Skip to content

Bills · 2019-2020 Regular Session

SB 66

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: creating a false identity on social media and providing a penalty.

Crime and criminals Data processing — Criminal acts and law enforcement Fraud Legislature — Criminal penalties joint review committee on

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a person is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor if he or she, with

the intent to frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass, sends an e-mail or

other electronic message that threatens a person or property, that contains obscene,

lewd, or profane language or suggests a lewd or lascivious act, or while intentionally

preventing the disclosure of his or her identity. This bill adds to the list of intentions

the intent to defraud or harm and adds that it is a Class B misdemeanor if the person

posts such a message, not just sends a message. In addition, this bill provides that

a person is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor if he or she, with the intent to frighten,

intimidate, harm, threaten, abuse, harass, or defraud, knowingly uses a name or

other likeness of another person on a computerized communication system to create

a false identity without that person's consent (a practice commonly known as

catfishing).

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: Bewley (D) , Jacque (R) , Marklein (R)

19 cosponsors

Bowen (D) , C. Taylor (D) , Kolste (D) , Kulp (R) , Novak (R) , Pronschinske (R) , Quinn (R) , Ramthun (R) , Rohrkaste (R) , Sinicki (D) , Skowronski (R) , Sortwell (R) , Spiros (R) , Spreitzer (D) , Subeck (D) , Thiesfeldt (R) , Tittl (R) , Tusler (R) , Vruwink (D)

Full history

  1. Mar 1, 2019 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Bewley, Marklein and Jacque; cosponsored by Representatives Kulp, Quinn, Kolste, Spiros, Spreitzer, Tittl, Sortwell, Novak, Ramthun, Rohrkaste, Skowronski, Sinicki, Vruwink, Tusler, Thiesfeldt, Pronschinske, C. Taylor and Subeck

  2. Mar 1, 2019 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  3. Mar 15, 2019 · Senate

    Representative Bowen added as a cosponsor

  4. Apr 1, 2020 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1