Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB136

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/13/25
• Refer: 3/13/25
• Report Pass: 10/8/25
• Refer: 10/8/25
• Engrossed: 10/14/25
• Refer: 10/15/25
• Enrolled: 11/19/25
• Chaptered: 12/10/25
• Passed: 12/10/25

Caption

An Act to amend 946.70 (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d); to create 946.70 (1) (intro.) of the statutes; Relating to: classification of the crime of impersonating law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and certain other emergency personnel and providing a penalty.

Summary

AB136 reclassifies certain impersonation offenses involving public safety personnel under Wisconsin law. The bill creates a new introductory provision in section 946.70(1) establishing that, unless an exception applies, impersonating specified emergency personnel is a Class I felony, while the existing subsections for impersonating a peace officer, fire fighter, emergency medical services practitioner, and emergency medical responder are amended to remain Class A misdemeanors when committed with intent to mislead others into believing the person is actually that official or responder. The measure is focused on criminal penalties for false impersonation of law enforcement and emergency responders. It preserves the current misdemeanor treatment for the listed categories in subsections (a) through (d), but adds a broader felony classification in the new introductory language, indicating a more serious penalty structure for conduct covered by the statute’s opening clause and any applicable exceptions in subsection (2).

Impact

AB136 amends Wisconsin Statutes section 946.70, which governs impersonation of peace officers and emergency personnel. Its effect is to adjust the classification and penalty framework for these offenses, adding a Class I felony provision in the introductory subsection while retaining Class A misdemeanor penalties for the specific impersonation offenses listed in paragraphs (a) through (d). The bill therefore affects criminal enforcement, charging decisions, and sentencing exposure for individuals accused of impersonating law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS practitioners, or emergency medical responders.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill was treated as a public-safety and anti-fraud measure, with no recorded committee debate or votes indicating opposition. The only noted legislative activity is that Representative Emerson was later added as a coauthor, which generally signals support rather than controversy. Overall, the bill appears to have had a neutral-to-positive reception and little visible contention in the available record.

Contention

No committee transcripts or roll-call votes are provided, so there is no documented floor or committee dispute to identify. The main substantive issue apparent from the text is the relationship between the new Class I felony language in the introductory subsection and the existing Class A misdemeanor penalties in subsections (a) through (d), which could raise questions about how the statute is applied in practice and what conduct falls under the broader felony provision versus the specific misdemeanor provisions. Otherwise, the bill appears noncontroversial in the available materials.