Assembly Bill 251
Impersonating a public officer, public employee, or employee of a utility and providing a penalty
Became law
The governor signed it on Apr 15, 2022. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Apr 8, 2021
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jan 25, 2022
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Senate vote, passed
Passed Feb 22, 2022
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2021 Wisconsin Act 263
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 15, 2022: “Published 4-16-2022”
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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 current law, it is a Class I felony for a person to assume to act in an official capacity of a public office knowing that he or she is not a public officer, employee, or utility employee or to exercise any function of a public office that he or she is not qualified to exercise.
Under the bill, it is a Class I felony for a person to impersonate or represent oneself to be a public officer, employee, or utility employee with the intent to mislead others into believing that he or she is actually a public officer or employee or the employee of a utility.
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
11 representatives are its . 9 are Republicans and 2 are Democrats.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 21 names Hide the names
Authors (11)
- Janel Brandtjen · Republican, Assembly
- Marisabel Cabrera · Democrat, Assembly
- Calvin Callahan · Republican, Assembly
- James Edming · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Mike Kuglitsch · Republican, Assembly
- Clint Moses · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Michael Schraa · Republican, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (10)
- Melissa Agard · Democrat, Senate
- Jimmy Anderson · Democrat, Assembly
- Joan Ballweg · Republican, Senate
- Janet Bewley · Democrat, Senate
- Steve Doyle · Democrat, Assembly
- André Jacque · Republican, Senate
- Penterman, Steffen and Bowen
- Brad Pfaff · Democrat, Senate
- Janis Ringhand · Democrat, Senate
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
How lawmakers voted
There were 2 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 14 to 0 · Nov 15, 2021
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 Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 7 to 0 · Feb 16, 2022
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 15, 2022
The new law was published.
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Apr 15, 2022
The governor signed it. It became 2021 Wisconsin Act 263.
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Apr 13, 2022
Sent to the governor.
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Mar 10, 2022
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 22, 2022
The Senate passed it too.
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Feb 16, 2022
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 7 to 0.
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Feb 8, 2022
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jan 26, 2022
Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
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Jan 26, 2022
The Senate received it.
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Jan 25, 2022
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Jan 25, 2022
The Assembly passed it.
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Nov 15, 2021
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Nov 15, 2021
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 14 to 0.
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Aug 25, 2021
3 more representatives signed on in support.
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Aug 25, 2021
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 9, 2021 to May 4, 2021
1 more representative and 3 senators signed on in support.
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Apr 8, 2021
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Apr 8, 2021
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Callahan, Brandtjen, Cabrera, Edming, Gundrum, Kuglitsch, Moses, Mursau, Schraa, Stubbs and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Jacque, Agard and Ballweg
- Apr 8, 2021 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Apr 9, 2021 · Assembly
Representative Doyle added as a coauthor
- Apr 9, 2021 · Assembly
Senator Bewley added as a cosponsor
- Apr 13, 2021 · Assembly
Senator Ringhand added as a cosponsor
- May 4, 2021 · Assembly
Senator Pfaff added as a cosponsor
- Aug 25, 2021 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Aug 25, 2021 · Assembly
Representatives Penterman, Steffen and Bowen added as coauthors
- Sep 8, 2021 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 14, Noes 0
- Nov 15, 2021 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jan 20, 2022 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 1-25-2022 by Committee on Rules
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Representative Subeck added as a coauthor
- Jan 25, 2022 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 26, 2022 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Jan 26, 2022 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
- Feb 8, 2022 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 7, Noes 0
- Feb 16, 2022 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Feb 18, 2022 · Senate
Placed on calendar 2-22-2022 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Read a second time
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Rules suspended
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in
- Feb 22, 2022 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 23, 2022 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Feb 28, 2022 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 2-28-2022
- Mar 10, 2022 · Assembly
Representative Anderson added as a coauthor
- Apr 13, 2022 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 4-13-2022
- Apr 15, 2022 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 4-15-2022. 2021 Wisconsin Act 263
- Apr 15, 2022 · Assembly
Published 4-16-2022
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