An Act to amend 165.83 (2) (d), 175.37 (title) and 175.37 (2); to create 165.83 (2) (dd), 175.36 and 175.37 (1m) of the statutes; Relating to: a requirement to report lost or stolen firearms and providing a penalty. (FE)
Summary
AB954 would create a new statewide requirement that a person who owns a firearm must report it to law enforcement within 24 hours after discovering that the firearm has been stolen or lost. The bill also requires the owner to report if the firearm is later recovered. A false report would be treated as obstructing an officer under current law.
The bill further requires law enforcement agencies to create a file for each reported stolen or lost firearm and forward that information to the Department of Justice, which must enter it into NCIC systems and maintain a database of stolen or lost firearms. The database would also be updated when a firearm is recovered, helping law enforcement identify stolen firearms and track compliance with the reporting requirement.
AB954 also adds a notice requirement for retail commercial firearm sales and transfers. Sellers or transferors would have to provide buyers or transferees with written notice of the new 24-hour reporting duty and the penalties for failing to comply. A violation of the notice requirement would be punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
The bill changes Wisconsin statutes governing stolen-property reporting and firearm transfer warnings, and it creates new criminal penalties for failing to report a stolen or lost firearm. A first violation would be a Class A misdemeanor, while a second or subsequent violation would be a Class I felony. It also directs the Department of Justice to maintain firearm-specific reporting records, which could affect law enforcement procedures and firearm owners statewide.
There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so the general sentiment cannot be measured from debate. Based on the bill text alone, it appears designed to strengthen firearm-tracking and reporting requirements, with the main policy tension likely between public-safety advocates supporting quicker reporting and gun-rights or firearms-industry stakeholders concerned about new criminal penalties and compliance burdens.
Impact
AB954 would amend Wisconsin’s stolen-property and firearm-transfer statutes by creating s. 175.36, adding a new notice provision in s. 175.37, and modifying DOJ recordkeeping duties under s. 165.83. It would establish a mandatory 24-hour reporting rule for stolen or lost firearms, require law enforcement to create and transmit firearm-loss reports to the Department of Justice, and authorize DOJ to maintain a dedicated database tied to NCIC systems. The bill also creates new penalties for noncompliance and requires retail commercial sellers and transferors to warn purchasers about the reporting obligation.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to summarize. From the bill’s structure, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and law-enforcement tool aimed at improving recovery and tracing of stolen firearms. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the supplied history means any broader sentiment would be speculative.
Contention
The most likely point of contention is the new criminal penalty for failing to report a stolen or lost firearm within 24 hours, especially the escalation from a misdemeanor to a felony for repeat violations. Another possible area of dispute is the requirement that firearm sellers and transferors provide written notice of the reporting duty, which imposes an additional compliance obligation on retailers and transferors. Supporters would likely emphasize faster reporting, better tracing, and improved law-enforcement access to firearm-loss data, while critics may focus on due-process concerns, the burden on lawful gun owners, and the risk of penalizing delayed discovery or reporting.
Crossfiled
An Act to amend 165.83 (2) (d), 175.37 (title) and 175.37 (2); to create 165.83 (2) (dd), 175.36 and 175.37 (1m) of the statutes; Relating to: a requirement to report lost or stolen firearms and providing a penalty. (FE)