Back to Wisconsin

AB768 • 2025

operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty

operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representatives Donovan, Dittrich, Goodwin, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Novak, O'Connor, Penterman, Sinicki, Tittl and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk and James
Last action
2026-04-03
Official status
A - Enacted into Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty

operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty Status: A - Enacted into Law

What This Bill Does

  • operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty Status: A - Enacted into Law

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-03 Asm.

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-3-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 194

  2. 2026-04-03 Asm.

    Published 4-4-2026

  3. 2026-04-02 Asm.

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  4. 2026-03-23 Asm.

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-23-2026

  5. 2026-03-18 Asm.

    Received from Senate concurred in

  6. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Read a second time

  7. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Ordered to a third reading

  8. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  9. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Read a third time and concurred in

  10. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Senator Smith added as a cosponsor

  11. 2026-03-17 Sen.

    Ordered immediately messaged

  12. 2026-03-16 Sen.

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

  13. 2026-03-16 Sen.

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

  14. 2026-03-03 Sen.

    Executive action taken

  15. 2026-03-03 Sen.

    Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety , Ayes 8, Noes 0

  16. 2026-03-03 Sen.

    Available for scheduling

  17. 2026-02-20 Sen.

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

  18. 2026-02-18 Sen.

    Received from Assembly

  19. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Read a second time

  20. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  21. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  22. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Ordered to a third reading

  23. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Rules suspended

  24. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 85, Noes 14

  25. 2026-02-17 Asm.

    Ordered immediately messaged

  26. 2026-02-16 Asm.

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a coauthor

  27. 2026-02-13 Asm.

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

  28. 2026-02-11 Asm.

    Representative McCarville added as a coauthor

  29. 2026-01-30 Asm.

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Donovan

  30. 2026-01-22 Asm.

    Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety , Ayes 15, Noes 0

  31. 2026-01-22 Asm.

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety , Ayes 13, Noes 2

  32. 2026-01-22 Asm.

    Referred to committee on Rules

  33. 2026-01-21 Asm.

    Executive action taken

  34. 2026-01-16 Asm.

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Donovan

  35. 2026-01-14 Asm.

    Public hearing held

  36. 2026-01-06 Asm.

    LRB correction

  37. 2025-12-17 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Donovan , Dittrich , Goodwin , Knodl , Maxey , Melotik , Murphy , Novak , O'Connor , Penterman , Sinicki , Tittl and Wichgers ; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk and James

  38. 2025-12-17 Asm.

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

Official Summary Text

operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty
Status: A - Enacted into Law

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB768: Bill Text

Skip navigation

Home

Documents

Senate

Assembly

Committees

Service Agencies

Docs

Options

Help

2025 Biennium

Statutes

Admin. Rules

Indices

Miscellaneous

Archives

Home

Bill, Rule, and Appointment Histories

Senators

Representatives

Committees

Text of Introduced Proposals

Amendment Text

Acts

Veto Messages

Enrolled Bills

Votes

Assembly and Senate Floor Calendars

Schedule of Committee Activities

Assembly and Senate Journals

Committee Records (ROCPs)

Legislative Rules

All Session-Related Documents

Subject Index to Acts

Subject Index to Legislation

Subject Index to Journals

Author Index to Legislation

Subject Index to Clearinghouse Rules

Miscellaneous Budget Documents

Executive Orders

Rulings of the Chair

Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules

Opinions of the Attorney General

Town Law Forms

Law

Districts

Session

Drafting Files

Feeds

Preferences

Show tree

Hide tree

Feedback

Help

Home

Senate Home

Senators

Committees

Session

Chief Clerk

Sergeant at Arms

Civics Education

Human Resources
Assembly Home

Representatives

Committees

Session

Chief Clerk

Sergeant at Arms

Human Resources
Schedule

Joint

Senate

Assembly

Study
Legislative Audit Bureau

Legislative Council

Legislative Fiscal Bureau

Legislative Human Resources Office

Legislative Reference Bureau

Legislative Technology Services Bureau

Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
AB768: Bill Text

Up

Up

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-1994/1
EVM:skw&cdc
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 768
December 17, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Donovan
,
Dittrich
,
Goodwin
,
Knodl
,
Maxey
,
Melotik
,
Murphy
,
Novak
,
O'Connor
,
Penterman
,
Sinicki
,
Tittl
and
Wichgers
, cosponsored by Senators
Tomczyk
and
James
. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
AB768,1,3
1
An Act

to renumber
114.045 (1);
to renumber and amend
114.045 (3);
to
2
create
114.045 (1) (b) and 114.045 (3) (b) of the statutes;
relating to:

