Assembly Bill 454
Falsely reporting an emergency and providing a penalty
Became law
The governor signed it on Mar 4, 2020. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Sep 18, 2019
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Feb 11, 2020
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 19, 2020
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2019 Wisconsin Act 132
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 4, 2020: “Published 3-4-2020”
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Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under this bill, it is a Class I felony to engage in the behavior known as “swatting,” which means falsely reporting an emergency to a public safety entity, knowing that no emergency exists, with the intent to elicit a response from an emergency response team. In addition, under the bill, it is a Class H felony to engage in swatting if the incident results in physical harm to any person.
Under current law, certain false emergency reports result in a fine or a misdemeanor conviction, depending on the circumstances of the report. A false report of a bomb threat or a threat to release a harmful substance is a Class I felony, and a false terrorist threat is a Class G felony.
Read the full summary Show less
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.
Who's behind it
16 lawmakers are its . 12 are Republicans and 4 are Democrats.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 26 names Hide the names
Authors (16)
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Jonathan Brostoff · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Todd Novak · Republican, Assembly
- Jon Plumer · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Ken Skowronski · Republican, Assembly
- Paul Tittl · Republican, Assembly
- Tyler Vorpagel · Republican, Assembly
- Don Vruwink · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (10)
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Rob Cowles · Republican, Senate
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
- Chris Larson · Democrat, Senate
- Howard Marklein · Republican, Senate
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 3 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote on an amendment
Passed, 10 to 0 · Dec 26, 2019
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 10 to 0 · Dec 26, 2019
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote
Passed, 5 to 0 · Feb 14, 2020
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 4, 2020
The new law was published.
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Mar 4, 2020
The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 132.
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Feb 28, 2020
Sent to the governor.
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Feb 19, 2020
The Senate passed it too.
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Feb 19, 2020
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Feb 14, 2020
“Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)
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Feb 13, 2020
Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.
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Feb 12, 2020
The Senate received it.
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Feb 11, 2020
The Assembly passed it.
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Feb 11, 2020
The Assembly adopted it.
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Dec 26, 2019
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Dec 26, 2019
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 10 to 0.
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Nov 6, 2019
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 31, 2019
The committee held a public hearing.
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Sep 18, 2019
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Sep 18, 2019
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Sep 18, 2019 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Vorpagel, Duchow, Anderson, Brandtjen, Brostoff, Dittrich, Edming, Gundrum, James, Murphy, Novak, Plumer, Sinicki, Skowronski, Tittl and Vruwink; cosponsored by Senators Cowles, Wanggaard, Bewley, Jacque, Marklein, Nass, Olsen and L. Taylor
- Sep 18, 2019 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Oct 31, 2019 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly
Representative Steffen added as a coauthor
- Nov 13, 2019 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Vorpagel
- Nov 14, 2019 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly
Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0
- Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0
- Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 2-11-2020 by Committee on Rules
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 12, 2020 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Feb 13, 2020 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization
- Feb 13, 2020 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 14, 2020 · Senate
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Feb 14, 2020 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-19-2020 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Senator Larson added as a cosponsor
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 19, 2020 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020
- Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020 by directive of the Speaker
- Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 132
- Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly
Published 3-4-2020
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. 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
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
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
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote