AB 242 — Relating to: tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and providing a penalty.

- 2026 LEGISLATURE LRBa0183/1LRB-2081/1 MJW:cdcMJW:klm ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 242 May 15,2, 2025 - OfferedIntroduced by RepresentatUMMERFIELDRepresentatives .S UMMERFIELD , BEHNKE , CALLAHAN , D ITTRICH, DOYLE , GREEN , UNDRUM , M OSES, MURSAU , PENTERMAN , STEFFEN , S UBECK and M ELOTIK , cosponsored by Senators AMES , M ARKLEIN , NASS and P FAFF.

AtReferred theto locationsCommittee indicated,on amendCriminal theJustice billand asPublic follows:Safety.

1.A N A CT to amend 941.40 (1), 941.40 (2), 941.40 (3) and 941.40 (4) (b) of the statutes;

Pagerelating 2,to: line 5:

aftertampering Xbroadbandwith service,Ytelecommunication insertor Xwirelesselectric service,Y.wires and providing a penalty.

2.Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Under current law, misdemeanor penalties apply to a person who interferes with the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or electric power company under a variety of circumstances.

PageThis 2,bill lineapplies 8:the same prohibitions to video service and broadband service lines and property and increases certain misdemeanor penalties to be Class I felonies.

afterUnder Xbroadbandcurrent service,Ylaw, insertit Xwirelessis service,Y.a Class B misdemeanor for a person who has the right to alter certain property to which any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or electric power lines or wires are attached to do so without first giving the relevant company at least 24 hours’ notice.

3.This bill applies this prohibition to video service and broadband service provider property.

PageUnder 3,current linelaw, 1:it is a Class B misdemeanor for a person, without the permission of the relevant company, to intentionally break down, interrupt, remove, destroy, disturb, interfere with, or injure any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or electric power line, wire, pole, or other property.

afterThis Xbroadbandbill service,Yapplies insertthis Xwirelessprohibition service,Y.to video service and broadband service provider property and increases the penalty from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class I felony.

4.Under current law, it is a Class A misdemeanor for a person, without the - 2026 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2081/1 MJW:klm ASSEMBLY BILL 242 SECTION 1 permission of the relevant company, to intentionally make a physical electrical connection with any wire, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or electric power company.

PageThis 3,bill lineapplies 4:this prohibition to video service and broadband service provider property and increases the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class I felony.

afterUnder Xbroadbandcurrent service,Ylaw, inserta XwirelessClass service,Y.B misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to 90 days or both, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to nine months or both, and a Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years and six months, or both.

5.Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

PageThe 3,people lineof 11:the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

afterS XbroadbandECTION service,Y1. insert Xwireless service,Y.

6.941.40 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

Page941.40 3,(1) lineExcept 17:as provided under sub.

after(4), Xservice,Yany insertperson Xwirelesshaving service,Y.the right so to do who intentionally removes or changes any building or other structure or any timber, standing or fallen, to which any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power lines or wires are in any manner attached, or causes the same to be done, and consequently destroys, disturbs, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch.

END185, )transacting business in this state, without first giving the company, at its office nearest the place of injury, at least 24 hours’ notice thereof, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

S ECTION 2.

941.40 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

941.40 (2) Any person who intentionally breaks down, interrupts, or removes - 2026 Legislature - 3 - LRB-2081/1 MJW:klm ASSEMBLY BILL 242 SECTION 2 any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power line or wire including grounds or who destroys, disturbs, interferes with, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch.

185, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor I felony.

S ECTION 3.

941.40 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

941.40 (3) Any person who, for any purpose, intentionally makes or causes to be made a physical electrical connection with any wire, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch.

185, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor I felony.

S ECTION 4.

941.40 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

941.40 (4) (b) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to a person who acts with the permission of the telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch.

185, that owns the wire, pole, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other property.

(END)