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Bills · 2019-2020 Regular Session

AB 454

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: falsely reporting an emergency and providing a penalty.

Crime and criminals Crime and criminals — Felony Fraud Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

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.

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.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Anderson (D) , Brandtjen (R) , Brostoff (D) , Dittrich (R) , Duchow (R) , Edming (R) , Gundrum (R) , James (R) , Murphy (R) , Novak (R) , Plumer (R) , Sinicki (D) , Skowronski (R) , Tittl (R) , Vorpagel (R) , Vruwink (D)

10 cosponsors

Bewley (D) , Cowles (R) , Jacque (R) , L. Taylor (D) , Larson (D) , Marklein (R) , Nass (R) , Olsen (R) , Steffen (R) , Wanggaard (R)

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0

Passed 10–0 Dec 26, 2019 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0

Passed 10–0 Dec 26, 2019 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Senate: Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

Passed 5–0 Feb 14, 2020 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. 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

  2. Sep 18, 2019 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Oct 31, 2019 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Nov 6, 2019 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a coauthor

  5. Nov 13, 2019 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representative Vorpagel

  6. Nov 14, 2019 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0

  8. Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 10, Noes 0

  9. Dec 26, 2019 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2020 by Committee on Rules

  11. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  12. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 adopted

  13. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  14. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  15. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed

  16. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  18. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  19. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  20. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  21. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-19-2020 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Senator Larson added as a cosponsor

  23. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  24. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  28. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  29. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  30. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 2-28-2020 by directive of the Speaker

  31. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 132

  32. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Published 3-4-2020