2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
February 18, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Ladwig, Olsen, Ainsworth,
Albers, Bies, Gielow, Grothman, Hahn, Hines, Kerkman, Kestell, F. Lasee,
Lassa, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Musser, Ott, Owens, Seratti, Stone, Townsend,
Vukmir, Ziegelbauer
and Hundertmark, cosponsored by Senators Stepp, S.
Fitzgerald
and Roessler. Referred to Committee on Corrections and the
Courts.
AB62,1,5 1An Act to amend 48.396 (2) (g), 118.125 (5) (b), 938.396 (2) (a), 938.396 (2) (ag),
2938.396 (2) (am), 938.396 (2) (gm), 938.396 (2) (h), 938.396 (4), 938.396 (7) (am)
3and 938.396 (7) (c); and to create 938.342 (1r) of the statutes; relating to:
4dispositional orders for truancy or habitual truancy and the disclosure of
5juvenile records by a juvenile court or a municipal court.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if school attendance is a condition of a dispositional order
of the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under the Children's Code and the
Juvenile Justice Code (juvenile court) for a juvenile who is delinquent or in need of
protection or services, the order must specify what constitutes a violation of the
condition and must direct the school board of the school district, or the governing
body of the private school, in which the juvenile is enrolled to notify the county
department of human services or social services that is responsible for supervising
the juvenile of any violation of that condition.
This bill provides that, if school attendance is a condition of a dispositional
order of the juvenile court or of a municipal court for a person who is truant or
habitually truant, the order must specify what constitutes a violation of the condition
and must direct the school board of the school district, or the governing body of the
private school, in which the person is enrolled to notify the juvenile court or
municipal court, or, if the person is under the supervision of an agency, to notify the
agency, of any violation of that condition.

Under current law, records of the juvenile court and of a municipal court
exercising jurisdiction over a juvenile for a violation of a municipal ordinance,
subject to certain exceptions, are not open to inspection and their contents may not
be disclosed except by order of the juvenile court. Current law, however, requires the
juvenile court to open its records of a juvenile for inspection by the parent, guardian,
or legal custodian of the juvenile or the juvenile, if 14 years of age or over, upon
request of the parent, guardian, legal custodian, or juvenile; by any third person,
upon the written permission of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the
juvenile or the juvenile, if 14 years of age or over; by any other juvenile court, a
district attorney, or corporation counsel for purposes of proceedings in that other
juvenile court; and by a family court or an attorney or guardian ad litem for a party
in an action affecting the family for purposes of considering the custody of the
juvenile.
This bill requires a municipal court to open its records of a juvenile for
inspection by the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the juvenile or the juvenile,
if 14 years of age or over, upon request of the parent, guardian, legal custodian, or
juvenile; by any third person, upon the written permission of the parent, guardian,
or legal custodian of the juvenile or the juvenile, if 14 years of age or over; by any
juvenile court, municipal court, district attorney, corporation counsel, city, village,
or town attorney, or attorney or guardian ad litem for a party for purposes of
proceedings in that juvenile court or municipal court; or by a family court or an
attorney or guardian ad litem for a party in an action affecting the family for
purposes of considering the custody of the juvenile. The bill also requires a juvenile
court to open its records of a juvenile for inspection by a municipal court, city, village,
or town attorney, or attorney or guardian ad litem for a party for purposes of
proceedings in that municipal court.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB62, s. 1 1Section 1. 48.396 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,3,22 48.396 (2) (g) Upon request of any other court assigned to exercise jurisdiction
3under this chapter and ch. 938, any municipal court exercising jurisdiction under s.
4938.17 (2), or
a district attorney or, corporation counsel, or city, village, or town
5attorney
to review court records for the purpose of any proceeding in that other court
6or upon request of the attorney or guardian ad litem for a party to a proceeding in
7that court to review court records for the purpose of that proceeding
, the court shall
8open for inspection by any authorized representative of the requester the records of

1the court relating to any child who has been the subject of a proceeding under this
2chapter.
AB62, s. 2 3Section 2. 118.125 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,3,104 118.125 (5) (b) Law enforcement officers' records obtained under s. 48.396 (1)
5or 938.396 (1) or (1m) and, records of the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under
6chs. 48 and 938 obtained under s. 938.396 (7) (a), (am), (ar), (b), or (bm), and records
7of a municipal court obtained under s. 938.396 (7) (ar)
may not be used by a school
8district as the sole basis for expelling or suspending a pupil or as the sole basis for
9taking any other disciplinary action, including action under the school district's
10athletic code, against a pupil.
AB62, s. 3 11Section 3. 938.342 (1r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB62,3,1812 938.342 (1r) If school attendance under sub. (1d) (a) or (1g) (g) is a condition
13of an order under sub. (1d) or (1g), the order shall specify what constitutes a violation
14of the condition and shall direct the school board of the school district, or the
15governing body of the private school, in which the person is enrolled to notify the
16court or, if the person is under the supervision of an agency under sub. (1g) (j), the
17agency that is responsible for supervising the person within 5 days after any
18violation of the condition by the person.
AB62, s. 4 19Section 4. 938.396 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,3,2520 938.396 (2) (a) Records of the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this
21chapter and ch. 48 and of municipal courts exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
22shall be entered in books or deposited in files kept for that purpose only. They Those
23records
shall not be open to inspection or their contents disclosed except by order of
24the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 or as
25permitted under this section.
AB62, s. 5
1Section 5. 938.396 (2) (ag) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,4,102 938.396 (2) (ag) Upon request of the parent, guardian , or legal custodian of a
3juvenile who is the subject of a record of a court specified in par. (a) assigned to
4exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 or of a municipal court exercising
5jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
, or upon request of the juvenile, if 14 years of age or
6over, the court that is the custodian of the record shall open for inspection by the
7parent, guardian, legal custodian, or juvenile the its records of the court relating to
8that juvenile, unless the that court finds, after due notice and hearing, that
9inspection of those records by the parent, guardian, legal custodian , or juvenile
10would result in imminent danger to anyone.
AB62, s. 6 11Section 6. 938.396 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,4,2112 938.396 (2) (am) Upon the written permission of the parent, guardian, or legal
13custodian of a juvenile who is the subject of a record of a court specified in par. (a)
14assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 or of a municipal court
15exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
, or upon written permission of the juvenile
16if 14 years of age or over, the court that is the custodian of the record shall open for
17inspection by the person named in the permission any records specifically identified
18by the parent, guardian, legal custodian, or juvenile in the written permission,
19unless the that court finds, after due notice and hearing, that inspection of those
20records by the person named in the permission would result in imminent danger to
21anyone.
AB62, s. 7 22Section 7. 938.396 (2) (gm) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,5,823 938.396 (2) (gm) Upon request of any other court assigned to exercise
24jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48, any municipal court exercising
25jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2), or
a district attorney or, corporation counsel, or city,

