Session:   

Bill

Home - Bills - Bill - Authors - Dates - Keywords - Tags - Locations

Measure SB 701
Authors Wahab  
Principle Coauthors: Niello  
Subject Signal jammers.
Relating To relating to crimes.
Title An act to add Section 636.6 to the Penal Code, relating to crimes.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-07
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program Yes
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-07     Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 458, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-07     Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-17     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-09     Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2719.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-08     Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 2996.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-08     In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-02     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-07-16     July 16 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-03     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-02     From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 1).
2025-06-16     Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-05     In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-04     Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1511.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-23     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1210.) (May 23).
2025-05-16     Set for hearing May 23.
2025-04-28     April 28 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-17     Set for hearing April 28.
2025-04-09     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-08     From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 709.) (April 8).
2025-03-27     Set for hearing April 8.
2025-03-24     From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-12     Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-24     Read first time.
2025-02-24     From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
2025-02-21     Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-07
Enrolled     2025-09-12
Amended Assembly     2025-07-03
Amended Senate     2025-04-09
Amended Senate     2025-03-24
Introduced     2025-02-21
Last Version Text
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
	


	<ns0:Description>
		<ns0:Id>20250SB__070194CHP</ns0:Id>
		<ns0:VersionNum>94</ns0:VersionNum>
		<ns0:History>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-21</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-03-24</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-04-09</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-07-03</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>PASSED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-08</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>PASSED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-09</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>ENROLLED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-12</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>CHAPTERED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-07</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>APPROVED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-07</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>FILED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-07</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
		</ns0:History>
		<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
			<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
			<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
			<ns0:MeasureType>SB</ns0:MeasureType>
			<ns0:MeasureNum>701</ns0:MeasureNum>
			<ns0:MeasureState>CHP</ns0:MeasureState>
			<ns0:ChapterYear>2025</ns0:ChapterYear>
			<ns0:ChapterType>CHP</ns0:ChapterType>
			<ns0:ChapterSessionNum>0</ns0:ChapterSessionNum>
			<ns0:ChapterNum>458</ns0:ChapterNum>
		</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Wahab</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Principal coauthor: Senator Niello)</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:Authors>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Wahab</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Niello</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
		</ns0:Authors>
		<ns0:Title>An act to add Section 636.6 to the Penal Code, relating to crimes. </ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>crimes</ns0:RelatingClause>
		<ns0:GeneralSubject>
			<ns0:Subject>Signal jammers.</ns0:Subject>
		</ns0:GeneralSubject>
		<ns0:DigestText>
			<html:p>Federal law prohibits a person from willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to radio communications. Federal law prohibits a person from manufacturing, importing, selling, offering for sale, or shipping a device that interferes with radio communications. Federal law makes a violation of these prohibitions punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both the fine and imprisonment.</html:p>
			<html:p>Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to intercept a public safety radio service communication for the purpose of using the communication to assist in the commission of a criminal offense or to avoid arrest, as specified. Existing law makes it an infraction to possess or equip a vehicle with a device that is capable of interfering with a device used by a law enforcement
			 agency to measure the speed of moving objects, as specified, and makes it a misdemeanor to possess four or more of those devices.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would make it a crime to manufacture, import, market, purchase, sell, or operate a signal jammer, as defined, unless authorized to do so by the Federal Communications Commission, punishable as an infraction for a first offense, and a misdemeanor for a 2nd offense, as specified. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to operate a signal jammer in conjunction with the commission of a
			 misdemeanor or felony, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or by imprisonment. The bill would make it a crime to willfully or maliciously use a signal jammer to block state or local public safety communications, if the person knows or should know that using the signal jammer is likely to result in death or great bodily injury and great bodily injury or death is sustained by any person as a result of that use, punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The bill would require forfeiture of the signal jamming device upon conviction for these crimes. By creating new crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
			<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
		</ns0:DigestText>
		<ns0:DigestKey>
			<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
			<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
			<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
			<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
		</ns0:DigestKey>
		<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
				<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
				<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
				<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
				<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
				<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
				<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
			</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
		</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
	</ns0:Description>
	<ns0:Bill id="bill">
		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_C025C7FE-195A-4225-BA42-36A31C8ACA14">
			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:PEN:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'636.6'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" ns3:type="locator">
				Section 636.6 is added to the 
				<ns0:DocName>Penal Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
			</ns0:ActionLine>
			<ns0:Fragment>
				<ns0:LawSection id="id_4F5F7B64-505C-4E00-BF5A-38D1A3AC8A91">
					<ns0:Num>636.6.</ns0:Num>
					<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_5DAB7E16-9547-4684-9CB5-85CCFB41CFAE">
						<ns0:Content>
							<html:p>
								(a)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A person who manufactures, imports, markets, purchases, sells, or operates a signal jammer, unless authorized to do so by the Federal Communications Commission, is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for a first offense.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A second or subsequent violation of paragraph (1) is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding year, by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(b)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A person who operates a signal jammer in conjunction with
						the commission of a
						misdemeanor or felony is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(c)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A person who willfully or maliciously uses a signal jammer to block state or local public safety communications, and who knows or should know that using the signal jammer is likely to result in death or great bodily injury and great bodily injury or death is sustained by any person as a result of that use, is guilty of a
						crime, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(d)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								A conviction under this section requires forfeiture of the signal jamming device.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(e)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								This section does not apply to the authorized and lawful use of signal jammers by local or state law enforcement.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(f)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(1)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								“Signal jammer” means a device that intentionally blocks, jams, or interferes with authorized radio or wireless communications.
							</html:p>
							<html:p>
								(2)
								<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
								“Public safety communications” means the systems, technologies, and methods used by emergency response agencies, including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS, to communicate with each other.
							</html:p>
						</ns0:Content>
					</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
				</ns0:LawSection>
			</ns0:Fragment>
		</ns0:BillSection>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_5D5AA5B8-634C-4C32-BDA2-97A2FA82D1CA">
			<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:Content>
				<html:p>
					No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
					<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
					B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
					<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
					B of the California Constitution.
				</html:p>
			</ns0:Content>
		</ns0:BillSection>
	</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>
Last Version Text Digest Federal law prohibits a person from willfully or maliciously interfering with or causing interference to radio communications. Federal law prohibits a person from manufacturing, importing, selling, offering for sale, or shipping a device that interferes with radio communications. Federal law makes a violation of these prohibitions punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both the fine and imprisonment. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to intercept a public safety radio service communication for the purpose of using the communication to assist in the commission of a criminal offense or to avoid arrest, as specified. Existing law makes it an infraction to possess or equip a vehicle with a device that is capable of interfering with a device used by a law enforcement agency to measure the speed of moving objects, as specified, and makes it a misdemeanor to possess four or more of those devices.