Barbara Dittrich, Wisconsin State Representative for 99th District | https://www.facebook.com
Barbara Dittrich, Wisconsin State Representative for 99th District | https://www.facebook.com
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty".
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the statutes to increase the penalties for harming animals used by law enforcement or fire departments. Under current law, intentionally injuring such an animal results in a Class I felony, while causing its death results in a Class H felony. The bill elevates these penalties, making the act of injuring an animal a Class H felony, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or up to six years imprisonment, or both. Causing the death of an animal is raised to a Class G felony, which carries a potential fine of up to $25,000 or up to 10 years imprisonment, or both. The bill also mandates restitution for veterinary care or the value of a replacement animal. This change reflects the bill's aim to provide greater protection and deterrence against harming service animals.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Van H. Wanggaard (Republican-21st District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator LaTonya Johnson (Democrat-6th District), and Senator Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District), along 24 other co-sponsors.
Barbara Dittrich has co-authored or authored another 35 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Dittrich, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 99th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Cindi Duchow.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB61 | 02/24/2025 | Injuring or killing a police or fire animal and providing a penalty |
| AB44 | 02/17/2025 | Allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records |
| AB9 | 02/06/2025 | Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property |
| AB5 | 02/03/2025 | Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents |
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