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 lists all rule modifications currently proposed by the agency and in process. By default, entries are organized alphabetically by the first column, but the table can be sorted by the proposed rule subject or the affected DPI code chapter by clicking on the appropriate column header.
For each proposed rule, the table provides links to detailed information in the Rule Subject/Relating to Clause column, the current text of applicable code chapters in the Affected DPI Code Chapter(s) column, and information about each stage of the promulgation process in the Most Current Rule History column. When public comment is open on a proposed rule or scope statement, comments may be submitted using the links 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/Relating to Clause | Affected DPI Code Chapter(s) | Most Current Rule History | Public Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR 26-030 | Orientation and mobility license to teach all ages | PI 34 | Final rule filed with LRB for 10/1/2026 eff. date | Comment period closed |
| CR 26-048 | Intern licenses | PI 34 | Proposed rule submitted to Legislative Council 9/10/2026; Agency rule hearing date TBD | Comment on this rule |
| CR 26-049 | Tier I special education licensure dates and requesting entity eligibility | PI 34 | Proposed rule submitted to Legislative Council 9/10/2026; Agency rule hearing date TBD | Comment on this rule |
| CR 26-050 | Special education program aide licenses | PI 34 | Proposed rule submitted to Legislative Council 9/10/2026; Agency rule hearing date TBD | Comment on this rule |
| 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 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 |
| 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 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 |
| SS 062-26 | Rescinding the one-year educational interpreter license | PI 34 | Scope statement published in 8/17/2026 Administrative Register; Preliminary hearing and comment period held 8/28/2026 | Preliminary comment period closed |
| SS 067-26 | Creating a school business office specialist license | PI 34 | Scope statement published in 8/31/2026 Administrative Register; Preliminary hearing and comment period TBD | Preliminary comment period TBD |
| SS 068-26 | Transitioning the speech-language pathologist license to a related service license | PI 34 | Scope statement published in 8/31/2026 Administrative Register; Preliminary hearing and comment period TBD | Preliminary comment period TBD |
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.