Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB236 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-2807/1
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4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 236
5	5	May 9, 2025 - Introduced by Senators JAMES, MARKLEIN, NASS, PFAFF and
6	6	RATCLIFF, cosponsored by Representatives SUMMERFIELD, BEHNKE,
7	7	CALLAHAN, DITTRICH, DOYLE, GREEN, GUNDRUM, MOSES, MURSAU,
8	8	PENTERMAN, STEFFEN, SUBECK and MELOTIK. Referred to Committee on
9	9	Judiciary and Public Safety.
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11	11	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
12	12	AN ACT to amend 941.40 (1), 941.40 (2), 941.40 (3) and 941.40 (4) (b) of the
13	13	statutes; relating to: tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and
14	14	providing a penalty.
15	15	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
16	16	Under current law, misdemeanor penalties apply to a person who interferes
17	17	with the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications,
18	18	electric light, or electric power company under a variety of circumstances. This bill
19	19	applies the same prohibitions to video service and broadband service lines and
20	20	property and increases certain misdemeanor penalties to be Class I felonies.
21	21	Under current law, it is a Class B misdemeanor for a person who has the right
22	22	to alter certain property to which any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light,
23	23	or electric power lines or wires are attached to do so without first giving the
24	24	relevant company at least 24 hours[ notice. This bill applies this prohibition to
25	25	video service and broadband service provider property.
26	26	Under current law, it is a Class B misdemeanor for a person, without the
27	27	permission of the relevant company, to intentionally break down, interrupt, remove,
28	28	destroy, disturb, interfere with, or injure any telegraph, telecommunications,
29	29	electric light, or electric power line, wire, pole, or other property. This bill applies
30	30	this prohibition to video service and broadband service provider property and
31	31	increases the penalty from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class I felony.
32	32	Under current law, it is a Class A misdemeanor for a person, without the
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35	35	3 2025 - 2026 Legislature
36	36	SENATE BILL 236
37	37	- 2 - LRB-2807/1
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39	39	SECTION 1
40	40	permission of the relevant company, to intentionally make a physical electrical
41	41	connection with any wire, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other
42	42	property of any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or electric power
43	43	company. This bill applies this prohibition to video service and broadband service
44	44	provider property and increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class
45	45	I felony.
46	46	Under current law, a Class B misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to
47	47	$1,000 or imprisonment for up to 90 days or both, a Class A misdemeanor is
48	48	punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to nine months or
49	49	both, and a Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment
50	50	for up to three years and six months, or both.
51	51	Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
52	52	the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
53	53	report.
54	54	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
55	55	enact as follows:
56	56	SECTION 1. 941.40 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
57	57	941.40 (1) Except as provided under sub. (4), any person having the right so to
58	58	do who intentionally removes or changes any building or other structure or any
59	59	timber, standing or fallen, to which any telegraph, telecommunications, video
60	60	service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power lines or wires are in any
61	61	manner attached, or causes the same to be done, and consequently destroys,
62	62	disturbs, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph,
63	63	telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric
64	64	power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185,
65	65	transacting business in this state, without first giving the company, at its office
66	66	nearest the place of injury, at least 24 hours[ notice thereof, is guilty of a Class B
67	67	misdemeanor.
68	68	SECTION 2. 941.40 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
69	69	941.40 (2) Any person who intentionally breaks down, interrupts, or removes
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83	83	14 2025 - 2026 Legislature
84	84	SENATE BILL 236
85	85	- 3 - LRB-2807/1
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87	87	SECTION 2
88	88	any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light,
89	89	or electric power line or wire including grounds or who destroys, disturbs, interferes
90	90	with, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph,
91	91	telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric
92	92	power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185, is
93	93	guilty of a Class B misdemeanor I felony.
94	94	SECTION 3. 941.40 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
95	95	941.40 (3) Any person who, for any purpose, intentionally makes or causes to
96	96	be made a physical electrical connection with any wire, cable, conductor, ground,
97	97	equipment, facility, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video
98	98	service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power company, including a
99	99	cooperative association organized under ch. 185, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor
100	100	I felony.
101	101	SECTION 4. 941.40 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
102	102	941.40 (4) (b) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to a person who acts with
103	103	the permission of the telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband
104	104	service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association
105	105	organized under ch. 185, that owns the wire, pole, cable, conductor, ground,
106	106	equipment, facility, or other property.
107	107	(END)
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