Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB239 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-1380/1
3	3	MJW:cdc
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 239
5	5	May 2, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives GREEN, ANDRACA, BEHNKE, DITTRICH,
6	6	GUNDRUM, MURSAU, NEDWESKI, NOVAK, O'CONNOR, PIWOWARCZYK and
7	7	SUBECK, cosponsored by Senators JAMES and WANGGAARD. Referred to
8	8	Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
9	9	AN ACT to amend 951.095 (title), 951.095 (1) (intro.), 951.095 (2) (b) and 951.18
10	10	(2m); to create 951.01 (4s) of the statutes; relating to: harassment of search
11	11	and rescue dogs and providing a penalty.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	Under current law, no person may do any of the following to any animal that is
14	14	used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or
15	15	department functions or duties: frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse or harass the
16	16	animal; strike, shove, kick or otherwise subject the animal to physical contact; or
17	17	strike the animal by using a dangerous weapon. Under current law, any person who
18	18	does any of those actions is subject to a Class B forfeiture, or, if the person knows
19	19	the animal is a police or fire dog, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person
20	20	who intentionally does any of those actions and causes injury to the animal is guilty
21	21	of a Class I felony, and any person who intentionally does any of those actions and
22	22	causes death of the animal is guilty of a Class H felony. Additionally, for such a
23	23	violation, a sentencing court must require a criminal violator to pay restitution,
24	24	including veterinary care expenses or the value of a replacement animal.
25	25	This bill expands this prohibition to include search and rescue dogs in
26	26	addition to animals that are used by a law enforcement agency or fire department
27	27	to perform agency or department functions or duties. Under the bill, Xsearch and
28	28	rescue dogY means a dog that has been trained or is being trained by a state or
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31	31	3 2025 - 2026 Legislature
32	32	ASSEMBLY BILL 239
33	33	- 2 - LRB-1380/1
34	34	MJW:cdc
35	35	SECTION 1
36	36	nationally recognized search and rescue agency to locate lost or missing individuals
37	37	and victims of disasters in search and rescue activities.
38	38	Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
39	39	the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
40	40	report.
41	41	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
42	42	enact as follows:
43	43	SECTION 1. 951.01 (4s) of the statutes is created to read:
44	44	951.01 (4s) XSearch and rescue dogY means a dog that has been trained or is
45	45	being trained by a state or nationally recognized search and rescue agency to locate
46	46	lost or missing individuals and victims of disasters in search and rescue activities.
47	47	SECTION 2. 951.095 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
48	48	951.095 (title) Harassment of police and fire animals and search and
49	49	rescue dogs.
50	50	SECTION 3. 951.095 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
51	51	951.095 (1) (intro.) No person may do any of the following to any animal that
52	52	is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or
53	53	department functions or duties or to a search and rescue dog:
54	54	SECTION 4. 951.095 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
55	55	951.095 (2) (b) Any act that is necessary for the training of an animal to
56	56	perform functions or duties for a law enforcement agency, fire department, or state
57	57	or nationally recognized search and rescue agency.
58	58	SECTION 5. 951.18 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:
59	59	951.18 (2m) Any person who violates s. 951.095 is subject to a Class B
60	60	forfeiture. Any person who intentionally or negligently violates s. 951.095, knowing
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78	78	18 2025 - 2026 Legislature
79	79	ASSEMBLY BILL 239
80	80	- 3 - LRB-1380/1
81	81	MJW:cdc
82	82	SECTION 5
83	83	that the animal that is the victim is used by a law enforcement agency or fire
84	84	department to perform agency or department functions or duties or that the animal
85	85	is a search and rescue dog, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person who
86	86	intentionally violates s. 951.095, knowing that the animal that is the victim is used
87	87	by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform agency or department
88	88	functions or duties or that the animal is a search and rescue dog and causing injury
89	89	to the animal, is guilty of a Class I felony. Any person who intentionally violates s.
90	90	951.095, knowing that the animal that is the victim is used by a law enforcement
91	91	agency or fire department to perform agency or department functions or duties or
92	92	that the animal is a search and rescue dog and causing death to the animal, is
93	93	guilty of a Class H felony.
94	94	(END)
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