Southern Wisconsin Times

A bill authored by State Sen. Mark Spreitzer in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to expand anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity and expression in employment, housing, education, and other areas, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, insurance coverage, national guard, jury duty, and adoption and in the receipt of mental health or vocational rehabilitation services".

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

In essence, this bill prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression across various sectors, including employment, housing, public accommodations, education, insurance, the national guard, jury duty, and adoption. It defines "gender identity" as an individual's internal understanding of their own gender, irrespective of their sex assigned at birth, and "gender expression" as how an individual expresses their gender through appearance or behavior. The bill amends existing discrimination laws to include these categories, ensuring that state agencies, educational institutions, and other organizations include provisions against discrimination on these grounds in their contracts, policies, and practices. It mandates equal access to facilities consistent with a person's gender identity and prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against student-led organizations based on their mission related to sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. The bill applies to contracts, investments, and service provisions, broadening protections to prevent discrimination throughout the state's industries and institutions.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Christian Phelps (Democrat-93rd District), Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), and Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (Democrat-27th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), and Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District), along with 29 other co-sponsors.

Mark Spreitzer has authored or co-authored another 57 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Spreitzer graduated from Beloit College in 2009 with a BA.

Spreitzer, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2023 to represent the state's 15th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Janis Ringhand.

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
SB223	04/25/2025	Discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, insurance coverage, national guard, jury duty, and adoption and in the receipt of mental health or vocational rehabilitation services
SB217	04/16/2025	Eliminating the publication requirement for a name change petition seeking to conform an individual’s name with the individual’s gender identity
SB185	04/14/2025	Property tax exemption for nonprofit theaters. (FE)
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
SB60	02/21/2025	Expanding the homestead income tax credit. (FE)
SB26	02/05/2025	Technical colleges’ lease of their facilities to others. (FE)
SB20	02/05/2025	Allowing certain married persons to claim the earned income tax credit when filing a separate return. (FE)