AB306: Bill Text

LRB-0619/1

MGD:jld:pg

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Assembly BILL 306

May 1, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Suder, Albers, Bies, Gunderson, Hahn, Ladwig, LeMahieu, Musser, Olsen, Owens, Seratti, Townsend, Van Roy, Weber and Ziegelbauer, cosponsored by Senators Welch, Kanavas, Reynolds, Roessler, Schultz and Stepp. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice.

AB306,1,2 An Act to amend 943.24 (1) and 943.24 (2) of the statutes; relating to: writing bad checks and providing a penalty.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law prohibits a person from issuing a check, which he or she intends that the check will not be paid. If a person violates this prohibition and the check is for $2,500 or less, the person is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than nine months or both. If the violation occurs on or after February 1, 2003, and the check is for more than $2,500, the person is guilty of a Class I felony and may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than three and one-half years or both. The same penalties apply if the person violates the prohibition on or after February 1, 2003, by issuing more than one worthless check within a 15-day period and the checks are for more than $2,500 in the aggregate.

This bill decreases the dollar threshold separating felony violations from misdemeanor violations from $2,500 to $1,500.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB306, s. 1 Section 1. 943.24 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB306,2,3 943.24 (1) Whoever issues any check or other order for the payment of not more than $2,500 $1,500 which, at the time of issuance, he or she intends shall not be paid is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

AB306, s. 2 Section 2. 943.24 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2001 Wisconsin Act 109, is amended to read:

AB306,2,10 943.24 (2) Whoever issues any single check or other order for the payment of more than $2,500 $1,500 or whoever within a 15-day period issues more than one check or other order amounting in the aggregate to more than $2,500 $1,500 which, at the time of issuance, the person intends shall not be paid is guilty of a Class I felony.

AB306, s. 3 Section 3. Effective date.

AB306,2,13 (1) This act takes effect on February 1, 2003, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.

AB306,2,14 (End)