1village, or town attorney
to review court records for the purpose of any proceeding
2in that other court or upon request of the attorney or guardian ad litem for a party
3to a proceeding in that court to review court records for the purpose of that
4proceeding
, the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48
5or the municipal court exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
shall open for
6inspection by any authorized representative of the requester the its records of the
7court
relating to any juvenile who has been the subject of a proceeding under this
8chapter.
AB62, s. 8 9Section 8. 938.396 (2) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,5,1710 938.396 (2) (h) Upon request of the court having jurisdiction over an action
11affecting the family or of an attorney for a party or a guardian ad litem in an action
12affecting the family to review court records for the purpose of considering the custody
13of a juvenile, the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch.
1448 or a municipal court exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2) shall open for
15inspection by an authorized representative of the requester the its records of the
16court
relating to any juvenile who has been the subject of a proceeding under this
17chapter.
AB62, s. 9 18Section 9. 938.396 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,6,419 938.396 (4) When a court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter
20and ch. 48 or a municipal court exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
revokes,
21suspends, or restricts a juvenile's operating privilege under this chapter, the
22department of transportation shall may not disclose information concerning or
23relating to the revocation, suspension, or restriction to any person other than a court,
24assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48, a municipal court
25exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2), a
district attorney, county corporation

1counsel, or city, village, or town attorney, a law enforcement agency, or the juvenile
2whose operating privilege is revoked, suspended, or restricted, or his or her the
3juvenile's
parent or guardian. Persons entitled to receive this information may not
4disclose the information to other persons or agencies.
AB62, s. 10 5Section 10. 938.396 (7) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,6,136 938.396 (7) (am) Notwithstanding sub. (2) (a) and subject to par. (b), if a
7juvenile is adjudged delinquent, within 5 days after the date on which the
8dispositional order is entered, the court clerk shall notify the school board of the
9school district, or the governing body of the private school, in which the juvenile is
10enrolled or the designee of the school board or governing body of the fact that the
11juvenile has been adjudicated delinquent, the nature of the violation committed by
12the juvenile, and the disposition imposed on the juvenile under s. 938.34 as a result
13of that the violation.
AB62,6,21 14(ar) Notwithstanding sub. (2) (a), if school attendance is a condition of a
15dispositional order under s. 938.342 (1d) or (1g) or 938.355 (2) (b) 7., within 5 days
16after the date on which the dispositional order is entered, the court clerk of the court
17assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and ch. 48 or the clerk of the
18municipal court exercising jurisdiction under s. 938.17 (2)
shall notify the school
19board of the school district, or the governing body of the private school, in which the
20juvenile is enrolled or the designee of the school board or governing body of the fact
21that the juvenile's school attendance is a condition of a dispositional order.
AB62, s. 11 22Section 11. 938.396 (7) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB62,7,2223 938.396 (7) (c) No information from the juvenile's court records, other than
24information disclosed under par. (a), (am), (ar), (b), or (bm), may be disclosed to the
25school board of the school district, or the governing body of the private school, in

1which the juvenile is enrolled or the designee of the school board or governing body
2except by order of the court. Any information provided under this subsection to the
3school board of the school district, or the governing body of the private school, in
4which the juvenile is enrolled or the designee of the school board or governing body
5shall be disclosed by the school board, governing body, or designee to employees of
6the school district or private school who work directly with the juvenile or who have
7been determined by the school board, governing body, or designee to have legitimate
8educational interests, including safety interests, in the information. A school district
9or private school employee to whom information is disclosed under this paragraph
10may not further disclose the information. A school board shall may not use any
11information provided under this subsection as the sole basis for expelling or
12suspending a juvenile or as the sole basis for taking any other disciplinary action,
13including action under the school district's athletic code, against the juvenile
. A
14member of a school board or of the governing body of a private school or an employee
15of a school district or private school may not be held personally liable for any damages
16caused by the nondisclosure of any information specified in this paragraph unless
17the member or employee acted with actual malice in failing to disclose the
18information. A school district or private school may not be held liable for any
19damages caused by the nondisclosure of any information specified in this paragraph
20unless the school district, private school, or its agent acted with gross negligence or
21with reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct in failing to disclose the
22information.
AB62,7,2323 (End)
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