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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Senate Bill 171

Theft of communication and video services, civil damages resulting from the theft of certain services, and providing penalties. (FE)

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    May 8, 2013

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2014: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Current law prohibits a person from obtaining without payment telecommunications service and from obtaining without payment video service. A person who violates either prohibition for the first time is subject to a Class C forfeiture. Under this bill, a person who violates either prohibition for the first time is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.

Under current law if a person who incurs injury as a result of theft of telecommunications service, commercial mobile service, video service, or satellite cable programming prevails in a civil suit against the person who committed the theft, the court must grant the injured person actual damages, costs, and disbursements. The court is not permitted to grant attorney fees unless the person who committed the theft did it willfully and for commercial advantage or was previously convicted for the same violation. This bill permits the court to grant reasonable attorney fees for a first violation without regard to willfullness, commercial advantage or previous conviction.

Read the full summary

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 concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 6 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (3)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

What happened

  1. Apr 8, 2014

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jul 3, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Jun 11, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  4. May 14, 2013

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. May 8, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

  6. May 8, 2013

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. May 8, 2013 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Farrow, Lasee and Leibham; cosponsored by Representatives Kleefisch, Ripp and Petryk

  2. May 8, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Labor

  3. May 14, 2013 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Jun 11, 2013 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Jul 3, 2013 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Sep 16, 2013 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Farrow

  7. Apr 8, 2014 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary