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Bills from the 2019–20 session

Assembly Bill 734

Mail theft and providing a penalty

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 4, 2020. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jan 9, 2020

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed 84 to 13

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Feb 19, 2020

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2019 Wisconsin Act 144

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 4, 2020: “Published 3-4-2020”

Read the bill

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What it does

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

This bill creates the crime of theft of mail, which is taking a letter, postcard, or package from a residence or other building. Under the bill, a person is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if he or she takes fewer than ten pieces of mail, a Class I felony if he or she takes at least ten but fewer than 30 pieces of mail, and a Class H felony if he or she takes 30 or more pieces of mail or if the mail belongs to an adult at risk or an elder adult at risk.

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

19 lawmakers are its ⁠. 18 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 27 names

Authors (19)

Signed on in support (8)

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection vote to recommend it

Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 6, 2020

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 84 to 13 · Feb 11, 2020 · 2 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (84)

Didn't vote (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. 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

  1. Mar 4, 2020

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 4, 2020

    The governor signed it. It became 2019 Wisconsin Act 144.

  3. Feb 28, 2020

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Feb 19, 2020

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. 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)

  6. Feb 13, 2020

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  7. Feb 12, 2020

    The Senate received it.

  8. Feb 11, 2020

    The Assembly passed it, 84 to 13.

  9. Feb 6, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  10. Feb 6, 2020

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.

  11. Feb 5, 2020

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Jan 10, 2020

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  13. Jan 9, 2020

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection.

  14. Jan 9, 2020

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jan 9, 2020 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Hutton, Allen, Duchow, Edming, Fields, Gundrum, Jagler, Katsma, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Kulp, Murphy, Petersen, Pronschinske, Sanfelippo, Skowronski, Steffen, Tranel and Tusler; cosponsored by Senators Craig, Darling, Marklein, Nass, Olsen, Stroebel and Wanggaard

  2. Jan 9, 2020 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Consumer Protection

  3. Jan 10, 2020 · Assembly

    Representative Wichgers added as a coauthor

  4. Feb 5, 2020 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  5. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  6. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Consumer Protection, Ayes 7, Noes 0

  7. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  8. Feb 6, 2020 · Assembly

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

  9. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  10. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  12. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 84, Noes 13

  13. Feb 11, 2020 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Feb 12, 2020 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  15. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  16. Feb 13, 2020 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  17. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  18. Feb 14, 2020 · Senate

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

  19. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a second time

  20. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  21. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  22. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  23. Feb 19, 2020 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  24. Feb 20, 2020 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  25. Feb 25, 2020 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 2-25-2020

  26. Feb 28, 2020 · Assembly

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

  27. Mar 4, 2020 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-3-2020. 2019 Wisconsin Act 144

  28. 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

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