Senate Bill 132 proposes to amend the current law regarding the impersonation of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and certain emergency personnel. Under existing law, impersonating these individuals is classified as a Class A misdemeanor. This bill seeks to elevate the classification of this crime to a Class I felony, thereby increasing the penalties associated with such actions. The bill introduces new legal language that specifies the conditions under which a person is guilty of this crime, stating that anyone who impersonates a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical services practitioner, or emergency medical responder with the intent to mislead others is committing a Class I felony.

The bill includes specific amendments to the legal language in section 946.70, where the phrase "Except as provided in sub. (2), whoever impersonates" is replaced with "Impersonates," and it removes the previous classification of the crime as a Class A misdemeanor. This change emphasizes the seriousness of the offense and aligns the penalties with the potential harm caused by such impersonation. The Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report due to the creation of a new crime or the revision of an existing penalty.