Bill > SF2904

This bill expands the existing criminal statute in Minnesota that prohibits intentional damage to or theft of telecommunications infrastructure. Currently, the law covers damage to electrical lines, gas pipelines, and telecommunications equipment. The bill adds broadband and cable services to the list of protected infrastructure, meaning that deliberately damaging or stealing components of broadband or cable networks would now be considered a crime. Specifically, the proposed change inserts the phrases "broadband services" and "cable services" into the existing legal text, which already covers a wide range of telecommunications and utility equipment such as computers, transformers, amplifiers, routers, transmission lines, and associated infrastructure. By broadening the scope of the existing law, the bill aims to provide legal protection for a more comprehensive range of modern communication networks, reflecting the growing importance of broadband and cable services in today's telecommunications landscape. The penalty for committing such a crime would remain the same as specified in the existing statute's subsequent subdivision.

Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2904&ssn=0&y=2025