Assembly Bill 791
Intentionally sending false text messages to 911 and providing a penalty
Topics: Fraud, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Telephone
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Dec 23, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 782. That version became law.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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 would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, any person who intentionally dials the telephone number “911” to report an emergency, knowing that the fact situation that the person reports does not exist, is subject to a fine of between $100 and $600 or imprisonment for up to 90 days or both for a first offense and is guilty of a Class H felony for a repeat offense committed within four years after an offense.
This bill adds intentionally sending a false text message to the telephone number “911” as an offense subject to the penalty.
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
19 representatives are its . 14 are Republicans and 5 are Democrats.
3 more lawmakers .
See all 22 names Hide the names
Authors (19)
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Ben DeSmidt · Democrat, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Russell Goodwin · Democrat, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Tony Kurtz · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Christine Sinicki · Democrat, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- Shelia Stubbs · Democrat, Assembly
- Lisa Subeck · Democrat, Assembly
Signed on in support (3)
- Brienne Brown · Democrat, Assembly
- Jodi Emerson · Democrat, Assembly
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it
Passed, 13 to 2 · Jan 22, 2026
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 13, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 6, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026
2 more representatives signed on in support.
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Jan 22, 2026
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Jan 22, 2026
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 13 to 2.
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Jan 14, 2026
The committee held a public hearing.
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Dec 23, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
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Dec 23, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Dec 23, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Donovan, Goodwin, Sortwell, Sinicki, Behnke, DeSmidt, Dittrich, Goeben, Gundrum, Kaufert, Kurtz, Maxey, Murphy, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Stubbs, Subeck and Knodl; cosponsored by Senator Wanggaard
- Dec 23, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Jan 14, 2026 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Jan 21, 2026 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 13, Noes 2
- Jan 22, 2026 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Feb 13, 2026 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 2-17-2026
- Feb 17, 2026 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 6, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Brown added as a coauthor
- Mar 19, 2026 · Assembly
Representative Emerson added as a coauthor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. 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
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
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