3
operation of drones over certain utility facilities and providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law prohibits the unauthorized, noncommercial operation of a drone over a correctional institution. Any person who violates this prohibition may be required to forfeit not more than $5,000. This bill prohibits the unauthorized operation of a drone at an altitude of less than 300 feet over or within 500 feet of a parcel on which certain water reclamation, power, telecommunications, and water system facilities are located. The penalty for a violation of this prohibition is the same as for unauthorized operation of a drone over a correctional institution.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB768,1
4
Section

1
.
114.045 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 114.045 (1) (a).
AB768,2
5
Section

2
.
114.045 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB768,2,2
6
114.045
(1)
(b) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2. or 3., no person may operate
1
a drone, as defined in s. 941.292 (1), at an altitude of less than 300 feet, over or
2
within 500 feet of a parcel on which of any of the following facilities are located:
AB768,2,4
3
a. A water reclamation facility or a building designed for the purpose of water
4
reclamation conveyance management.
AB768,2,7
5
b. A gas or electric power plant, generating station, electric substation,
6
natural gas gate station, or storage facility or a building designed for the purpose of
7
gas or electric power management.
AB768,2,10
8
c. A telecommunications carrier plant, equipment used to furnish
9
telecommunications services, or a building designed for the purpose of
10
telecommunications management.
AB768,2,12
11
d. A public water system facility or a building designed for the purpose of
12
public water system management.
AB768,2,14
13
2. Subdivision 1. does not prohibit the operation of a drone at the direction of
14
any of the following for official business:
AB768,2,16
15
a. The owner or operator of the facility for the purpose of monitoring,
16
inspecting, operating, or maintaining the facility.
AB768,2,18
17
b. A county, city, village, or town in which the parcel is located in any area
18
under its jurisdiction.
AB768,2,21
19
3. Subdivision 1. does not prohibit the operation of a drone for a commercial
20
purpose if the done is operated in compliance with federal aviation administration
21
regulations, authorizations, or exemptions.
AB768,3
22
Section

3
.
114.045 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 114.045 (3) (a) and
23
amended to read:
AB768,3,4
24
114.045
(3)
(a) A law enforcement officer investigating an alleged violation of
1
sub. (1)
(a)
shall seize and transfer to the department of corrections or authority in
2
charge of the correctional institution any photograph, motion picture, other visual
3
representation, or data that represents a visual image that was created or recorded
4
by a drone during an alleged violation of sub. (1)
(a)
.
AB768,4
5
Section

4
.
114.045 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB768,3,9
6
114.045
(3)
(b) A law enforcement officer investigating an alleged violation of
7
sub. (1) (b) shall seize and do all of the following with any photograph, motion
8
picture, or other visual representation, or data that represents a visual image that
9
was created or recorded by a drone during an alleged violation of sub. (1) (b):
AB768,3,12
10
1. Transfer the materials to the law enforcement agency that has primary
11
responsibility for providing police protective services in the city, village, or town in
12
which the violation occurred.
AB768,3,15
13
2. Upon completion of any enforcement proceeding related to an alleged
14
violation of sub. (1) (b), provide copies of the materials to each city, village, town, or
15
county in which the violation occurred.
AB768,3,16
16
(end)

Down

Down

/2025/related/proposals/ab768

true

proposaltext

/2025/related/proposals/ab768

proposaltext/2025/REG/AB768

proposaltext/2025/REG/AB768

section

true

Menu
»
2025
»
Related Documents
»
Proposal Text
»
AB768: Bill Text

×

Details for

PDF view

Link
(Permanent link)

Bookmark this location

View toggle

Go to top of document

Search in this chapter

Search in this section

Search in this agency

Search in this chapter group

Search in this chapter

Search in this section

Cross references for section

Acts affecting this section

References to this

1970 Statutes Annotations

Appellate Court Citations

Administrative Code Index

Reference lines

Clear highlighting