AB 629 Wisconsin Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

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

AB 629 prohibits operating drones over correctional facilities without authorization from facility leaders (e.g., secretary of corrections or sheriff). It imposes a $5,000 fine for unauthorized drone flights and criminalizes using weaponized drones (equipped with tasers, firearms, etc.) near prisons, classifying it as a Class H felony. The bill grants police officers authority to disable or destroy drones they reasonably believe pose an imminent threat to public safety, including through jamming or hacking, without financial liability for property damage. These provisions directly affect drone operators near prisons, facility staff, and law enforcement agencies, with specific focus on preventing security threats at correctional institutions.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Assembly Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Nov 7, 2025 Vetoed Apr 3, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Text Text as Enrolled · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized and renumbered from an introduced draft to the official enrolled text. The most significant substantive change is the expansion of police authority: officers can now disrupt or disable drones threatening public safety at large-scale public gatherings and critical infrastructure, not just correctional facilities. Additionally, the definition of 'weaponized drone' was updated to include explosives, and the penalty for using such a drone was elevated to a Class H felony.
Scope change
The scope of police authority was significantly expanded from only correctional institutions to include large-scale public gatherings, events, critical infrastructure, and correctional facilities.
ENFORCEMENT

Police authority was expanded to allow detection, tracking, and disabling of drones threatening public safety at venues used for large-scale public gatherings and critical infrastructure, in addition to correctional facilities.

The specific actions available to police were updated to include disrupting control, seizing the drone, and using reasonable force to disable or destroy it.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added stating that police actions must comply with federal training, certification, equipment, and reporting standards under 6 USC 124n.

DEFINITION

The definition of a 'weaponized drone' was updated to include explosive devices.

PENALTIES

The penalty for using a weaponized drone that poses a threat to public safety was clarified as a Class H felony.

Floor votes · Assembly Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
40
Key actions
9
Committee
5
Amendments
8
Apr 3, 2026
Vetoed
Report vetoed by the Governor on 4-3-2026
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Introduced
LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1)
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Introduced
LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1)
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read a third time and concurred in
upper
Mar 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
upper
Mar 4, 2026
Upper · Passed
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read a third time and passed, Ayes 57, Noes 42
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Introduced
Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Committee
Referred to committee on Rules
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 4
lower
Jan 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 11, Noes 4
lower
Jan 20, 2026
Introduced
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Wichgers
lower
Nov 7, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Representatives Wichgers, Behnke, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Kurtz, Melotik, Murphy and Mursau; cosponsored by Senators Bradley, Jacque, Marklein and Nass
lower
9 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors