025, would require schools, child care centers and nursery schools in Wisconsin to provide a procedure for presenting an immunization waiver at the same time they provide each health‑related form required for enrollment or admission.

The bill text amends Wis. Stat. §252.04(3). Under current law, students must present evidence of having begun required immunizations within 30 days of admission but may obtain a waiver by submitting a written statement objecting to immunization for reasons of health, religion or personal conviction. The bill adds a requirement that, when a school, child care center or nursery school notifies a student, parent, guardian or legal custodian of the immunization requirement, it must provide a procedure for presenting the waiver with each health‑related enrollment form.

The filing line on the bill lists Senators Cabral‑Guevara, Jacque and Nass as the introducers and identifies Representatives Brill, Goeben, Behnke, Goodwin, Gundrum, Hurd, Knodl, Mursau, Murphy, Nedweski, O’Connor, Sortwell, Steffen and Wichgers as cosponsors. The bill was referred to the Committee on Education, as indicated on the introductory page of the submitted text.

The bill text and the Legislative Reference Bureau analysis included with it do not specify fiscal impacts, implementation timelines or an effective date. The text is limited to the change in statutory language described above and does not identify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for noncompliance.

If the proposal advances, legislative committees and floor action would be required before the statutory change could take effect.