Skip to content

Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

AB 629

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: police authority to disable drones threatening public safety and providing a penalty.

Aviation Crime and criminals — Felony Damage to property Dangerous weapon Police Public safety

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Assembly, completed
  3. Passes Senate, stopped here
  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

This bill provides that a law enforcement officer may do any of the following to mitigate the threat posed by a drone that the officer reasonably suspects poses an imminent threat to public safety: 1) detect, track, and identify the drone; and 2) intercept, disable, or destroy the drone through any lawful method, including jamming, hacking, or physically capturing the drone. The bill provides that neither the law enforcement officer nor the agency that employs them is financially liable for damage to or loss of a drone that is intercepted, disabled, or destroyed.

Under current law, no person may operate a drone over a correctional institution without the express permission of the secretary of corrections. A person who violates this prohibition is subject to a forfeiture of $5,000. This bill provides that a person who violates this prohibition by use of a weaponized drone, the use of which poses a threat to public safety, is guilty of a Class H felony. “Weaponized drone” is defined to mean a drone equipped with a taser, firearm, flamethrower, chemical, or explosive device.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Behnke (R) , Dittrich (R) , Goeben (R) , Knodl (R) , Kurtz (R) , Melotik (R) , Murphy (R) , Mursau (R) , Wichgers (R)

5 cosponsors

Bradley (R) , Jacque (R) , James (R) , Marklein (R) , Nass (R)

Registered lobbying interests · 4

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Assembly: Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 4

Passed 11–4 Jan 22, 2026 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 11, Noes 4

Passed 11–4 Jan 22, 2026 official source full page

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

Assembly: PASSAGE

Passed 57–42 Feb 17, 2026 official source full page

Aye · 57

Nay · 42

Senate: Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

Passed 5–3 Mar 4, 2026 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 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Mar 16, 2026 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. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives Wichgers, Behnke, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Kurtz, Melotik, Murphy and Mursau; cosponsored by Senators Bradley, Jacque, Marklein and Nass

  2. Nov 7, 2025 · Assembly

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

  3. Dec 3, 2025 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  4. Jan 9, 2026 · Assembly

    Senator James added as a cosponsor

  5. Jan 20, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers

  6. Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  7. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  8. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 4

  9. Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 11, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers

  11. Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Withdrawn from committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026

  12. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  13. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  14. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers

  15. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  16. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  17. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  18. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  19. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 57, Noes 42

  20. Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  21. Feb 18, 2026 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  22. Feb 20, 2026 · Senate

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

  23. Mar 4, 2026 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  24. Mar 4, 2026 · Senate

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  25. Mar 4, 2026 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  27. Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-17-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  28. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a second time

  29. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  31. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  32. Mar 17, 2026 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  33. Mar 18, 2026 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  34. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1)

  35. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1)

  36. Mar 25, 2026 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-25-2026

  37. Apr 2, 2026 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  38. Apr 3, 2026 · Assembly

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026

  39. May 12, 2026 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  40. May 13, 2026 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82