Administrative Rules
The Office of Policy and Budget is responsible for coordinating the process for proposed changes to DPI administrative rules affecting schools, libraries, and the department. Further information on proposed rules by the agency that are currently in process can be found below.
What is a Rule?
Under Wis. Stat. § 227.01 (13), an administrative rule is defined as "a regulation, standard, statement of policy, or general order of general application which has the effect of law and which is issued by an agency to implement, interpret, or make specific legislation enforced or administered by the agency or to govern the organization or procedure of the agency." Rules may be required because of legislation or court decision, or may be modified through an agency's own initiative. However, agencies such as DPI are only permitted to promulgate an administrative rule if they have the statutory authority to do so. Promulgation activity for administrative rules can take 12-14 months to complete and must be conducted in accordance with Wis. Stat. ch. 227.
Proposed DPI Rules
The table below is a list of all rule modifications proposed by the agency that are currently in process. The table is organized by the affected DPI code chapter but may be organized by any of the other columns by clicking on the appropriate column header in the table. The table may be filtered by entering a search term in the search bar at the top of the table. Relevant information on each proposed rule can be found by clicking on the links provided in the rule subject column. Information on each affected code chapter currently in effect can be found by clicking on any item under the affected DPI code chapters column. Information on each promulgation step can be found by clicking on the links provided in the rule history column. Finally, individuals that wish to comment on a proposed rule may do so using the links provided in the public comment column.
Key: SS = Scope statement (permanent and/or emergency rule); CR = Clearinghouse Rule (permanent); EmR = Emergency Rule
| SS/CR/EmR Number | Rule Subject | Affected DPI Code Chapters | Rule History | Public Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS 014-25 | Creating a board certified behavior analyst license as a related service | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 4/2/2025 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 074-25 | Driver education supplemental licenses | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 11/26/2025 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 075-25 | Eligibility for tier I, speech-language pathologist licenses | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 11/26/2025 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 014-26 | Tier I special education licensure dates and requesting entity eligibility | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 5/19/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 038-26 | Tier I and II instructional library media specialist license and public librarian certification | PI 6 & 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 7/28/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 039-26 | Licensed school nurses | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 7/28/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| CR 26-031 | Discrete science licenses for teachers in grades 4-12 | PI 34 | Final rule filed with LRB for 9/1/2026 eff. date | Comment period closed |
| CR 26-030 | Orientation and mobility license to teach all ages | PI 34 | Final rule submitted to Governor for approval 7/14/2026 | Comment period closed |
| SS 013-26 | Intern licenses | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 5/19/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 014-26 | Tier I special education licensure dates and requesting entity eligibility | PI 34 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 5/19/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 031-25 | Revisions to procedures for school improvement plans under ch. PI 43 | PI 43 | Scope statement approved for rule drafting 5/23/2025 | Preliminary comment period closed |
External Links
- DPI Administrative Code. The official index of all DPI code chapters currently in effect.
- Wisconsin Administrative Code. The official index of all Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters currently in effect, including those promulgated by DPI.
- Wisconsin Administrative Register. The official publication of the updates and changes to the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
- Wisconsin Administrative Rules Calendar. The official calendar of all rule making proceedings by state agencies, including public hearings and comment periods on DPI rules.
- DPI Final Rules. The list of all final rules promulgated by DPI since 1/1/2012.